Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections for Orthopedic and Sports Injuries
Platelet rich plasma, commonly referred to as PRP, is a sports medicine and orthopedic treatment gaining popularity around the world. This biologic therapy provides accelerated healing of muscle injuries, acute ligament injuries, and chronic tendon injuries. PRP injections, offered by orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist Dr. Jervis Yau, are also proven to be effective at easing painful symptoms of arthritis. Dr. Yau is actively involved in providing platelet rich plasma therapy to patients living in the Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria and Ventura, California communities in order to decrease pain and improve function.
What is Platelet Rich Plasma?
Platelet rich plasma therapy is a form of biologic therapy becoming more widely accepted as a treatment option for sports injuries and orthopedic conditions. Dr. Yau utilizes PRP injections for a number of injuries and conditions, such as tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, rotator cuff injuries, knee ligament injuries, achilles tendonitis, hip labral tears and osteoarthritis.
The collagen fibers found throughout the human body bleed when they are stretched or torn during injury or from chronic overuse. When increased blood flow occurs, the blood carries platelets and growth factors to the injured area that aid in healing. Platelet rich plasma was developed as a solution to aid in the body’s healing response.
During platelet rich plasma therapy, a patient’s blood is drawn in order to gather platelets. A centrifuge will spin the cells down to separate the platelets and growth factors from other blood cells that do not promote healing. This fluid filled with platelets and growth factors will be injected into and around the injured tissue, which intern promotes a healing response.
What Conditions do PRP Injections Treat?
PRP injections are clinically proven to accelerate a patient’s healing response after experiencing ligament, tendon or muscle injury, as well as to alleviate pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis. Dr. Yau commonly treats the following conditions with PRP injections:
- Shoulder – Rotator cuff disease, shoulder impingement/bursitis, labral and SLAP tears, instability and arthritis
- Knee – Ligament injuries, meniscus tears, patellar instability, patellar tendonitis and arthritis
- Hip – Psoas impingement, trochanteric bursitis, labral tears, and arthritis
- Elbow – Tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow and arthritis
- Ankle – Achilles tendonitis, ongoing ankle sprains and arthritis
Platelet rich plasma therapy offers patients a new way to help the body heal more rapidly after a sports injury. The future of PRP injections looks very promising as the science behind the biologic therapy continues to evolve.
If you are interested in learning more about platelet rich plasma, or receiving PRP injections in the Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria and Ventura, California area, please contact Dr. Jervis Yau’s orthopedic office.
