PRP injections aid in the recovery of numerous sports injuries.
Both amateur and professional athletes are susceptible to injuries that restrict them from competing. Athletes previously had to choose between undergoing major surgery, which isn’t really enticing and sitting out for weeks or months to recover.
PRP injections are a cutting-edge third alternative. Because it is quick, safe, and minimally invasive, this orthobiologic therapy is quite beneficial for many of the most common sports injuries.
What is PRP?
PRP injections are a form of regenerative therapy in which the healing platelets are concentrated after being isolated from a small portion of the patient’s blood.
An orthopaedic surgeon or sports medicine expert will next deliberately choose a location near the injury and inject the concentrated plasma there. To ensure that the injection goes where it is supposed to, the doctor often uses fluoroscopy or ultrasonography to view the targeted structure.
In addition to containing the patient’s own plasma and platelets, PRP also releases components known as growth factors. Growth factors are crucial for the body’s natural processes of bone and soft tissue repair & remodelling.
Various sports injuries can be healed by the body on its own over the course of several weeks or months. Simply put, the body is sometimes unable to heal itself from more severe wounds or struggles with chronic wounds. In both cases, PRP speeds up and jump-starts the body’s natural healing process. PRP is particularly beneficial in poorly perfused tissues, such as tendons.
PRP for sports injuries
- Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is the most common injury experienced by runners & people who stand a lot at work or recreation. Many people with this chronic condition have agonising heel pain that is resistant to conventional forms of treatment. If plantar fasciitis is not addressed, bone spurs may form and require surgical removal.
Many people get cortisone injections for this and other severe sports injuries. Cortisone injections have no beneficial influence on the wound’s ability to heal, despite the fact that they can temporarily (up to a year) ease pain. Studies have also shown that prolonged cortisone injections may cause the calcaneal fat pad to atrophy, which would worsen heel pain. Long term steroid use is no longer prescribed.
The main advantage of PRP injections is that they initiate the healing process, allowing patients to retain the majority of their restored function. They also minimise discomfort.
Other sports-related conditions including Achilles tendinopathy, UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) tears and hamstring strains can be successfully treated with platelet-rich plasma injections.
- Tennis Elbow
PRP injections are a useful treatment option for tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis.
In this condition, repetitive stress and overuse lead to inflamed forearm tendons. Even while lateral epicondylitis can manifest when playing tennis (particularly if a person has biomechanical problems), repetitive arm motion activities including carpentry, painting, cooking, and assembly line labour are also risk factors.
Because they receive little blood supply, these tendons heal pretty slowly. PRP injections are used to relieve tennis elbow discomfort and kick-start the healing process. According to a study, PRP injections can help tennis elbow patients regain function.
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
The rotator cuff, a network of muscles and other soft tissues that supports the shoulder, is prone to sports injuries. Bowling a cricket ball or playing golf are two repeated overhead arm motions that might be troublesome. However, accidents like falls and other accidents can potentially harm the rotator cuff.
Major rotator cuff injuries often require surgery, but small tears and bursa irritation both respond well to PRP injections.
If you’re interested in PRP kits, please get in touch.
