PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP)
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a natural alternative to help improve symptoms from an orthopedic condition. This technique uses your own blood and concentrates the unique growth factors and proteins you already possess in your blood.
Not all PRP is created equally. Four Oaks Medicine uses a PRP collection and concentration system that helps patient outcomes. This can help delay or oftentimes prevent painful and costly surgery down the line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anyone who has tried conventional treatments, medications, and/or orthopedic surgery without success may be a candidate for PRP. The people in this “treatment gap” often include those: experiencing pain from an old sports injury; suffering from a prior, failed surgery; who are not ready for knee or hip replacement surgery; or who have a progressive decline in function due to osteoarthritis. PRP injections may help avoid major, painful surgery with a long recovery and/or long-term usage of pain medication. Whether you are a professional athlete, weekend warrior, or suffer from osteoarthritis, PRP may be the right fit for you!
By concentrating the anti-inflammatory growth factors and cytokines in your own blood and injecting them into the injured area, PRP can work alongside the reparative cells that your body produces.
Good question! Tendon and cartilage have poor blood supply by nature, which slows down the healing process. PRP injections deliver a super concentration of anti-inflammatory growth factors directly to the point of injury.
We draw your blood in our office and prepare the PRP using processing equipment designed specifically for musculoskeletal conditions to provide the highest concentration of platelets. Not all PRP is the same – a higher concentration of platelets affects efficacy and often yields better results. The PRP injection is performed in our office by our specialty-trained physician with ultrasound guidance for accurate placement. No general anesthesia is needed.
Unlike an invasive surgery, PRP injections require little to no downtime so you can continue with your daily activities following your appointment. Patients may experience some swelling or discomfort in the joint following injection that usually resolves within days.