No doubt the warmer weather brings out the athlete that’s been hibernating in many of us all winter – be it outdoor runner, beach volleyballer or schoolyard basketball player. Unfortunately, while your brain may remember how to play the game, your body doesn’t – so most springtime injuries come from trying to do too much too soon.
If your sport of choice involves frequent jumping, you could be hobbled by patellar tendonitis, also known as jumper’s knee. And even if you are careful to warm up and go slow as you re-enter the world of outdoor sports, injuries can happen. Even to those who do not participate in sports or other recreational activities.
Patellar tendinitis is an injury to the tendon connecting your kneecap (patella) to your shinbone. The patellar tendon works with the muscles at the front of your thigh to extend your knee so you can kick, run and jump.
For people who are chronic sufferers of patellar tendinitis – or your condition is not responding to traditional begins with physical therapy to stretch and strengthen the muscles around the knee – NJ Pain Care Specials offers a non-invasive treatment called Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) to promote new tissue formation and help heal tendon damage.
Think about the countless times that NBA legend Kobe Bryant has jumped up and down and pounded his knees since he started to play basketball as a kid and then through his high school, college and 19-year pro career. This future Hall of Famer has had several PRP treatments and talked about how his personal experience with PRP has contributed to his ability to play into his mid-thirties. As you can imagine, a high-earning superstar certainly wouldn’t try anything that might threaten his health and career. Because PRP is a purely natural process that uses the patient’s own blood to kick-start and accelerate the healing process, it is considered a very low-risk for allergic reaction or rejection.
Non-surgical, simple and safe
PRP is a one-hour, non-invasive procedure performed in our medical office by an experienced pain management physician. Essentially, a sample of your blood is drawn and spun down in a centrifuge machine to separate out and concentrate the platelets and growth factors for tissue healing. The PRP is then injected into the injured area.
Following PRP treatment, you go home the same day and can expect full recovery within a week. However, depending on the severity of your injury, it may require 3-4 treatments before the injured tissues are fully healed.
A personalized exercise program will help your newly developed connective tissue mature into healthy and strong tendons – so you can get back in action as quickly and happily as possible.
Find out if this simple and safe procedure is right for your knee condition. Please contact us to discuss the possibilities.
At the present time, PRP Treatments are not covered by medical insurance.
