What is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP)?
What is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP)?

What is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP) & How It Works?

What is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP)? Despite decades of research and the invention of innumerable techniques in the realm of anatomic and biomedical sciences, there are still some areas of the human body that are enigmatic and embroiled in a mystery.

However, in recent years, medical professionals have discovered that our bodies contain amazing self-healing capabilities and can rapidly heal damaged and defective tissues without the aid of invasive surgeries or chemical treatments.

A good example of such regenerative therapy is platelet-rich plasma therapy, a biomedical treatment that allows the body to effectively accelerate its natural healing processes and effectively treat damaged tissues in a more efficient manner.

What is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy?
What is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy?

What is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy?

Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) in Fair Lawn, NJ has become increasingly popular because it is a natural, non-invasive procedure that uses a patient’s own blood, as the platelet-rich plasma, to treat ailments starting from arthritis to many orthopedic injuries.

During the process, blood plasma full of vital nutrients and healing factors is extracted from the patient’s body and injected directly into your injury to encourage healing. Fair Lawn, New Jersey PRP therapy is meant to promote natural cell regrowth by supplying the necessary elements to encourage cell growth.

The advantage of this process is that it is natural and removes the necessity for surgery and the use of traditional medication. Many professionals recommend PRP to patients healing from surgery [1] or people with bone or tendon issues, as many published papers indicate that PRP is effective at reducing inflammation from arthritis [2].

Further, rejuvenating your skin and gaining a more youthful appearance with PRP based facelifts is increasingly becoming the next best thing in aesthetic medicine. Age, sun exposure, and lifestyle factors start to appear on the face as early as the mid-20s.

Both women and men are vulnerable to signs of aging that are noticeable in the form of loose, sagging, or uneven skin and wrinkles. As a result, a growing number of people are looking for new, non-invasive treatments to slow down the aging process.

One particular method of rejuvenation that offers great promise is Platelet Rich Plasma near me (PRP) rejuvenation. Hair loss, which often is another sign of aging, can be a source of embarrassment that can plague men and women of all ages.

Thankfully, PRP can assist in restoring hair loss (thickens your hair) by delivering platelets to the scalp necessary for the growth of new hair follicles.

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy can also prove its effectiveness in the personal life of individuals suffering from erectile dysfunction. Many men suffer from problems in sexual intercourse due to bad physical conditions, stress, psychological reasons, etc.

Injecting PRP, according to a study published at NCBI [3], can assist in improving erectile dysfunction (ED), which improves your sex life and results in pleasure and satisfaction.

How PRP Therapy Works?
How PRP Therapy Works?

How PRP Therapy Works?

PRP is a minimally invasive treatment that features a patient’s own growth factors, which are concentrated in the platelets in the blood. The complete process is painless and easy, but understanding the many crucial components can be a bit confusing.

So before we dive deep into the process, we will first discuss the biological components and the healing factors that influence the process.

1. Chondrocytes

Chondrocytes are the primary cell types that accelerate the healing and repair of various areas in the human body. Chondrocytes from the cartilage of a joint, and these particular cells and tissues are essential for proper joint functioning.

2. Growth Factors

Growth factors are biochemical substances that promote healthy cell proliferation. These substances drive the body’s natural healing methods, signaling cells to repair, restore, or mature the body.

There are more than 100 different types of growth factors throughout the body; however, the exact mechanism of these factors is still unclear to the scientific community.

Growth factors, however, are sensitive to injury and trauma, and their presence and activity have been confirmed in a variety of medical issues, including arthritis and orthopedic injuries.

Research has also identified that platelets, a vital component in the process of PRP, are an essential element in the stimulation of growth factors, as they contain a high degree of growth factors.

3. Plasma

Plasma is a yellowish liquid that makes up 55% of blood. Plasma is the liquid that contains cells and proteins, including growth factors and cytokines, a substance that is directly related to your body’s inflammatory process.

Platelet-derived growth factors (PDGF), stem cells, and other fluids found in plasma can stimulate crucial wound healing processes and initiate cell growth.

