3 Benefits of PRP Therapy for Athletes

Athletes today experience a tremendous amount of pressure to perform at the highest level, which can result in a severe injury. Athletes now have the ability to recover from injury quickly and safely, using PRP therapy. Platelet-rich plasma or PRP is a non-surgical regenerative therapy that uses a high concentration of platelets and plasma to promote regeneration and self-healing in many orthopedic injuries and conditions. A typical blood specimen contains only 6% platelets. In comparison, platelet-rich plasma contains 94% of platelets and 5 to 10 times the concentration of growth factors found in normal blood.

Often what seem to be career-altering injuries have shown ability to heal using PRP therapy, allowing elite athletes to return to their sport. PRP injections can help alleviate painful symptoms, promote healing, and delay joint replacement surgeries. PRP is beneficial to sports injuries such as tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, plantar fasciitis, and rotator cuff injuries.

3 Benefits of PRP Therapy

1. Effectively heals and reduces inflammation – PRP therapy is an advanced technique that provides a fast, safe and effective healing process. This pain management approach also effectively reduces inflammation and swelling.
2. Minimally invasive intervention – PRP therapy reduces the need for surgery. The process is quick and easy. Your doctor will first draw about ten ccs of blood from the large vein in your elbow. The blood is then spun in a centrifuge machine for about 10 to 15 minutes to separate the remaining blood components’ platelets. The injured part of your body is anesthetized with a local anesthetic. The platelet-rich portion of your blood is injected into the affected area.
3. Helps heal severe sports injuries – PRP therapy provides relief to those suffering from trauma and other sports-related injuries. Sports injuries may affect joints, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and other soft tissues of the body. This approach aims to restore the functionality and mobility of the injured joint or muscle.

If you are suffering from a musculoskeletal injury that has occurred while playing sports or working out and it is significantly affecting your life, you might be pleasantly surprised by the amount of pain relief and improved mobility experienced after PRP therapy. For all inquiries and appointments, please call Dr. Ronak Patel, sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon, at (630) 929-2249 or visit www.drronakpatel.com.

Dr. Ronak Patel is a Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon offering a full range of care for all knee and shoulder problems with a special interest in complex knee disorders.