PRP GENERAL
General Information

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Platelet-rich Plasma Medical Origins

PRP was initially developed in the 1970s and first used in an open-heart surgery procedure in 1987. Since then, doctors have used platelet-rich plasma therapy beginning in the mid-1990s to aid bone healing after spinal injury and soft tissue recovery following plastic surgery.

Recently, platelet-rich plasma gained press attention as a treatment for sports-related injuries when two Pittsburgh Steelers, Hines Ward, and Troy Polamalu used it before winning the Super Bowl. 

Other noble athletes who have been treated with platelet-rich plasma therapies are Tiger Woods, Olympic gold medalist Donovan Bailey, Alex Rodriguez, Tracey McGrady, Chris Canty, Cliff Lee, and Fred Couples.

In1999, platelet-rich plasma was discovered, or invented, by different companies. The first doctors to get on board with platelet-rich plasma were oral surgeons and plastic surgeons after they observed better healing outcomes in their patients.

A doctor named Allan Mishra in Paolo Alto used PRP with some of the  Stanford football players and was able to get them back to playing more quickly post-surgery. Later, Dr. Mishra studied the effectiveness of PRP treatment on tennis elbow, a severe form of tendonitis to treat. The results were that he was able to get 90 percent healing at approximately six months’ time, and these people had had the injuries for over 20 months before PRP therapy. That was in 2004. Since then, it’s been making its way into the medical mainstream. Today, many insurances cover it and it is quickly becoming a best practice in many medical procedures. Many more patients are demanding it as a first option before they consider any surgery.

Why Are Some Many Physicians Using PRP?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a high concentration of platelet-rich plasma protein, obtained from a patient’s withdrawn blood. The whole blood is spun at high speed to separate it into distinct layers.

One of which is the PRP which contains a high concentration of growth factors that encourage a rapid healing response of various tissue types.

The high concentration of platelets jump-starts the body’s self-healing and spreads growth factors to areas otherwise untouched by blood (like ligaments, tendons, and joints). Because PRP therapy uses the patient’s own blood, there’s little risk of rejection and dangers posed by bloodborne infections are virtually eliminated.

WHAT CAN I USE PRP FOR?

PRP can be injected or applied to an injured area. For example, in Achilles tendonitis, a condition commonly seen in runners and tennis players, the heel cord becomes swollen, inflamed, and painful. A mixture of PRP and local anesthetic can be injected directly into this inflamed tissue triggering an accelerated healing response to repair the damaged tissue in this area.

BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS OF A PRP BLOOD SMEAR

To the right you will see two slides, the first is a blood smear without the injection of PRP. The second represents how the blood cells react when PRP is introduced to the slide.

Overview Of Platelets & Their Function

Platelets, also known as thrombocytes are small irregularly shaped clear cell fragments that stimulate cellular growth. German anatomist Max Schultze first described platelets in the mid-1800s. Platelets are formed by fragmentation of megakaryocytes in bone marrow and function in helping the body form blood clots. The lifespan of platelets is usually between 8 to 12 days.

WHY ARE PLATELETS IMPORTANT?

If one of your blood vessels gets damaged, it sends out signals that are picked up by platelets. The platelets then rush to the site of damage and form a plug, or clot, to repair the damage.The process of spreading across the surface of a damaged blood vessel to stop bleeding is called adhesion—when platelets get to the site of the injury, they grow sticky tentacles that help them adhere. They also send out chemical signals to attract more platelets to pile onto the clot in a process called aggregation.

WHAT IS A HEALTHY PLATELET COUNT?

A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. Having more than 450,000 platelets is a condition called thrombocytosis; having less than 150,000 is known as thrombocytopenia. You can get your platelet number from a routine blood test called a complete blood count (CBC).

Overview Of Platelets & Their Function

Platelet-rich plasma (abbreviated PRP) is a revolutionary new treatment used for many orthopedic conditions, pain management, hair restoration, anti-aging and many other areas of regenerative medicine. PRP injections are a concentration of platelet cells taken from your blood; these platelets have growth factors that may help in the healing process of chronic injuries.

Platelets were initially known to be responsible for blood clotting, however, n the last 30 years we have learned that when activated in the body, platelets release healing proteins called growth factors. There are a wide variety of growth factors with varying characteristics that cumulatively accelerate new tissue growth and repair. After increasing the baseline concentration of these platelets, we can deliver a powerful serum of growth factors that can dramatically enhance tissue recovery.

PRP is virtually a cocktail of many proteins that collectively stimulate repair and regeneration. However, there are some proteins included in PRP that we can now selectively isolate to promote anti-inflammatory effects and pain reduction. Scientists have now developed natural/homeopathic based tools to selectively isolate the cells/growth factors within PRP that meet our needs of customizing the treatment by reducing inflammation and simultaneously stimulating repair.

PRP HEALING PROCESS

PRP patients will experience approximately two to three days of being sore and usually are prescribed pain medication. Patients need to rest for a few days or weeks after the treatment to not push the injected tissue too quickly. Typically, pain relief occurs within three to four weeks and continues to improve over a period of three to six months following a PRP injection.

Successful PRP treatments result in long-lasting relief because the degenerative tissue has started to regenerate or repair itself. The bioactive proteins stimulate healing and repair. New research shows PRP to be more effective than cortisone injections –which merely mask inflammation and have no healing capabilities. Cortisone has no healing properties, does not work long term and on occasion can lead to tissue damage.