4. Platelets

Platelets, also known as thrombocytes, occupy about 7% of your blood, and it is these cells that contain the vital growth factor that has been identified as critical to the natural healing process.

Platelets are composed of a plasma membrane, are disc-shaped with a mesh-like secretion system, and contain cell membrane fibrous proteins. Platelets are essential for the production of hemostasis or blood clotting, which stops blood loss during minor injuries.

The platelet cells also have biological processes that promote cell regrowth and repair. Platelets are basically sacks of growth factors, protein, and other elements that gather at the wound site to deliver healing substances and promote proper natural healing.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy harnesses the power of platelets to rejuvenate and treat damaged tissues, such as torn ligaments or injured tendons.

How Does Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy Work?
How Does Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy Work?

How Does Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy Work?

Platelet-rich plasma is used to treat and accelerate the healing of a number of orthopedic, neurological, and cardiovascular conditions[4]. Studies have shown that PRP therapy in Fair Lawn, NJ has many advantages over traditional treatments, such as increased patient comfort, faster recovery, less scarring, and shorter recovery time.

If PRP therapy is done correctly, the healing and regeneration process can be significantly accelerated, which is a huge benefit for patients who desire a time-efficient healing process.

PRP treatment is conducted by drawing about 1.5 to 2 ounces of blood from the patient’s vascular system. The plasma that is extracted from a patient’s blood is then centrifuged to remove all white blood cells, platelets, and other cell fragments, leaving only growth factors and platelets in the solution.

This platelet-rich plasma will then be immediately injected back into the patient’s body, which allows a quick response from the body. In addition, injured areas that are injected with PRP will be dramatically improved and will heal more quickly and naturally than if the patient had just been given a traditional medication.

In fact, PRP works fast, in a matter of days, to heal injury and decrease swelling, which, in turn, allows patients to return to their daily activities. Consequently, the popularity of PRP has grown substantially in multiple applications and is one of the fastest-growing forms of therapy.

PRP is the perfect choice for people who are interested in a non-surgical solution for various conditions. This modern and innovative therapy has helped thousands of patients throughout the world deal with painful injuries and improves their quality of life.

Many athletes and celebrities have discovered PRP to treat their sports injuries and, as a result, have returned to the competition and to the stage.

Are PRP Injections Safe?
Are PRP Injections Safe?

Are PRP Injections Safe?

Yes, platelet-rich plasma therapy is considered to be a safe treatment with NO serious risks or side effects. Because Platelet-rich plasma therapy is centered on the idea of injecting your own blood into your injured tissues, you will not be at risk of contracting a communicable disease.

Regardless, any sort of medical therapy that is centered on injections brings about a certain element of risk in it, which includes: damage to blood vessels or nerves, infection. But these are common with any form of injection, not just the platelet-rich plasma injections, and so do not pose a unique risk that could be associated with the procedure.

Overall, the benefits of PRP injection procedures far outweigh the risks associated with it. They are a fairly safe procedure, and one can even arrive on their own accord at a qualified practitioner.

As long as you select a qualified doctor and follow the physician’s instructions, you run no major risk of adverse side effects.

Now, since PRP is made from your own blood, there shouldn’t be any worries about rejection from your body. In fact, PRP injections are touted to be the fastest healing treatment available to individuals suffering from a number of different injuries and ailments.

Platelets contain factors that can stimulate your body to form new blood vessels that nourish tissue rapidly, something that has been used for years in patients undergoing plastic surgery procedures.

Below are some of the areas where PRP has been used with much success in recent years:

1. Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy for Arthritis

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is heralded as a natural treatment that can speed up the healing process and alleviate the pain and inflammation associated with joint injuries significantly.

The hype and attention being received today in the scientific world are well warranted, as platelet-rich plasma therapy has been scientifically proven to be effective in reducing pain associated with arthritis [6].

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is used to treat the condition of articular cartilage degenerations such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis.

