What is Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative Medicine at The Wellness Center takes form as Prolotherapy,Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), and Regenerative Medicine services. We offer
these in the form of injection therapies, where we deliver nutrients, regenerative and restorative growth factors and cytokines, and/or umbilical cord and amniotic cells directly to tissues that have been damaged, degraded or injured. The goal of these therapies is to stimulate your body's immune response to come to the area and address the degeneration, as it would with a new injury. This can be particularly helpful in tissues that do not have their own rich vascular supply (tendons, ligaments, cartilage)."
PRP
Is probably the best known of these methods and is combined with regenerative medicine injections when needed. It is an injection therapy that uses components of a patient’s own blood to treat areas of injury. Plasma is the fluid that our blood cells are suspended in. Platelets are a component of our blood that are essential for initiating blood clotting and signaling. They communicate by releasing growth factors to stimulate tissue healing. Once isolated, the platelet rich plasma in injected into the injured area where it can moderate inflammation and re-initiate the healing process. It can be very helpful for tissues that do not have a rich vascular supply of their own (tendons, ligaments, cartilage).
How is PRP isolated?
Blood is drawn from the patient, similar to getting a blood draw for lab work. The whole blood is spun in a centrifuge. This spins the blood at high speeds, allowing the different components to separate in layers based on density. Once separated the platelet rich plasma is collected from the tube carefully, and prepared for injection. The PRP is injected using a narrow (25 gauge) needle, and is injected into the site of chief complaint pain.
Platelet Rich Plasma has been being used safely for decades. It is a brief procedure with minimal disruption to daily activities.
Benefits of PRP
- PRP comes from the patient’s own blood
- Uses the body’s natural healing ability
- Long term solution, aimed at repairing
- injured or damaged tissue
- brief in-office procedure
- Low risk
- Cost effective compared to surgical repair
What does PRP Treat?
PRP can be used to treat the following, among other things:
- Osteoarthritis Tendonitis affecting the:
- Shoulder (e.g. rotator cuff tendonitis)
- Ankle (e.g. Achilles tendonitis)
- Knee (e.g. “Jumper’s knee”)
- Elbow (e.g. “Tennis elbow”)
- Plantar fascia injuries, fasciitis Ligament sprains, laxity, tears Meniscal
injuries - Labrum tears
