Platelet-Rich Plasma
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a powerful therapy that relieves pain and facilitates recovery from all types of acute and chronic injuries, such as sprains, strains, arthritis, and degenerative joint disease. PRP harnesses the healing power of platelets—components in the blood that initiate and regulate tissue repair—by delivering concentrations of the body’s own platelets directly to damaged or degenerated areas.
PRP treatment at Art of Aesthetics involves removing a vial of a patient’s own blood and spinning it in a centrifuge to separate out the red blood cells, plasma, and other components. This produces a very small amount of concentrated platelets (5–10 times the amount in whole blood) in a little plasma (the clear, liquid part of blood). The patient’s PRP is then placed in a syringe and injected into the affected area, which is numbed beforehand to make the injection more comfortable. A single injection to each site is all that is usually needed, although some patients require more, spaced out over time.
Over the next few weeks, the regeneration process that PRP turns on becomes evident, with often dramatic improvements in pain, range of motion, function, and quality of life.