What is platelet-rich plasma therapy?
Extracted from whole blood, platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, contains platelets and several other elements that are crucial to your body’s ability to regenerate. Your body uses platelets for blood clotting, wound formation, and wound healing.
Your doctor injects PRP into the problem area, releasing cytokines, which in turn attract cells that promote your body’s natural healing capabilities and tissue regeneration.
How is platelet-rich plasma created?
Platelet-rich plasma is derived from your own blood. After your provider draws a blood sample, they spin it in a centrifuge to create a serum of concentrated platelets.
What types of injuries are treated with PRP therapies?
Platelet-rich plasma therapy effectively treats a number of conditions that were once treated with invasive surgeries that required lengthy recoveries. Comparatively, there is little to no downtime with regenerative medicine therapies.
Conditions treated with PRP include:
- Tendonitis of the Achilles tendon or patellar tendon of the knee
- Serious ligament and muscle injuries
- Post-surgery healing
- Knee arthritis
- Back and neck pain
- Hip arthritis
- Shoulder arthritis
What are my treatment options?
Dr. McAlister can offer a number of treatment options for plantar fasciitis and ankle arthritis, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to decrease inflammation and chronic pain, promoting healing in injured areas.
With PRP injections, the highly concentrated dose of platelets triggers tissue repair by delivering growth factors and attracting cells that heal inflammation and chronic swelling around your heel and joints.
This can speed up your recovery, repairing damaged tissue and stretched ligaments.
While this minimally invasive treatment may require you to use crutches and stay off your feet for about a week, most patients report feeling a significant decrease in pain within the first 10 days. Many professional athletes use regenerative medicine to heal acute and chronic sports injuries.
To learn more about the regenerative medicine treatments available at Phoenix Foot and Ankle Institute, call the office or book an appointment online today.
