PRP Therapy: Play Hard, Heal Fast

There’s a way to heal sports injuries that doesn’t involve surgery, months of physical therapy or a dependence on prescription medication. It’s called platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. What Is PRP Therapy? It’s a form of stem cell treatment that uses platelets — colorless blood cells that help your blood clot — to rebuild a damaged tendon or cartilage. It not only relieves the pain, it also jumpstarts the healing process.   That’s because platelets contain hundreds of proteins called “growth factors.” The natural growth factors in PRP can actually regenerate injured tissues.1 How Is PRP Therapy Done? The procedure is simple: Blood is drawn and placed in a centrifuge for 15 minutes to separate out the platelets. The PRP is then injected into the damaged portion of the tendon or cartilage with the guidance of an ultrasound machine. How Effective Is PRP Therapy? The majority of PRP patients can get back to the golf course or tennis court within three months. Mainstream medicine is still behind the curve when it comes to stem cells. Some doctors dismiss the latest breakthrough treatments as “experimental” despite a growing number of stem-cell treatment successes and the research that backs them up. A few years ago, doctors told professional baseball pitcher Bartolo Colon that his career was over. He had severe ligament damage and a torn rotator cuff. Colon then turned to Dr. Joseph Purita, my colleague and one of the world’...
Source: Al Sears, MD Natural Remedies - Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Tags: Anti-Aging Source Type: news