When to Consider PRP Therapy After an Injury

You may have heard about regenerative medicine and its role as a newer category of care for injuries. Regenerative medicine isn’t just a trend. Instead, it shows real promise in revolutionizing injury healing. We now have over 25 years worth of evidence supporting the continued growth of this field.  One of these treatments is called platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.

As a leading PRP specialist, Glenn Flanagan, MD, administers carefully dosed PRP therapy to treat a wide range of joint issues and musculoskeletal injuries. 

At Naples Regenerative Institute in Naples, Florida, he strives to help everyone make a complete recovery with advanced regenerative orthopedic care. 

Are you wondering if PRP could benefit you? Here’s everything you should know. 

How PRP enhances injury healing

Platelet-rich plasma is an injectable fluid, but it’s not a medication in the typical sense. Instead, it’s made from a processed sample of your blood. 

Dr. Flanagan collects a blood sample and places it in a centrifuge, which is a machine that spins rapidly. The force of the spinning motion causes the different cells and components of your blood to separate into layers. He uses a double-spin centrifuge technique to get the highest concentrations and doses needed to optimize treatments for his patients. 

During and after centrifugation Dr. Flanagan uses complex protocols to optimize each treatment for the tissue being treated. Platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells should be concentrated in different variations depending on what is being treated.  

The platelets in your blood are responsible for helping injuries heal. They make your blood clot to stop bleeding, and they release growth factors to continue the healing process. Injecting them near an injury supports the injury’s healing. Platelet concentration and dose is one of the most important aspects of these treatments. Dr. Flanagan has an analyzer in the office to test every PRP product before it is injecting, ensuring adequate cell doses each time. 

Dr. Flanagan uses imaging technology to guide the needle into the area near your injury with precision. This is just as important as preparing the best PRP possible, because if it’s not injected in the correct spot, even a great PRP product will not have the desired effects. 

Injuries treated with PRP therapy

Dr. Flanagan recommends PRP therapy for a variety of common injuries affecting joints, tendons, and ligaments. In some cases, PRP can treat joint-damaging conditions such as arthritis and spinal disc degeneration or nerve issues. 

PRP can support healing for these injuries:

• Ligament sprains
• Tendon strains
• Rotator cuff tears
• Golfer’s elbow
• Tennis elbow
• Spinal discs
• Nerve injuries
• Arthritis

While PRP is often highly effective on its own, Dr. Flanagan may use it to support other injury-healing treatments like viscosupplementation and MLS laser therapy. 

Best candidates for PRP therapy

Dr. Flanagan invites you to Naples Regenerative Institute for a complete evaluation of your injury. He takes note of your medical history and the severity of the injury to come up with a suitable treatment plan. 

You might be a candidate for PRP therapy if you have any of the injuries listed in this article. Good candidates for PRP therapy also:

• Haven’t seen optimal results from other treatments like medication or rest
• Don’t have any current infections
• Are generally healthy 
• Understand the procedure and possible results

To get the best results from PRP therapy, Dr. Flanagan may recommend continuing other care, such as physical therapy. You can expect to feel some improvement starting several weeks after your PRP injections, and the results typically last a few months or longer. 

Get in touch

Naples Regenerative Institute specializes in personalized injury care, which might include PRP therapy. Call Naples Regenerative Institute or request an appointment online to learn more.