Platelet-Rich Plasma Puts Patients on the Path to Healing and Pain Relief
05.20.2020
Regenerative medicine is a broad catchall phrase that speaks to trying to harness the body’s own ability to heal itself. Among biologic treatments, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) has been the most well studied. Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates has been using platelet therapy for over a decade to treat chronic spine and orthopedic conditions
“I refer to platelets as the body’s first responder cells,” said physiatrist Peter Bailey, MD. “They come to a site in the body where there has been an injury to begin the repair process.”
PRP can be effective in areas of the body that don’t heal very well because of poor blood supply, such as joints, tendons, and discs in the back.
“When these things are injured or damaged, it begins a degenerative cascade. Unless you intervene to stop it, it’s going to continue to go downhill,” said Dr. Bailey.
The PRP procedure begins with drawing blood from the patient. A small sample of blood is placed in a centrifuge, which separates the platelets and plasma. Platelets are put into a syringe and ejected into the tissue or the joint using ultrasound or fluoroscopy guidance. The PRP procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and can take between 30 minutes and two hours.
“PRP is always accompanied by a structured rehab program to strengthen the area and teach the patient how to reach a higher level of activity. We have in-house physical therapists well versed in protocols who can modify the rehab program based the patient’s progress,” said John Lesher, MD, MPH.
While steroids can provide almost immediate pain relief, they can wear off quickly. With PRP, relief is more gradual, but when it occurs it indicates that a healing process is taking place.
“I would not recommend something to a patient that I would not have myself, and platelets have helped me.” -Dr. Lesher
To learn more about PRP offered at Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates, call 704-376-1605.
Additional Nonsurgical Brain And Spine Care Includes:
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- EMG/NCV to evaluate for nerve & muscle disorders
- Therapeutic & diagnostic spinal injections
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
- Spasticity/dystonia management
- Disability management
- Surgical referrals as needed
- Physical Therapy
- On-site PT departments in most offices
- Skilled manual therapy & massage
- Spinal decompressive traction
- Evaluation of individual motion impairments
- Evaluation for returning to sports after surgery
- Pilates, yoga and senior exercise classes
- Graston technique
- Dry needling
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. New and current patients can call our offices to make an appointment or request an appointment online.
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