PRP (Platelets) & Stem Cells Specialist in Raleigh, NC
What is a PRP Injection?
The body has an amazing capacity to heal itself. When the body becomes injured, a natural healing process occurs to repair the damaged tissue. The body signals platelets and other components in our blood supply to migrate to the site of injury. Under normal conditions, these platelets release a variety of factors that initiate and subsequently promote healing. New advances in medicine have been developed to harness and concentrate these platelets to be precisely introduced to the injury site in an injectable form. The implantation of these platelets from a small amount of the patient’s own blood has the potential to “supercharge” the body’s capacity for healing. Many specialties use PRP, not just orthopedics, and the uses include PRP female hair loss, PRP male hair loss, PRP for Face & Skin Rejuvenation and PRP for Orthopedics. We focus on the Orthopedic uses for PRP.
How is PRP created?
In order to prepare PRP, blood is taken from the patient. The components within the blood are isolated to produce the PRP through a separating process in a machine called a centrifuge. The entire process takes about 15-20 minutes. When PRP is injected into the damaged area it stimulates the tendon, joint, or ligament as well as causing mild inflammation that triggers the healing cascade. This is all accomplished without using any animal products or other foreign material.
Benefits of PRP
Most patients will see a significant improvement in symptoms. Patients may experience more pain the first 1-2 weeks after the injection. This is a normal reaction and part of the inflammation that triggers the healing process.
This may eliminate the need for more aggressive treatments such as long-term medication or surgery, as well as a remarkable return of function.
Areas of Treatment
PRP injections can be performed in arthritic joints, injured muscles, tendons and ligaments all over the body. Some examples include:
- Resistant fractures
- Muscle strains
- Ligament sprains
- Articular cartilage injury
- Arthritis
- Acute tendon rupture
- Chronic tendinopathy
While responses to treatment vary, most people will require a series of 1 to 3 injections. Each injection may be spaced several weeks to a few months apart. There is no limit to the number of treatments you can have: the risks and side effects do not change with the number of injections.
If you have a joint, tendon, or ligament injury and traditional methods have not provided relief, then PRP therapy may be the solution. The procedure is less aggressive and less expensive than surgery. Your doctor will determine to see if PRP therapy is right for you.
WHAT is the COST?
The first office visit IS COVERED by insurance and will be a history and physical. We will discuss the process, and get the consent for the procedure.
We will then schedule you for a second visit for the actual injection. This visit is NOT covered by insurance and will be about 1 hr long. You will need to pay upfront for the injection. Contact us at our Raleigh, NC office to inquire about our PRP injection pricing.
Our Philosophy
At Wake Sports Medicine we focus entirely on nonsurgical and minimally invasive treatments to relieve knee pain, promote healing, rehabilitate, and prevent future injuries. We also strongly feel that the key to a long and healthy lifestyle is to stay active, and we make every attempt to return patients to the recreational and competitive activities that they enjoy.
Don’t wait! Contact us today to experience pain relief without the risk of surgery. Call (919) 719-2270