When there is a soft tissue injury, the body immediately delivers platelet cells to the area. Platelets have the healing factors that activate the tissue repair mechanisms.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is done by taking a small sample of the patient’s blood, then spinning it around in a centrifuge until the plasma, the platelets and the red blood cells are separated. Then only the platelet rich plasma is injected into the injured tissue. This is believed to strengthen the body’s instinct to naturally heal.
Although many sport doctors and athletes are into PRP injections, the evidence remains thin. The good news is no adverse effects have been reported. It only has a negative effect on your wallet (approx. $500 ).
“There is strong evidence that PRP injections are not efficacious in the management of chronic lateral elbow tendinopathy.” (de Vos et al 2014)
So before a patient spend hundreds of $$, they may wish to know the evidence thus far.
Posted from APTEI
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Okotoks Physical Therapy (OPT) has been serving the Okotoks and Foothills region since 1994. We are the only clinic in Okotoks that have contracts to treat both Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and Alberta Community Physiotherapy Program (ACPT) clients.
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