Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
A leading therapy in medicine, PRP is a treatment that harnesses the natural healing powers of the body. Though PRP treatments have been used since the 1970s, recent research has shown how far-reaching the benefits of PRP truly are. From muscle and ligament damage to cosmetic concerns, PRP can make a marked improvement in a patient's life.
What is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)?
Blood has three main components: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Each of these components plays different roles in your body, with platelets responsible for healing. Platelets contain hundreds of different types of proteins and growth factors, including cytokines and mitogens. These unique proteins activate blood clotting, wound healing and tissue regeneration.
Normal blood has around 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter. While these levels are perfect for general wound healing, like cuts and scrapes, a higher saturation of platelets has greater healing benefits. Chronic pain, tendonitis, and other injuries require higher rates of platelets for recovery -- this is where PRP comes into play.
PRP is a healing growth factor and protein rich plasma derived from your own blood. As a solution, PRP contains five to ten times more platelets than normal blood. When this solution is injected into your site of injury or pain, the high concentration of platelets quickly stimulates your body's natural healing process.
How is PRP Created?
Platelets usually account for less than one percent of blood composition, with red and white blood cells making up the majority. To extract the powerful platelets from your blood, a process called centrifugation is used. A vial of your blood is drawn and placed into the centrifugation machine, which spins rapidly. This spinning motion causes the blood to separate into three components, with the platelets forming a thin layer in the center. Additional centrifugation increases the potency of these platelets -- this thin layer of protein and platelet rich plasma is the PRP.
