PRP

What is platelet-rich plasma?

PRP is a form of regenerative medicine that uses substances from your own body to stimulate and accelerate healing. PRP is created from a sample of your own blood and contains a high concentration of the natural healing properties found in your blood, including platelets, growth factors, and specialized cells. 

When injected into your diseased or damaged tissue, the substances get to work and accelerate the healing process. 

Orthopedic physicians have been using PRP therapy as a treatment to help heal sports injuries so athletes can get back to their game quickly and safely and without the need for more invasive treatments. 

What conditions benefit from PRP therapy?

Dr. Delman offers PRP to treat many common musculoskeletal conditions. He finds it especially helpful in treating tendinopathies that often result from overuse in athletes. Other conditions that may benefit from PRP therapy include:

• Arthritis
  
• Tendinitis
  
• Golfer’s or tennis elbow
  
• Acute ligament and muscle injuries
  
• Rotator cuff tears
  
• Achilles tendinitis
  
• Other tendon injuries

PRP may also be helpful to accelerate healing after a surgical procedure. 

What can I expect during PRP therapy?

Dr. Delman performs PRP therapy at his office. He begins by first drawing a sample of blood from your arm, which he then treats and spins in a centrifuge to separate out the healing components. 

Once your PRP is ready, he prepares the site for injection by numbing the area with a local anesthetic and then injects the PRP into the diseased or damaged tissue.

After your injection, Dr. Delman may monitor you for reactions and then send you home. Depending on the site of your injection and your overall health Dr. Delman may suggest activity modification, but there’s no downtime following your PRP therapy. 

Once home, you may experience pain and swelling at the site of the injection. This is normal and indicates that the healing properties in the PRP are working. Dr. Delman recommends you refrain from the use of anti-inflammatories while undergoing PRP therapy to ensure you get the best results. 

You may begin to notice an improvement in pain and mobility within a few weeks of your injection. Dr. Delman might recommend additional injections depending on your needs, but he’ll discuss your treatment plan before you get started so you can prepare and know what to expect.

To learn more about PRP and how it may help you, call Allan Delman, M.D., or book a consultation online today.