Why PRP Therapy Has Become a Popular Treatment
Platelet-rich plasma therapy concentrates parts of your own blood and then uses the resulting serum to help you heal more quickly. Read on to learn more about this state-of-the-art treatment.
Many people look to athletes for tips on how to improve their workouts and performance. Now they can follow in their footsteps for healing by using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.
Dr. Jeremy Woodson and our exceptional staff at our private practice in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, employ state-of-the-art care with proven results for everything from injuries and ailments to goals of improved performance. We treat everyone from children to adults, along with athletes of all skill levels. Our use of platelet-rich plasma therapy is just one example of our innovative treatments.
Although most people think of blood as a liquid, it is actually made up of both liquids and solids. The liquid portion consists of water, protein, and salts, while the solid portion consists of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Each part of the blood plays a special role. The red blood cells take oxygen from the lungs to the organs and tissues, while the white blood cells fight infections as part of the immune system.
Platelets are the smallest type of blood cell and help with clotting. They move throughout the blood, and when they come across damage to blood vessels, they bind together to stop the bleeding.
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a type of restorative medicine that accelerates recovery by using a more concentrated version of the body's healing functions more efficiently. It is often used to help repair injured ligaments, tendons, muscles, and joints.
In addition to speeding up the healing process, studies have shown that PRP can also decrease or alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and repair damaged tissue. It can assist people in stopping their use of anti-inflammatory or opioid medication, and in some cases, it can even help individuals avoid surgery or other more invasive treatments.
Platelet-rich plasma therapy takes advantage of certain healing substances in the platelets called growth factors.
The treatment begins with about two teaspoons of blood being drawn and placed in a centrifuge. The spinning machine separates the platelets from the plasma, so a special serum can be made using a concentrated amount of platelets and just a little bit of plasma. When the process is complete the powerful serum has close to 95% more platelets and up to 10 times the growth factors as regular blood.
Using platelet-rich plasma therapy is safe and effective. Most often people use their own blood, which means the body will not react to or reject the injections.
If you have an injury or painful condition and are looking to give your body a boost to help speed your recovery, call our office today at 405-233-3602 to make an appointment.
