Surgical intervention should be considered the last option for treating injuries, degenerative conditions and arthritis, but surgery is frequently presented as the only option for patients suffering with these conditions. However, over the past few years non-invasive treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy have been developed and now provide effective, non-surgical treatment options for patients.
A PRP injection requires a patient’s blood to be drawn in the office and prepared for injection through a centrifugation (spinning) process to make the platelet-rich plasma. This procedure works by increasing the concentration of growth factors in the injured areas, which assist the body in recognizing the tissue as damaged and focusing its healing powers on that area.
What is it?
Blood is made up of three distinct biological elements: red cells, white cells, and platelets, which are responsible for creating the clots that heal wounds. In addition to their ability to form healing blood clots, platelets contain many growth factors, which are extremely important during the body’s natural healing process. These growth factors are responsible for the accelerated healing associated with platelet-rich plasma injections.
Some professional athletes have credited platelet-rich plasma therapy with their ability to return to sport more quickly following injury. Many professional athletes have received PRP injections to treat chronic strains and sprains, conditions that previously required prescription medications, physical therapy and, for some, surgical intervention.
How does it work?
Platelet-rich plasma is blood that is prepared in such a way as to increase the concentration of platelets and growth factors within the plasma. This concentration can be 6-10 times higher (or more) than the concentration found in untreated blood. Laboratory studies indicate that healing is accelerated by increasing the concentration of growth factors in an injured area.
During the PRP procedure, Dr. Hackel uses ultrasound to precisely guide the injection of the patient's platelet-rich plasma into specific areas of the joint, ligament, tendon or soft tissues receiving treatment. Upon injection, the number of growth factors in the treatment area is increased, improving the body’s ability to repair itself, which accelerates the healing process.
Who is it for?
While surgical intervention may be an obvious solution for those suffering with severe orthopaedic injuries, some patients may benefit from a variety of non-surgical treatments, including PRP injections. Even patients with severe arthritis, torn ligaments and/or muscles may be able to avoid surgery with platelet-rich plasma therapy.
In addition to the inherent risks of surgery, these procedures often require months of rehabilitation to regain pre-surgical levels of mobility and strength. Furthermore, surgeries can hasten the onset of degeneration that frequently leads to the development of osteoarthritis. Most of Dr. Hackel’s patients that receive orthobiologic injections, including platelet rich plasma therapy, experience little downtime after their procedure.
Dr. Joshua G. Hackel uses platelet-rich plasma procedures to address numerous injuries and conditions, including:
- Overuse injuries;
- Joint arthritis;
- Strains and sprains of the muscles, tendons and ligaments; and
- Tendonitis and tendonosis.
Request a Consultation
Dr. Joshua G. Hackel is dedicated to providing his patients with state-of-the-art procedures to address their pain and help them heal. For this reason, he offers Regenexx® Stem Cell & Platelet Rich Plasma Procedures, which are considered the most progressive regenerative injection treatment procedures available around the globe, to his patients. If you have sustained an injury or are suffering with chronic pain, you may be a good candidate for a platelet-rich plasma procedure. Dr. Joshua G. Hackel performs PRP procedures to assist individuals as they heal from injuries and to patients who have arthritis.
Dr. Hackel specializes in Peripheral Joint Injections, Regenerative Medicine and Injection Therapy in addition to the use of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound for diagnosing and treating orthopaedic injuries. The caring, experienced staff at the Andrews Institute work together to determine what is causing your pain. Once an accurate diagnosis is reached, Dr. Joshua G. Hackel will take the time to create you a personalized treatment plan.
To determine if PRP therapy, or some other non-surgical treatment, can help alleviate your pain to set you on the path to recovery, call us today at 850-916-8783 and schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Hackel. Our address is 1040 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Suite 200, in Gulf Breeze, Florida.