At OrthoMiami, we increasingly use platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy as an effective, safe, and non-invasive treatment for a variety of common ailments, from knee arthritis to tendonitis to ankle sprains. PRP therapy uses the body’s own healing processes to significantly speed up the repair and recovery of damaged tendons, ligaments, and other tissue. This revolutionary approach to healing has spared countless patients from invasive surgery and improved their quality of life.
But a question we are often asked about PRP therapy is how long these injectable treatments last. The answer depends on three primary factors:
- The nature and extent of the injury
- The patient’s overall health
- The patient’s initial reaction to a PRP injection
What is PRP Therapy?
When we suffer an injury to soft tissue like a tendon, our body’s initial response is to quickly send platelet cells to the affected tissue. That’s because platelets are not only the clotting cells of our blood, but they also contain powerful healing factors that get to work repairing injured tissue and providing assistance to stem cells in damaged muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
PRP therapy involves taking that natural process and supercharging it. The treatment is safe, simple, fast, and largely pain-free. We start by taking a sample of the patient’s blood and place it in a centrifuge where we separate the platelets and their healing and growth factors from the other elements of the blood. Dr. Ceballos injects those growth factors right into injured or damaged tissue where these specialized cells jumpstart repair and healing, dividing and building new tissue.
Since PRP therapy uses your own blood rather than blood from a donor, there is no risk of transmissible infection. The non-surgical treatment typically takes only a few hours, including preparation, injection, and recovery. No anesthesia is needed, nor is any significant recovery time involved.
PRP Injections Typically Offer Many Months of Relief
While every patient is different and not everybody responds to the treatment in precisely the same way. But many studies suggest that the relief offered by PRP injections can last six to nine months. That relief does not happen instantly, however. After a treatment, it can take several weeks for the healing factors to do their repair work. But once they do, the results can be dramatic in terms of reduced pain and increased mobility. If an initial treatment does not achieve desired results after three months or so, a second injection can be administered.
Schedule an Appointment at OrthoMiami Today To Learn More About How PRP Therapy Can Help You
At OrthoMiami, we are committed to using the most advanced and effective methods to relieve pain, speed healing, and restore mobility to patients suffering from all types of injuries. This includes the use of PRP therapy as an alternative to surgery when possible and appropriate. The OrthoMiami team always welcomes new patients and can generally schedule new patient appointments within a couple of days.
Please contact us today at (305) 596-2828 to schedule your appointment. We look forward to meeting you.
