Do you ever wish you could snap your fingers and your pain would be gone? Or that you could take care of any problem you had with one shot? Medicine can’t help you simply wish away your discomfort, but some procedures, like PRP injections, can increase your body’s healing response and speed up the time you spend in recovery. This is especially helpful if you have chronic tendon issues in your feet and ankles.
Concentrated Blood
PRP injections, or shots of platelet-rich plasma, use your own blood to provide your body with special healing factors that speed up your recovery. Platelets are cells and cell fragment that flow through your blood. These little platelets are key components for clotting. They also hold hundreds of important proteins called “growth factors,” which your body uses to heal injuries.
A PRP shot uses a portion of your blood that has a much higher concentration of those platelets than normal blood does. This plasma is injected back into your body at the source of your discomfort, increasing the amount of growth factors in the area. That way, your body has ample amounts of the proteins it needs to help your body heal.
Because the injection uses your own blood, there’s no risk of your body reacting to or rejecting the platelets in the plasma. The shot also decreases your risk of infection, since you aren’t exposed to any outside substances. Although the PRP injections are not a guaranteed fix, studies show that this procedure can speed up the recovery time for chronic tendonitis and acute injuries like tissue ruptures.
What to Expect From the Procedure
Usually, this procedure is reserved patients with pain that hasn’t responded to other conservative measures. We will evaluate your condition and determine if you’re a good candidate for the injection. Our team of specialists may use different diagnostic images to get a clearer idea of the location and extent of your condition.
Once you’ve decided to move forward with the procedure, they will draw a certain amount of your blood, which will be placed in a centrifuge for roughly 15 minutes. The centrifuge will spin the blood at an incredibly high speed to separate the components. The layer filled with platelet-rich plasma is removed and put into a syringe to be re-injected into your body. To finish, our team uses ultrasound to ensure that the injection goes into the area in most in need of a healing.
After the treatment, you may experience a little discomfort following the injection that could last for several days. You can continue to work and do most normal activities but you may need to take a break from sports to avoid straining the damaged tissues. PRP injections may not be a guarantee for healing, but they can make a significant difference for speeding up the process.
If you’re struggling with chronic pain that isn’t responding to normal conservative treatments, this could be a reasonable option for you. Don’t suffer with uncomfortable feet. Contact Advanced Foot & Ankle Specialists of Arizona here in Chandler for more information or to schedule an appointment. Fill out our online contact form to reach us. You can also call or fax us, call (480) 963-9000 and fax (480) 963-0375.