15 December 2019

What is a Protein-Rich Plasma injection?

Protein-Rich Plasma or PRP is a substance that is extracted from your own body that is then injected into a troublesome area to assist with the healing process. The proteins that are extracted from the blood sample are then isolated and injected into the area that is being treated. The theory behind this is that by injecting PRP into damaged tissue, this will stimulate your body to grow new cells and promote healing. Due to the concentration of tissue growth factors in the PRP, it is suggested that the body’s tissues may heal quicker.

Our Specialist physiotherapist Jonathan Wride at Skelian in Cheltenham, is able to perform PRP injections on site at the Skelian Cheltenham Chiropractic Clinic. All injections performed by Jonathan are done using ultrasound. Ultrasound guided injections significantly improve the accuracy of the injection.

What can PRP be used for?

Tiger woods and Rafael Nadal have had PRP treatment to help them recover from sporting injuries. PRP can be applied to more than just sporting injuries. At Skelian in Cheltenham Jonathan the specialist physio uses PRP to treat:

Osteoarthritis – Now there is no cure for osteoarthritis (OA) but Jonathan uses PRP injections to help treat the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Tendon Injuries – Your tendons are the attachment from your muscles to your bones. Usually when people suffer an injury to a muscle the muscle will be injured at the attachment. Tendons themselves are thick bands of connective tissue, which can be slow to heal (depending on age, general health and physical condition).

Click on the Link below to download a video to see the PRP procedure.

PRP Injection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9PVZzrjDcA

Common Conditions That Are Treated With PRP:

Meniscus/Cartilage Tears
Wrist Pain
Achilles Tendon Pain
Rotator Cuff Tears
Plantar Fasciitis·
Shoulder Pain
Tennis Elbow
Golfers Elbow

What is the process of the PRP injection?

Before having the Protein-Rich Plasma injection, Jonathan the specialist physio will perform a thorough health history. Along with your health history, Jonathan will then perform several orthopaedic and neurological tests, in addition to this he may possibly perform an ultrasound scan (if needed) to make sure you have a clear diagnosis before performing the PRP injection. As the aim is to make sure you know what the best options for treatment are and if PRP is appropriate for your case.

Stage 1. The specialist physio at Skelian in Cheltenham will draw a blood sample from your arm. The amount of blood taken for the sample will be dependent on the individual case.

Stage 2. The blood sample is the put into a centrifuge where, it is spun at high speed to separate the different components from the blood sample. This can take around 15 minutes or so to separate the appropriate components.

Stage 3. Jonathan the specialist physiotherapist then extracts the separated plasma from the blood sample and prepares plasma for the injection.

Stage 4. The specialist physio will then inject the concentrated plasma into the designated area such as the knee joint or tendon as examples. The injections performed by Jonathan will be used in conjunction with ultrasound to insure the process is as accurate as possible.

PRP injection Cheltenham

The process takes around an hour or so. Usually once the procedure has been performed the specialist physio will ask you to sit or in reception for a few minutes to make sure you are feeling well before leaving the clinic. Usually after the procedure we will follow you up to make sure you are doing well and that your symptoms are improving (if appropriate).

Evidence

PRP injection

Regarding the evidence for the treatment follow this link for the NICE guidelines https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg637/chapter/1-Recommendations

Overall, this is a fairly new treatment and research is still needed, further research is being performed on the subject of Protein-Rich Plasma injections. Despite this, generally the procedure is considered to be safe.

If you are interested in this specialist treatment, please call 01242 254000 or email stpauls@skelian.co.uk to speak to our reception team who will then put you in touch with our specialist physiotherapist.