If you’ve ever been inconvenienced by an acute or chronic injury, chances are you considered a variety of treatment options to accelerate your recovery. Whether you hurt yourself at the gym or out on the field, it takes time for your body to heal. What if there was a non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical way to speed up recovery time?
Regenerative medicine focuses on the body’s natural restorative processes and encompasses therapies that support the healing of tissues and organs. These therapies are intended to give a boost to the body’s own miraculous ability to mend itself.
Regenerative medicine is often prescribed to treat chronic degenerative conditions as well as temporary injuries. It’s used across a wide range of medical specialties to promote the body’s natural ability to repair damage.
Chiropractic is a specialty similarly focused on promoting wellness and maintaining the body’s regenerative functions. This focus on regeneration is one of the reasons PRP therapies are so complimentary to chiropractic care.
A popular form of regenerative therapy is platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP), which are designed to harness the body’s natural growth factors to heal tissue.
Patients who receive PRP injections first need to have their blood drawn. This blood sample is needed to create the injection — as their own plasma and platelets play a key role in the process.
Plasma: A clear liquid and the single largest component of blood. It’s comprised of water, salts, enzymes, antibodies and other proteins. Plasma is how platelets and red and white blood cells circulate throughout the body.
Platelets: Small, colorless fragments of cells that develop in bone marrow. They form blood clots to stop bleeding and promote healing. Platelets are the body’s first response to a wound.
What Is a Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injection?
A platelet-rich plasma injection is developed from your own blood by spinning your blood sample at a high speed in a centrifuge, separating platelets, plasma and red blood cells within the vial (red blood cells are heavier so they sink to the bottom of the vial when spun up through a centrifuge).
After separation, a concentrated mixture of platelets and plasma is extracted and then carefully injected into your injured tissues by your doctor. This form of regenerative medicine is intended to improve your body’s natural healing abilities and promote the recovery of injured muscles, tendons, joints and ligaments.
What are the Benefits of PRP Injections?
The concentration of platelets is loaded with growth factors that are vital for body’s ability to mend tissue and restore itself. The growth factors encourage the production of various reparative cells, ideally leading to improved healing speed and quality.
Whether you’re dealing with a sports injury or experiencing pain from repetitive stress like moving heavy boxes all day, you should discuss the benefits of PRP injections with your chiropractor.
Studies have shown that platelet-rich plasma might also help to reduce pain and inflammation. You may find that PRP injections can be a valuable part of your pain management and recovery regimen.
Are There Any Side Effects?
A platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection works well with your body because it is not a foreign substance. It uses your own concentrated blood cells to swarm the affected area and heal tissues. There is no risk of rejection as your body will recognize its own platelets and put them to work.
Is PRP Therapy Right for You?
Our Optimum Health Rehab regenerative medicine professionals are trained to use PRP injections as part of a comprehensive injury recovery treatment plan.
We understand that beginning any new therapy can feel overwhelming, which is why our experts are here to help. If you’re experiencing joint or muscle pain or are suffering from a sports-related injury, contact one of our Georgia offices to learn how platelet-rich plasma injections may help you.
You can reach us by calling 877-704-1761 or filling out our form.
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