Fundamentals Of PRP Therapy Portland

By Eric Hayes


Doctors use platelet-rich therapy injections for a number of reasons and purposes. The reasons for going for this treatment will usually range from encouraging growth of hair to promoting healing of tissues. There is still some ongoing research about how effective the treatment is and the benefits. In consideration of PRP therapy Portland residents need to be conversant with what it involves.

One of the first things is to know how it works. Platelets are the blood cells which have a number of roles in the body, with one of them being to promote clotting of blood. That ensures the individual does not bleed excessively when they have a cut. The cells also help in containing proteins in blood which help in wound healing. Research shows that by injection of inflammation areas or tissue damages with high platelet concentration, it will encourage healing of wounds.

For the treatment, samples of blood will be taken from the person who is being treated. That sample gets placed within a centrifuge which will then spin at high speeds. The process makes it possible to separate platelets from other components of blood. The resulting concentration of platelets will be injected at the area that is supposed to be treated. Because that injection has high platelet concentration, it is able to improve healing. Its concentration is between 5 to 10 times that of blood which is untreated.

There are various treatments for which PRP is effective. A major application is to encourage growth of hairs and involves injecting platelets into the scalp. The injection is done to reduce inflammation that leads to loss of hair. The treatment is also used to help healing of tissues, in which case it will be used to help in healing after jaw surgery. Tissues which are healed are tendons, muscles and ligaments.

PRP treatment can also be used for reduction of the inflammation caused by the condition known as osteoarthritis. The inflammation can lead to stiff and painful joints. Over a period of time, doctors have been trying to heal broken bones but that is an area that is still under research.

It is important to understand the cost of the procedure. For once, it is not usually covered by insurance owing to little evidence on how effective it is. Costs will usually vary from a location to another depending on doctor expertise and facilities that are available. In most cases, one will have several injections which are given at intervals of two to three months.

There are some side effects of the therapy that one should expect. The injections will involve using platelets of the individual. There are never any serious reactions to the the therapy but one could experience irritation and bleeding at the site where the injection is made. In many instances, you can resume your normal activities after treatment. You will not need to wait for days or weeks.

While PRP treatment is a very promising therapy for people that experience damage of tissues and loss of hairs, there are studies still being carried out on it. There needs to be more research to establish its effectiveness. It is important to use doctors with enough expertise and experience on it.




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