Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

Your blood is made up of mostly liquid (plasma) but it also contains some solid components (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets). Platelets are best known to be responsible for blood clotting, however they are also a rich source of growth factors and other proteins that enhance your natural healing and growth processes which are very important in the recovery of injuries. PRP is a concentration of platelets (therefore growth factors) in a small volume of plasma which is prepared by drawing your own blood, extracting the platelet rich portion by centrifugation, and then injecting back into the affected area. 

PRP is an emerging treatment in a new health sector known as “orthobiologics”: the philosophy of which is to merge cutting edge technology with the body’s ability to heal itself. When injected, the concentrated platelets release huge reservoirs of bioactive proteins, including growth factors that help to initiate and accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. PRP initiates the body’s natural processes necessary for the repair of damaged or worn tissue, such as tendons, ligaments, cartilage and muscle.

A systematic review of all the recent research has confirmed the benefit of PRP in alleviating pain in osteoarthritis of the knee. It can also be used to treat all other osteoarthritic joints such as the ankle, thumb, big toe and hip.

PRP is increasingly being used as an alternative to a steroid injection to treat tennis or golfer’s elbow as well as many other tendinopathies. It can also be used to treat partial tendon, ligament or muscle tears as well as both acute and chronic injuries and may be recommended where conservative treatments have failed.

The main benefit of PRP is that it uses the body’s own natural healing properties to alleviate a pain or problem in the musculoskeletal system. Unlike steroid injections, there are no limits on the number of injections you can have.