Got pain? Everybody has some sort of pain, so it’s likely that you answered yes. In fact, the older we become, we seem to experience persistent pain in our joints. If this sounds like the story of your life, it might make sense to ask Madison Medical Associates how PRP can help joint pain.
Chronic Pain In Your Joints
Many of us have this chronic pain in our knees, hips, and shoulders. Pain can occur after an injury or be due to osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Being overweight can make this joint pain even worse.
After any injury, our body responds by rushing blood to the injured area causing swelling. The platelets in our blood coagulate to initiate healing and stimulate our body to rebuild tissue.
Super-Charged Platelets And PRP Therapy
Platelets are actually plate-shaped cell fragments found in our blood that secrete growth factors. PRP or Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy works with your own body’s healing system to reduce pain and repair damage to ligaments and bones.
A small amount of a patient’s blood is withdrawn and spun in a centrifuge that separates the liquid plasma from solids. It is then reduced into cell fragments or platelets. The platelets are mixed with a small amount of the plasma making it super concentrated. The resulting serum comes from your own body so there are no negative side effects and all positive effects.
This platelet-rich plasma serum is then injected into the site of the injury or osteoarthritis to stimulate healing and regeneration.
Goals And Benefits Of PRP Therapy
Reducing pain, improving the function of a joint, and slowing or halting damage to cartilage are all goals of PRP therapy.
In addition, many doctors and researchers believe PRP provides the following benefits:
- Inhibits inflammation and slows down the progression of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Stimulates new cartilage degraded by OA and RA
- Increases the natural lubricating fluid in a joint to reduce friction
- Contains proteins that may alter a patient’s pain receptors and reduce swelling, discomfort, and pain
PRP therapy reduces the risk of side effects since it contains substances from your own body instead of an injection of cortisone or hyaluronic acid. Some patients may need only one injection, but most will need a series of injections for the best results.
Ultimately, PRP therapy may help you avoid surgery, and at the same time, make you more mobile by reducing joint pain.
Schedule a Consultation for PRP in Madison, AL
To find out if you might be a good candidate for PRP therapy, contact Madison Medical Associates and speak with our PRP injectors about your candidacy. To schedule your consultation at our pain management clinic in Madison, AL, please call (256) 325-1160 today.