PRP is a type of blood therapy that involves use of injections of platelet rich plasma. History shows may athletes including Tiger Woods and tennis star Rafael Nadal have got PRP due to sprained knees and chronic tendon injuries. Besides this, the treatment has potential effectiveness for stimulating the hair growth as well. Although the technique has become very popular but still there are some questions of which people are seeking answers. Such as:
- What exactly is platelet-rich plasma?
- How does it work?
- What conditions are being treated with PRP?
What is Platelet-Rich-Plasma?
Blood is normally composed of liquid (plasma) and other components (RBC’s, WBC’s and platelets). Among these, platelets have importance of clotting the blood. These platelets contain number of growth factors that play significant role in healing the injuries. Platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) is plasma with more platelets than typical blood. Therefore it has 5-10 times more concentration of growth factors than usual.
How Does PRP Work?
Increased concentration of PRP increases the speed of healing process. Due to this reason, the affected area is usually treated with PRP preparation. Today, it is used in wide variety of medical specializations including orthopedic and sports-related injuries. Two common ways are being used for improving the healing of injures:
- Platelets can be injected into the area of treatment with high precision. Achilles tendonitis – a condition in which heel cord becomes inflamed, is treated by injected combination of PRP and local anesthesia. These factors are injected directly into inflamed tissues. Before the patients feel a beneficial effect, they may feel pain for two to three weeks.
- In some cases, PRP therapy is injected after the surgical procedure. It is carried out for increasing the speed of healing process of injuries. Completely torn heel cord mostly requires surgical procedure to heal tendons. During surgery, healing of damaged tendons is improved by treating with PPR.
What Conditions Can Be Treated With PRP?
Currently, research work is being conducting for evaluating the effectiveness of PRP therapy. The results are still unambiguous as the effectiveness can vary. Here are some factors that influence the effectiveness of procedure.
- Area of treatment
- General health of sufferer
- Condition of injury (acute/chronic)
Platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) is more effective for treating chronic tendon injuries, acute ligament and muscle injuries, fractures, back/spine conditions, nerve damage, knees arthritis and many other surgical procedures for healing. At SKN International Hair Transplant, PRP is one of whole array of options for treating the injuries. Before considering the treatment, it is very important for the candidate to check eligibility with health insurance carrier.