It is also used to treat small and large joint injuries, ligament and tendon injuries, and injuries to bones and muscles. Due to its uniqueness in the healing process, PRP seems to be the remedy of choice when there is a need to stimulate and increase accelerated healing on the affected joints.

By supplying the necessary elements to encourage the growth of mature and healthy cartilage and bone, Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy can make a great difference in the lives of a great many patients suffering from various joint ailments.

2. Tendon Injuries

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy is also being used in the treatment of tendinitis, a condition that is also known as tendonitis. Tendinitis is caused when tendons near joints become inflamed and painful.

Although there is the proper treatment for tendinitis, tendon ruptures can also occur and require surgery. Conservative treatments for tendinitis can be extremely painful, which is often accompanied by a loss of mobility in the affected joints, sleepless nights, and painkiller dependence.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is an alternative to surgery and dangerous steroids because of the platelet concentration, which is able to reduce inflammation, enhance patient comfort, and speed healing [7].

The increased rate of healing can potentially reduce recovery time and lower the risk of permanent damage to the affected joint.

3. Musculoskeletal Problems

PRP therapy is touted for its accelerated healing rates and its ability to heal damaged tissues.

The concentrated platelet growth factors found in Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy work to significantly reduce pain and inflammation in the affected tissues, while also eliminating scar tissue and increasing the healing rate of tendon injuries, ligament injuries, and other musculoskeletal problems.

PRP Therapy in Fair Lawn, NJ may hold the key to painless recovery in patients often needing to wait for recovery from tendon and ligament injuries and showing initial signs of inflammation. [8]

4. Hair Loss

PRP treatment though still undergoing research, has been noted to stimulate new hair growth as it contains a high concentration of the growth factors required to encourage the growth of new hair follicles. [9]

5. Healing from Sports Injuries

The effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma therapy as a way to reduce the amount of time required to recover from sports injuries is being recognized in both professional and collegiate sports.

With the rising costs of health care and the desire to keep professional athletes in the game, PRP Therapy is on the path of being the most effective way to heal sports injuries quickly without incurring months of rehabilitation. [10]

How Long Does It Take for PRP To Work?
How Long Does It Take for PRP To Work?

How Long Does It Take for PRP To Work?

Research has shown that platelet-rich plasma therapy works extremely well in cases of osteoarthritis and joint injuries and has the ability to heal damaged tissues at a much faster rate than traditional methods of healing.

But the healing process depends greatly upon the severity of the injury, how long it has been left untreated, type, and most importantly, the body’s ability to heal itself.

How Long Does It Take to Recover from Platelet Rich Plasma?

Pain relief from PRP injection should start within three to four weeks after the treatment has been conducted. The pain and associated symptoms should start disappearing in the next 3 – 6 months after PRP injection depending on the severity of the issue, injury type, age of the patient, and body’s healing capability.

Verdict

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a rather new and innovative procedure that can help to accelerate and even hasten the body’s natural healing process. Since it is based on scientific fact and has a large number of successful case studies to back it up, it cannot be ignored as a treatment option for the treatment of many ailments and injuries.

Individuals seeking Platelet Rich Plasma near me for treatment of their medical issues will definitely feel much better about the quality of their life after undergoing the treatment as it poses no risk and is a rather safe procedure.

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3683340/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5867452/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6348436/

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4620078/

[5] https://stanfordhealthcare.org/content/dam/SHC/diagnosis/p/docs/petctscan-pdf-prpbeaulieuletter.pdf

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6220006/

[7] https://www.hss.edu/condition-list_prp-injections.asp

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5302101/

[9] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326294

[10] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21082164/

About Dr. Ricardo Lalama

Dr. Ricardo Lalama, DC , a Fair Lawn, NJ Chiropractor, is a caring and highly experienced Chiropractic Physician with outstanding clinical experience in treating patients. Whether it be a series of Chiropractic adjustments or utilizing an integrated medical approach to attain your ultimate health , Dr. Ricardo Lalama, DC and team are one of the best options to help get your healing on the right path. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook.

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