Tendon injuries appear in many forms; sports injuries, tennis elbow, ACL and rotator cuff tears, plantar fasciitis, iliotibial band syndrome and more. Thankfully, nature and science have come together to create a new form of relief for severe tendon pain, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy.

PRP uses the patient's own blood plasma to initiate healing and can often eliminate the need for more aggressive treatments, such as long-term medication or surgery.

PRP has two major forms of use:

• Injected into the injured area to help prevent surgery
• Used for faster healing after surgery

Benefits:

• Less aggressive and less expensive than surgery
• May eliminate the need for more aggressive treatment, such as long-term medication/surgery
• Heal tissue with minimal or no scarring
• Help prevent further degeneration of the tissue
• Has anti-inflammatory response when used for osteoarthritis
• May help improve healing after some tendon or ligament surgeries

Overall, the entire process takes less than 15 minutes and increases platelet and growth factor concentration up to 10 times greater than usual. In most cases, patients experience significant improvement in symptoms after only one injection. In severe cases, a second injection may be needed.

How is PRP created?

PRP is plasma full of platelets created from your own blood or bone marrow. Platelets are small cell fragments that exist in your blood, and when an injury occurs, they activate and gather at the injury site to release healing proteins called growth factors. An increased level of growth factors has the ability to improve the recruitment of cells, working together to heal you faster.
 
A sample of your blood or bone marrow is put through a rapid spinning process, separating the platelets and growth factors from the blood, concentrating them and making them stronger.

Find a doctor to schedule an appointment for platelet rich plasma therapy.