How PRP Therapy Helps Arthritis

Do you have osteoarthritis? Are you looking for a more natural, effective approach to treating it? Then, you may want to consider PRP injections. These injections are among the latest natural treatments for osteoarthritis, and they are available at the SMART Spine Institute in Arcadia, CA.

What are PRP Injections, and How Do They Work to Treat Osteoarthritis?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections use the autologous conditioned plasma of the patient's own blood to stimulate healing at the joint or joints being affected by osteoarthritis. The idea is that the natural healing properties of the blood will, when used in platelet-rich concentrations, begin to heal damage to the cartilage, tendons, muscles, ligaments, and other parts of the joint that have been damaged by osteoarthritis.

While this is not a commonly used therapy yet, more people are hearing about it and seeking it from orthopedists and chiropractors. It is usually used on osteoarthritis in the knee, but can be used on any joint affected by osteoarthritis.

The platelet-rich plasma is injected directly into the joints to be treated. When the healing action of the plasma begins to do its job, it can produce the following benefits:

• Pain reduction
• Improvement in joint function by bone and soft tissue regeneration
• Slowing, or even stopping, further damage to the joint
• Repairing damage already done to the joint
• Reducing or eliminating inflammation in the joint
• Increase the production of lubricating fluid in the joint, so it moves more smoothly and painlessly

The platelet-rich plasma used in the injections is taken from the blood of the patient. A centrifuge is used to concentrate platelets in the blood sample collected. While platelets have no healing properties on their own, they produce something called growth factor. Growth factor stimulates the regeneration of tissues, regulates cell division, and promotes healing. Plasma is a component of blood that is mostly water, but also has glucose and other important healing nutrients in it. The combination of the plasma with the platelets is an excellent one to promote healing, and there are many reports of its effectiveness in the orthopedic and chiropractic communities.

The Smart Spine Institute is proud to offer PRP injections to our patients. While not every chiropractor is offering this revolutionary treatment yet, we are always on the cutting edge. Our doctors are experienced with PRP injections, and have treated many patients who are happy with the results they have received with PRP therapy.

If you are looking for PRP injections in Arcadia, CA, you need only call the Smart Spine Institute for an appointment. To set up your initial consultation, please contact us today!