What Should I Expect After A Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) Injection?

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The first thing you should expect after a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection is a relief. This injectable therapy has been used for over 20 years to help with pain, tissue healing, and regeneration. PRP injections are an effective treatment option for many different types of injuries including knee osteoarthritis, hip arthritis, chronic low back pain, and plantar fasciitis. These treatments can also be helpful in the recovery from surgery or post-injury rehabilitation process. If you're considering PRP as a viable treatment option, here's what I want you to know about it before making your decision.

PRP: Post-Procedure Guidelines

Post-procedure care is essential for the ultimate success of your treatment. Here are some guidelines to follow after a PRP session: 

  •  First, avoid all strenuous activities and heavy lifting for at least a week or more. If you do any type of activity that puts pressure on your knee joint, this may cause some pain and swelling in the area of treatment. 
  • You also want to make sure you are not bending over or squatting with weight-bearing for at least two weeks after the procedure. This will help give your body time to recover from surgery and decrease the chances of infection in the wound site. 
  •  Apply ice packs or cold therapy at least four times per day, especially if you have any discomfort from swelling or inflammation.
  • Take ibuprofen as needed when experiencing any pain and avoid aspirin because it can thin the blood too much, which could increase bruising and bleeding of tissue that has been injured during the procedure. 
  • Lastly, we ask that you refrain from high-impact exercise like running for six months following PRP treatments.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR PRP OUTCOME

Achieving the best possible PRP outcome is an important part of any health journey. There are many ways to do this, but here we will discuss three key steps you can take for a better experience.

There's no denying that achieving the best possible PRP outcome is an important part of your overall recovery from injury or illness and there are plenty of things you can do during your rehabilitation process in order to help boost it - some more obvious than others! 

  • Stick with a single provider for all three treatments.
  • Get an MRI before you start any type of procedure so that we can get an idea about what's going on inside there.
  • Schedule at least 4 weeks between surgeries if necessary or recommended by the doctor. 

Following this simple advice will help make sure you're getting the best care out there!

PRP Therapy for Chronic Tendon Injuries

Tendon injuries are common in athletes and people who spend a lot of time on their feet. One type of treatment for tendon injuries is called PRP Therapy, which stands for Platelet Rich Plasma therapy. This treatment involves taking blood from the patient and spinning it with an instrument to separate out the platelets. These platelets contain growth factors that help heal damaged tissue, so they're injected into the injured area where they can stimulate healing. The best candidates for this therapy are those with chronic tendon injuries - if you have had your injury less than 6 months then rest may be more effective than an injection, but if you've had your injury longer than six months then PRP Therapy may be worth considering! 

When treating a damaged tendon with platelet-rich plasma, the doctor injects PRP directly into the affected area. The goal is to:

  • Reduce pain
  • Improve joint function
  • Repair damage to tendon tissue

So if you're looking for a treatment that has been shown to be effective in treating chronic tendon injuries, PRP therapy may be the answer. It's important to remember that just because it is non-invasive doesn't mean it won't work and this type of therapy should definitely be given consideration when deciding on which course of action will help your body heal from injury or strain. Now all you have left to do is find out more about how PRP Therapy works at our website!

User:Marine 69-71, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Do You Need a Naturopathic Doctor Specializing in PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Therapy in Gilbert, Arizona?


Atlas Health Medical Group in Gilbert, Arizona specializes in providing Naturopathic / Functional Medicine to the East Valley including Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, San Tan, and Queen Creek. We specialize in innovative treatments such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). Common sites of injury and pain are knees, shoulders, SI joint, hips, and elbows.  At the site of injury, there is usually damage to tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.  These areas are low in vascularity and thus do not receive much blood flow making them heal slowly.   New research demonstrates Platelet Rich Plasma outperforms many standard treatments such as cortisone injections, hyaluronic acid injections, and even surgery in some select cases.  When dealing with chronic pain, sports injuries, or degenerative joints do not settle for temporary band-aid fixes when regenerative medicine options such as PRP are now available  Contact us today for your first appointment!

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