PRP Specialist

What is PRP?

PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is one of several types of regenerative medicine. These treatments help your body to heal by boosting your natural repair processes.

PRP contains substances from your blood. Plasma is the liquid part of your blood, while platelets contain growth factors that trigger healing. Dr. Flanagan extracts the platelets and plasma from a sample of your blood, then injects the solution into your injured or diseased tissues.

How does PRP work?

Natural healing relies on blood flow to your injured tissues. If you cut yourself, the area becomes red, hot, and swollen due to acute inflammation, which aims to heal the affected tissue.

Platelets in your blood activate to form a clot and prevent you from bleeding out, then they organize a healing response. The platelets switch on your biological regenerative pathways to begin the repairs and replace tissues too badly damaged to restore.

By introducing large quantities of additional platelets in the form of a PRP injection, Dr. Flanagan is increasing the speed and effectiveness of the healing process.

What conditions can PRP treat?

PRP therapy is suitable for treating a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions, including:

• Ligament sprains
• Tendon strains
• Rotator cuff tears
• Arthritis
• Bursitis
• Tendinitis
• Fasciitis
• Disc disease
• Radiculopathy

As well as working on areas that have a good blood supply, like your soft tissues, studies show that PRP is also effective when injected into areas with a poor blood supply, like cartilage in your joints.

Injecting PRP boosts the healthy biological joint-preservation processes, including influencing the activity of mesenchymal stem cells, which are vital to healing.

What happens when I have PRP therapy?

The first stage of PRP therapy is extracting the platelets. Dr. Flanagan removes a small quantity of blood and places it in a centrifuge, which spins at high speeds. The spinning separates the plasma and platelets from your white and red blood cells.

After separating the platelets and plasma, Dr. Flanagan injects the PRP solution into your injured joints or tissues. He uses imaging technology that allows him to guide the needle to the center of your injured tissues.

Following your PRP injection, you can return home and continue as you would normally. You won’t notice an immediate change, as the platelets need time to make the repairs. However, you should feel some improvement after several weeks that continues for the next few months. Many patients benefit from PRP therapy for even longer.

If you have a painful musculoskeletal disorder or injury, find out how PRP could help you by calling Naples Regenerative Institute today or book an appointment online.