Platelet-rich Plasma Therapy, Everything You Should Know

Usually, whenever the body gets injured, no matter the severity of the injury, the age of the person injured, and the way their body reacts, the body eventually heals. There’s no doubt that the human body has a degree of self-sufficiency in healing itself. While this healing occurs in different ways, it begins slowly, and unfortunately, it takes quite some time to be completed.

Despite the fact that we use medications to assist this healing, we’ve gotten used to believing it’ll take time. However, in the not-so-distant past, doctors and scientists have discovered a way in which healing is accelerated. As you’re aware, doctors aren’t magicians, so this discovery takes an entirely natural approach. This discovery is platelet-rich plasma therapy.

Over time, so many things have been said and done on this revolutionary therapy, and this article will take a unique revision of the treatment and point out everything you should know about it.

Platelet-rich Plasma Therapy – Things to Know

If you’re familiar with events happening in the world of sports, you’d have encountered news about athletes receiving platelet-rich plasma jabs for injuries. These jabs are made up of some properties of the athletes’ blood to boost their healing tissues and quicken the process. Because of its effectiveness and ease of application in sports medicine, platelet-rich plasma therapy has been tested and proven effective in other medical areas like cosmetics, orthopedics, neurosurgery, etc.

Although it was trendy at some point, the case of whether it works or not has become so irrelevant as there are an increasing number of people going for the therapy and even more doctors using it alongside other treatment options. Despite this, people still contend about its safety, and in response, there are more trials and research to resolve these contentions. So, for you that you’re here and you’re wondering what exactly this platelet-rich plasma treatment is and what constitutes its makeup, you’re at the right place.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a treatment that was initially used to treat skeletomuscular injuries but has morphed into a treatment option that treats several other health-related issues. It involves using patients’ blood concentrated in a medical lab and subsequently reinjected to the body to stimulate healing tissues to hasten the healing process internally. As direct as this is, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

So how is it done?

The platelet-rich plasma therapy is a cutting-edge therapy that is done in the following processes:

The treatment requires the collection of some amount of blood from the patient. This blood has several properties, which function together to ensure the body works the way it should. For example, one of the properties has a high concentration of proteins necessary for healing and growth. This particular property is known as a platelet. So, given that it’s mixed with other properties in the blood, how is it separated and extracted for the purpose in question?

The platelet is separated by using a clinical device called a centrifuge. Though its purpose isn’t solely to separate molecules, in this case at hand, it is also to multiply the properties inherent in each molecule by spinning it around at high speed. Once this is done, the separated portion necessary for treatment is collected. It is also treated in the lab before it’s eventually reinjected into the patient with the guidance of an ultrasound assistant, which gives precision to the whole process.

What are the Benefits of Platelet-rich Plasma Therapy?

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is remarkable because it offers the following benefits:

It Heals Varieties of Sports Injuries

Platelet-rich plasma therapy became popular through its usage in sports medicine. It’s effective for different injuries that affect muscles, ligaments, joints, and tendons. These injuries result from excessive tension, which degenerates into wear and tear.

Once the treatment is used, it restores the natural functions of these areas. And when it does, the mobility and operations of these areas are renewed. It also stimulates other body tissues is given every athlete the best of their bodies.

It Provides Relief for Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis occurs due to the loss or reduction of hyaluronic acid, which cushions and lubricates joints for them to work effortlessly. So, patients suffering from this condition can benefit from platelet-rich plasma therapy. This therapy, leveraging on the prevalence of hepatocytes and synovial fibroblast in the platelets, restores hyaluronic acid and improves the health of the joints.

It Requires Minimal Invasion

The processes involved in platelet-rich plasma therapy don’t require surgery or intense, invasive procedures. Instead, it’s as simple as collecting samples from patients, processing them, extracting what’s necessary, and reinjecting them into the patient.

It Poses a Permanent Relief for Back Pain

While this comes with age, it is prevalent among several adults. The good news is that a report in 2015 established that platelet-rich plasma therapy reduces stubborn back pain. It does this by rearranging the structural elements at the back.

It Eliminates Inflammation

Platelet-rich plasma therapy reduces all inflammation that arises from injuries to the joints, ligaments, tendons, etc.

Is Platelet-rich Plasma Therapy Safe?

The question of safety on any clinical treatment bothers around the effects and the procedures. As you might have already found out in previous paragraphs of this article, the processes involved in administering platelet-rich plasma therapy are almost seamless. That’s precisely why it’s one of the safest treatment options you’ll find out there.

On the other hand, its effect is also safe because it doesn’t require the use of another person’s blood but the patient’s blood. This way, the risks of transferring a contagious ailment from one person to another are eliminated. Additionally, patients don’t feel any adverse effects after the procedure. And the few side effects that arise from the injection dissipate in no time.

Bottom Line

Platelet-rich plasma therapy would continue from good to better as days go by due to its process and effect. However, as detailed as this article is, it’s crucial to always get your doctor’s opinion before treating any health issues.