A HISTORY OF PRP

Platelet-rich Plasma Medical Origins

PRP was initially developed in the 1970s and first used in an open-heart surgery procedure in 1987. Since then, doctors have used platelet-rich plasma therapy beginning in the mid-1990s to aid bone healing after spinal injury and soft tissue recovery following plastic surgery.

Recently, platelet-rich plasma gained press attention as a treatment for sports-related injuries when two Pittsburgh Steelers, Hines Ward, and Troy Polamalu used it before winning the Super Bowl. 

Other noble athletes who have been treated with platelet-rich plasma therapies are Tiger Woods, Olympic gold medalist Donovan Bailey, Alex Rodriguez, Tracey McGrady, Chris Canty, Cliff Lee, and Fred Couples.

In1999, platelet-rich plasma was discovered, or invented, by different companies. The first doctors to get on board with platelet-rich plasma were oral surgeons and plastic surgeons after they observed better healing outcomes in their patients.

A doctor named Allan Mishra in Paolo Alto used PRP with some of the  Stanford football players and was able to get them back to playing more quickly post-surgery. Later, Dr. Mishra studied the effectiveness of PRP treatment on tennis elbow, a severe form of tendonitis to treat. The results were that he was able to get 90 percent healing at approximately six months’ time, and these people had had the injuries for over 20 months before PRP therapy. That was in 2004. Since then, it’s been making its way into the medical mainstream. Today, many insurances cover it and it is quickly becoming a best practice in many medical procedures. Many more patients are demanding it as a first option before they consider any surgery.

WHY PRP THERAPY?

Why Are Some Many Physicians Using PRP?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a high concentration of platelet-rich plasma protein, obtained from a patient’s withdrawn blood. The whole blood is spun at high speed to separate it into distinct layers.

One of which is the PRP which contains a high concentration of growth factors that encourage a rapid healing response of various tissue types.

The high concentration of platelets jump-starts the body’s self-healing and spreads growth factors to areas otherwise untouched by blood (like ligaments, tendons, and joints). Because PRP therapy uses the patient’s own blood, there’s little risk of rejection and dangers posed by bloodborne infections are virtually eliminated.

WHAT CAN I USE PRP FOR?

PRP can be injected or applied to an injured area. For example, in Achilles tendonitis, a condition commonly seen in runners and tennis players, the heel cord becomes swollen, inflamed, and painful. A mixture of PRP and local anesthetic can be injected directly into this inflamed tissue triggering an accelerated healing response to repair the damaged tissue in this area.

BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS OF A PRP BLOOD SMEAR

To the right you will see two slides, the first is a blood smear without the injection of PRP. The second represents how the blood cells react when PRP is introduced to the slide.

WHAT ARE PLATELETS?

Overview Of Platelets & Their Function

Platelets, also known as thrombocytes are small irregularly shaped clear cell fragments that stimulate cellular growth. German anatomist Max Schultze first described platelets in the mid-1800s. Platelets are formed by fragmentation of megakaryocytes in bone marrow and function in helping the body form blood clots. The lifespan of platelets is usually between 8 to 12 days.

WHY ARE PLATELETS IMPORTANT?

If one of your blood vessels gets damaged, it sends out signals that are picked up by platelets. The platelets then rush to the site of damage and form a plug, or clot, to repair the damage.The process of spreading across the surface of a damaged blood vessel to stop bleeding is called adhesion—when platelets get to the site of the injury, they grow sticky tentacles that help them adhere. They also send out chemical signals to attract more platelets to pile onto the clot in a process called aggregation.

WHAT IS A HEALTHY PLATELET COUNT?

A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. Having more than 450,000 platelets is a condition called thrombocytosis; having less than 150,000 is known as thrombocytopenia. You can get your platelet number from a routine blood test called a complete blood count (CBC).

PRP IN HEALING

Overview Of Platelets & Their Function

Platelet-rich plasma (abbreviated PRP) is a revolutionary new treatment used for many orthopedic conditions, pain management, hair restoration, anti-aging and many other areas of regenerative medicine. PRP injections are a concentration of platelet cells taken from your blood; these platelets have growth factors that may help in the healing process of chronic injuries.

Platelets were initially known to be responsible for blood clotting, however, n the last 30 years we have learned that when activated in the body, platelets release healing proteins called growth factors. There are a wide variety of growth factors with varying characteristics that cumulatively accelerate new tissue growth and repair. After increasing the baseline concentration of these platelets, we can deliver a powerful serum of growth factors that can dramatically enhance tissue recovery.

PRP is virtually a cocktail of many proteins that collectively stimulate repair and regeneration. However, there are some proteins included in PRP that we can now selectively isolate to promote anti-inflammatory effects and pain reduction. Scientists have now developed natural/homeopathic based tools to selectively isolate the cells/growth factors within PRP that meet our needs of customizing the treatment by reducing inflammation and simultaneously stimulating repair.

PRP HEALING PROCESS

PRP patients will experience approximately two to three days of being sore and usually are prescribed pain medication. Patients need to rest for a few days or weeks after the treatment to not push the injected tissue too quickly. Typically, pain relief occurs within three to four weeks and continues to improve over a period of three to six months following a PRP injection.

Successful PRP treatments result in long-lasting relief because the degenerative tissue has started to regenerate or repair itself. The bioactive proteins stimulate healing and repair. New research shows PRP to be more effective than cortisone injections –which merely mask inflammation and have no healing capabilities. Cortisone has no healing properties, does not work long term and on occasion can lead to tissue damage.