It’s very possible that summer activities have left you limping toward autumn with a swollen or painful knee. Whatever may have caused your knee pain – running in the sand on the beach, playing too many sets of tennis, rollerblading too many miles – my staff and I have successfully treated many times in the past. These days, however, we’re most pleased with the results we’re seeing from a simple and natural procedure that provides safe and effective relief about as quickly and easily as possible: Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP).
PRP is a simple, non-invasive procedure that provides superior pain relief from tendon, ligament and joint injuries by promoting the natural healing potential of the body with platelets from your own blood. In addition to knee pain, that includes tendon, ligament and joint injuries that have failed more traditional therapies, including rotator cuff injuries, tennis elbow, Achilles’ tendon, plantar fasciitis, meniscus tears, and bursitis of the hip
You may have heard that many world-class athletes, including Kobe Bryant, David Ortiz, Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal, have turned to PRP for quick pain relief without the risks of surgery and extended recovery. If PRP can get them back to high-level competition quickly, imagine how beneficial it can be for you.
New to PRP?
If you’re not familiar with Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, here’s a quick overview: Blood is made up of red and white blood cells, plasma, and platelets. Following an injury, platelets in our bodies are activated and release healing proteins called growth factors, which help to speed up wound and tissue healing. PRP is a very good source of these growth factors because PRP can be taken from your blood quickly, easily and safely.
This is how the one-hour inpatient procedure is performed at New Jersey Pain Care Specialists:
- A small sample of your blood is taken and placed into a Platelet Concentrate System, which separates the blood into its primary components – platelets and white blood cells, plasma, and red blood cells.
- After a portion of the plasma is removed, your concentrated platelets are mixed with the remaining plasma to form a platelet-rich solution that is then injected into and around the injured tissues using ultrasound guidance to confirm that the needle is positioned properly.
- The concentrated platelets trigger a natural immune response as specialized white blood cells (macrophages) rush in to remove damaged cells and prepare the tissue for healing.
- Stem cells and other cells multiply, repair and rebuild the damaged tissue – an accelerated healing response that reduces pain, promotes increased strength and improves joint function.
- You may require just one treatment, or you may need additional sessions before returning to a normal active lifestyle.
If you’d like to know more about using PRP therapy to treat your summer injury pain, call us at 732-720-0247.
At the present time, PRP Treatments are not covered by medical insurance.
