Pain in your joints or tendons can make you uncomfortable, stiff, and miserable. Rather than waiting for them to heal slowly as you suffer, Afia Naqvi, MD, offers platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections at Renove Medical Spa to expedite the healing process. To find out if PRP injections are an appropriate addition to your joint pain or tendonitis treatment, call the Kingwood, Texas, office or book your appointment online today.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a combination of two parts of your blood: plasma and platelets in higher concentrations.
Plasma is the liquid base of your blood and platelets are a type of blood cell. When you get an injury, platelets activate to clot and begin to form a scab, ultimately playing an essential role in the healing process.
PRP is also rich with growth factors that promote cell regeneration. When injected, PRP accelerates the healing process within your body and can be used for a multitude of other purposes.
What can PRP do for my injuries?
The classic use for PRP is to speed up joint and other injury healing. At Renove Medical Spa, Dr. Naqvi often recommends PRP injections to help heal:
Joint pain
PRP injections can help to alleviate joint pain from osteoarthritis, whereby the cartilage within your joints wears away and leaves your bones rubbing together uncomfortably. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of joint pain, but PRP works to treat other types, too.
Tendonitis
Often mistaken for joint pain because the pain manifests close to your joints, tendonitis is pain in the tendons — the strong fibers that attach the muscles to your bones. Tendonitis is common in your knees, elbows, shoulders, and heels.
Beyond faster healing, you may see a notable reduction in pain near the area from the PRP injection.
What should I expect at my PRP injection appointment?
The first step of a PRP injection appointment is a blood draw. Dr. Naqvi places your blood sample into a device called a centrifuge that rotates quickly.
Due to the force of the spinning, the blood sample separates into layers of its different cell types. Dr. Naqvi extracts the layer containing the platelets, which is the PRP, and prepares it for the injection.
Before the injection, Dr. Naqvi may offer you an anesthetic to reduce any discomfort from the needle. You won’t notice a difference in your joint pain or tendonitis immediately, but you’ll see an improvement gradually as you heal faster.
If joint pain and tendonitis are affecting your movement and comfort, call Renove Medical Spa or book your consultation online to find out if you’re a candidate for PRP injections.
