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How PRP Helps You Heal
The human body is excellent at repairing itself, and modern medicine has improved our understanding of the healing process. Platelet-rich plasma isolates the healing components in your blood, creating a serum that can be used to target injuries. PRP therapy can be used to treat a variety of issues, making it a valuable addition to your treatment plan.
Dr. Philip Regala practices orthopedic medicine in Naples, Florida. He adds complementary treatments like PRP therapy to speed healing and boost your body’s regenerative abilities.
PRP 101
PRP therapy is a form of regenerative medicine, which means it encourages the body to heal itself. The secret is platelet-rich plasma, a type of “healing serum” harvested from your own blood.
Blood contains four key components:
- Red blood cells, carry oxygen and carbon dioxide
- White blood cells, part of the immune system
- Platelets, responsible for clotting blood and stimulating growth factors
- Plasma, the liquid medium composed of water, sugar, fat, protein, and salts
The PRP process starts with putting a blood sample drawn from your arm into the centrifuge, then spinning the blood to separate the plasma and platelets from the other blood cells. The resulting sample has a higher concentration of platelets, suspended within your blood’s natural plasma. Since the origin of the serum is your own blood, your body will recognize the platelets as “self” and accept them immediately.
Benefits of platelet-rich plasma
PRP therapy is still being researched and developed, but it’s considered to be a breakthrough in regenerative medicine. This treatment:
- Speeds up recovery
- Relieves pain
- Regulates inflammation
- Triggers tissue growth
- Reduces the need for surgery
- Is minimally invasive
- Requires no third-party donors
- Provides a bioidentical, targeted treatment
The primary benefit of PRP therapy is that it can help send platelets to areas with poor blood flow. Many joint injuries heal slowly because there’s minimal blood supply, which means fewer platelets to repair the damage. PRP injections can help target those areas, attract extra growth factors, and accelerate healing.
How PRP therapy can help you
PRP has been used to treat sports injuries, chronic pain, skin conditions, and even hair loss. Dr. Regala often uses PRP therapy to treat the following conditions:
- Osteoarthritis
- Tennis elbow
- ACL tears
- Rotator cuff tears
- Meniscus tears
- Plantar fasciitis
This is just a brief list of what platelet-rich plasma can be used for. To learn more about PRP therapy and find out if it’s right for you, consult with Dr. Regala. You can schedule an appointment by calling 239-325-1131, or book online.
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