Is PRP Right for Me?

Regenerative medicine is a branch of science that has one exciting goal — to replace or regenerate cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish normal function. At the forefront of regenerative medicine is platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, which is an effective and safe approach to solving a wide range of musculoskeletal riddles, from arthritis to soft tissue injuries.

At Advanced Spine Care and Pain Management, our team of musculoskeletal experts has considerable experience with PRP therapy, and we’ve seen impressive results.

If you’re curious about the world of regenerative medicine — and PRP therapy, in particular — we want to take this opportunity to shed some light on this approach to see if it’s right for you.

PRP basics

At the heart of our PRP therapy are the platelets in your blood, which are primarily responsible for clotting. But that isn’t their only role.

Once the platelets stop the flow of the blood, they release growth factors that commence the wound healing and repair process. These growth factors are a subset of cytokines, which are signaling proteins that encourage cell growth, cell differentiation, inflammation modulation, and tissue remodeling and repair.

To access this incredible regenerative resource, we draw a sample of your blood and use a special centrifuge to isolate the platelets. We then mix the platelets back in with a small amount of your plasma, creating a concentrate of platelets that’s 2-10 times stronger than what’s in your natural blood. We inject the PRP directly into your damaged tissues, where it releases the growth factors we described above.

Where PRP can help

Regenerative medicine is relatively new, and we’re only scratching the surface of possibilities when it comes to musculoskeletal issues. That said, we’ve had success using PRP therapy for a wide range of applications, including:

• Addressing poor cartilage health due to osteoarthritis
• Joint injuries, including ligament and tendon tears
• Overuse injuries, such as tendonitis
• Boosting postsurgical healing

Diving a little deeper, when you’re faced with a degenerative condition like osteoarthritis (OA), you’re often left with chronic pain that will only get worse since the disease is progressive. Through PRP therapy, our goal is to halt or slow the degeneration by providing the tissues in your joints with the resources they need to repair and heal themselves.

When it comes to soft tissue injuries or postsurgical applications, our goal with PRP therapy is to speed up your recovery process.

Another factor to consider when determining whether PRP is right for you is that this treatment is quite safe. Since we’re using your own resources and simply redirecting them, your body readily accepts and integrates the PRP.

If you want to explore PRP therapy further, your first step is to come see us so we can analyze your musculoskeletal issue. To get started, contact one of our two New York offices in Staten Island or Hartsdale, to set up an appointment.