Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
Clearwater, Tampa, St Petersburg, Florida
Platelet-Rich Plasma or PRP is an exciting technological breakthrough in sports and orthopedic medicine. Autologous Blood (the patient’s own) is drawn and centrifuged. This separates the red blood cells and watery plasma, leaving a concentrate of platelets, white blood cells and tiny stem cells.
The concentrate is then injected into injured body areas, resulting in an accelerated healing response. This occurs because the platelets and stem cells, when activated, release several powerful growth factors that are responsible for healing tissue. The therapeutic advantage of PRP lies in the fact that, at a supraphysiologic level, this concentration does not occur naturally. The amplification effect of the growth factors in Platelet-Rich Plasma essentially turbocharges our body’s healing process.
There are no adverse effects of PRP, as it is the patient’s own blood, so it cannot be rejected or cause harm. The only occasional complaint is mild soreness after the procedure, which can be managed with Tylenol. Most patients are not bothered by this soreness since the area was already injured, hence the need for the PRP procedure.
Platelet-Rich Plasma has received recent press as elite athletes are turning to the procedure as a means to accelerate recovery time from injuries. Prior to Super Bowl XLIII, two Pittsburg Steeler players, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu, were nursing injuries. Both turned to PRP and played exceptionally in their win over the Arizona Cardinals, despite Kurt Warner’s valiant efforts (Warner has also been treated with PRP after surgery). Tiger Woods, the famed golfer, received PRP after his knee surgery, and twice for Chronic Achilles Tendonitis. Denver Nuggets basketball star Kenyon Martin swears by Platelet-Rich Plasma, after it aided in healing his ailing left knee. Alex Rodriguez, of the New York Yankees, received PRP after hip surgery and made a swift recovery. The tennis pro, Rafael Nadal, and Dodger’s pitcher Takashi Saito, have each received PRP. Champion Canadian figure skater Patrick Chan had PRP to heal an injured calf muscle. Look at who has had PRP or Stem Cell Therapy.
PRP is not just for elite athletes, however with their careers on the line they would not resort to ineffective treatments. Cutting edge sports medicine techniques usually start with athletes and then transcend to the everyday person with aches and pains. PRP has helped both men and women with acute and chronic injuries to muscle, tendon, ligaments, cartilage and even bone. Spinal Pars fractures can be helped to heal with platelet-rich plasma. Avascular Necrosis (AVN) is essentially an injured bone segment that erodes and usually requires joint replacement. Bo Jackson’s football career with the Los Angeles Raiders was ended when he developed AVN of the hip, resulting in a total hip replacement. PRP is now being used to help heal AVN without surgery.
View some of our patients’ experiences
Platelet-Rich Plasma appears to be effective, not only in helping to heal acute knee injuries such as meniscal tears and osteoarthritis , but also in chronic degenerative and rheumatoid arthritis. Shoulder problems, such as impingement and rotator cuff tears, can be treated with PRP as well. PRP is also being used to re-grow hair for baldness and is used in Veterinary Medicine.
If you suffer with a musculoskeletal condition and wonder if platelet rich plasma might be an alternative treatment option, call to arrange a consult with Dr. Lox. Since 1990, Dennis M. Lox, M.D has applied his personal interests in sports, physical and regenerative medicine to helping patients increase their quality of life. Contact us for an appointment at 727-462-5582.
Dennis M. Lox, MD, and the Florida Spine Center serve patients within the greater Tampa Bay area, including Clearwater, Tampa and St. Petersburg, as well as all of Florida and the US.
All statements, information or opinions provided by this website are provided for educational purposes only. We do not diagnose nor treat through this website or by telephone. As you consider any treatment, discuss them with your physician.
Regarding platelet-rich plasma or stem cell therapy: Neither statements nor treatments have been evaluated by the FDA. We do not claim that these treatments work for any listed or unlisted condition. Patient testimonials offer only the patient’s impression of how a therapy worked for them – individual results will vary; results are not guaranteed nor warranteed. As you consider any treatment, discuss them with your physician.