3 Ways PRP Therapy Can Accelerate Healing

Your body is very good at healing itself. When you have a minor cut on your skin, it scabs over quickly to stop the bleeding. Then, the platelets that created the scab initiate healing of the cut. 

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses the power of platelets to accelerate healing beyond cuts on the skin. At Orthopedic & Wellness, our orthopedic and pain management physicians, Dr. Ojedapo Ojeyemi and Dr. Matthew Roh,  provide PRP therapy to support the healing of acute and chronic injuries. 

In this month’s blog, we share three ways PRP therapy can accelerate healing.

1. Regulating inflammation 

Platelets are tiny cells best known for forming blood clots. They’re the first cells to arrive at the site of an injury, gathering together to create a gel-like bridge to stop bleeding. 

Inflammation soon follows, serving as a defense mechanism against outside invaders and is an important part of the healing process. However, too much inflammation may impair wound healing. That’s where platelets come in.

The tiny cells carry inflammatory and anti-inflammatory molecules, providing the right balance to assist in the healing process without causing damage. When we use PRP therapy for chronic conditions like knee pain from arthritis, the platelets manage your inflammation and may help reduce redness, swelling, and pain. 

2. Activating the repair cells 

Platelets also contain growth factors that play a role in tissue repair and regeneration. Your platelets are highly sensitive to injuries, and they act quickly and swiftly. 

The activation of the platelets is essential for wound healing, triggering the release of the growth factors that repair and regenerate injured tissue. 

We make PRP from a sample of your blood, spinning the blood in a centrifuge that separates the tiny platelets from the larger red and white blood cells. Then, we add the platelets back to the plasma, the liquid component of your blood. 

Before injecting the PRP into the injured body part, we process the PRP to activate the platelets.  

3. Increasing circulation

Poor circulation to an injury delays healing. In addition to stimulating cellular repair, PRP therapy also accelerates healing by triggering the formation of new blood vessels to the area, increasing blood flow.

Improving circulation provides the oxygen and nutrients the tissue needs to heal. It also helps remove damaged cells and toxic substances. 

We provide PRP therapy for a number of injuries and conditions, including:

• Arthritis
• Sports injuries
• Tendonitis
• Chronic ligament injuries
• Rotator cuff injuries

We may even recommend PRP therapy following orthopedic surgery to support recovery. 

Though safe, PRP therapy is an injection and only recommended when medical interventions like physical therapy and pain management fail to provide the results you need. 

Do you have an injury or pain condition that’s not improving? Are you considering PRP therapy? Schedule a consultation by calling the office closest to you — in Frederick, Waldorf, or Germantown, Maryland — or booking an appointment online. We can evaluate your injury and talk to you about PRP.