Dr. Kaliq Chang with Atlantic Spine Center explains Blood Plasma with Platelets Therapy and its benefits.
Watching high-profile professional athletes return to the playing field after receiving innovative treatments for injuries often prompts weekend athletes, baby boomers, and those suffering from chronic pain to pay attention. Over the past several years, Blood Plasma with Platelets therapy has been successful in treating a wide range of conditions from lower back pain to stubborn injuries caused by torn ligaments and tendons. "Concentrated platelets plasma therapy uses a concentrated portion of the patient's own blood to promote long-lasting pain relief by using the body's own healing process," says Dr. Kaliq Chang, pain management specialist at the Atlantic Spine Center. "It is safe and easy to administer, making it an attractive option when conservative treatments such as medication and physical therapy have been ineffective."
What is Blood Plasma with Platelets therapy?
Blood is made up of four components: red blood cells, which deliver oxygen from the lungs to the body's cells and remove carbon dioxide; white blood cells, which fight infection and kill germs; plasma, which is the liquid component and the blood's transport mechanism; and platelets, small cells that bind together at the site of an injury to form a clot and stop bleeding. In addition to their role in healing by stopping bleeding, platelets also release hundreds of proteins called growth factors that play an important role in tissue repair and regeneration. It is this function of platelets that forms the basis of Concentrated platelets therapy.
"We introduce platelets in five to ten times their normal concentration directly to the site of the injury," says Dr. Chang. "The areas where soft-tissue injuries occur do not usually get a great deal of blood flow, so delivering a highly concentrated measure of healing proteins directly to the site improves the odds of stimulating recovery, generating new tissue."
Blood Plasma with Platelets injection recovery time is quite fast and the procedure is relatively painless.
Which conditions can be treated with Blood Plasma with Platelets?
Promising results have been seen when Concentrated platelets injection is used to treat chronic tendon conditions such as tennis elbow, Achilles tendinitis, and inflammation of the patellar tendon in the knee. It may also be used for acute muscle and ligament injuries, including pulled hamstrings and knee strains, and in surgical repair of the shoulder's rotator cuff and the knee's anterior cruciate ligament. In addition,"We've seen lasting improvements in pain and function in patients with early-stage degenerative spinal disc disease," says Dr. Chang. "The discs have poor blood supply and therefore limited healing potential, making conventional treatments for back pain such as physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medications often ineffective. Intradiscal Blood Plasma with Platelets harnesses the patient's own healing power to improve the health of the disc."
How is Blood Plasma with Platelets therapy administered?
A small amount of the patient's blood is drawn into a sterile tube, which is spun in a centrifuge to separate the platelets from the other components of the blood. The concentrated platelets can be administered with a local anesthetic in the doctor's office or during a planned procedure. When the procedure is performed in the office, patients are observed for a short period and sent home with instructions to use ice, elevation and acetaminophen to relieve the discomfort they may experience for a week or so.
Is Blood Plasma with Platelets therapy safe?
Concentrated platelets is autologous, meaning it comes from the patient's own body, so there is little risk of rejection or adverse reaction. And if it is injected, there is no incision and little risk of infection or tissue damage.
"We are still learning about the role of the proteins released by the platelets in healing and tissue repair," Dr. Chang concludes. "This knowledge, along with the detailed information provided by advanced imaging technologies, improves our understanding of injuries and the healing process. We're just beginning to fully understand how new therapies like Blood Plasma with Platelets can promote and accelerate healing and help people of all ages enjoy active lives."
Atlantic Spine Center offers Blood Plasma with Platelets Therapy for painful areas such as the spine, knees, ankles, shoulders and common sports injury sites that benefit the most from this wound healing procedure. Questions? Use our easy contact form or call our office.
