Plasma Therapy
In some cases, the most effective regenerative medicine can actually come from within your own body.
When it comes to treating soft tissue injuries of the lower extremities, Dr. Goldbaum sometimes uses Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections to promote the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints.
These PRP injections are prepared by first extracting a small amount of a patient’s own blood with strict aseptic technique. After a blood sample is obtained from a patient, the blood is put into a centrifuge, which is a tool that separates the blood into its many components. Platelet rich plasma can then be collected and treated before it is delivered to an injured area of bone or soft tissue, such as a tendon or ligament.
In recent studies, PRP injections have been shown to improve function and decreased pain to various maladies, including – but not limited to – elbow, wrist, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle tendonitis.
The side effects of PRP injections are very limited as the patient is utilizing their own blood, which they should have no reaction to. Some relative rest is needed immediately following the procedure, then usually followed by a progressive stretching and strengthening program.
PRP treatments are becoming so popular, in fact, that they are currently being used throughout the NFL and MLB as well as among numerous elite athletes from other sports, including Tiger Woods and Raphael Nadal.