PLATELET RICH PLASMA – PRP
Using YOUR Body – to Heal YOUR Body
The human body is designed to heal itself. Part of that design includes the presence of repair and growth factors circulating in your blood that go to work when old cells need to be replaced or when the body is injured and needs to repair the injury. Unfortunately as we age the numbers and function of many of our healing factors start to decrease – think of how quickly a simple cut heals in a young child compared to our own rate of healing!! We have learned that we can significantly amplify that healing effect by concentrating those growth factors and injecting them into areas of the body that need special healing attention. The beauty of using PRP is that the side effects of PRP injections are limited only to the injection itself because the PRP is created from your own blood so your body will not reject PRP or react negatively to it.
PRP is a concentration of your body’s healing plasma proteins that is derived from your own blood by processing it in a centrifuge to remove red blood cells. This PRP concentrate contains three to five times the normal concentration of the platelets and growth factors that are used in the body’s own healing process. The resulting PRP is a wonderful product to boost repair and healing when it is injected back into a specific body area. Simply stated, when platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is injected, then stem cells multiply and help grow new younger tissue. This has been proven by tissue biopsy studies. For example, an injured knee is injected with PRP and this signals the attraction of healing products from your body like stem cells. At times ultrasound guidance is used to place the PRP exactly where it is needed.
The platelets collected in PRP are activated by the addition of calcium chloride, which induces the release of these healing factors from the alpha granules of the platelet. This releases the many healing factors noted bellow.
Benefits of PRP
Let’s explore these a bit more so you can understand the benefits you can receive from a concentrated boost of your body’s own healing factors!!
The Renew “O So Good Shot”
Why do we call it the “O So Good Shot”? Because it has so many regenerative and healing applications in the body – it’s O So Good! Let’s explore each of these areas that the “O So Good Shot” can help.
Sexual Enhancement
Both men and women benefit from PRP injections. Women have improved arousal and an improved ability to orgasm, often with a stronger orgasm. Men have increased size, both length and girth, and improved circulation with an improved ability to obtain an erection and also an improved ability to maintain erections. It can make medications like Viagra or Cialis work better and it can help improve the complications diabetes can cause with erections.
Urinary Incontinence
A wonderful option for women with urinary incontinence issues. Injection of the PRP in the area under the urethra helps build collagen. This can help decrease or minimize urine loss with straining during an exercise session, coughing, or even simply laughing with a friend! This is a simple way to reduce or eliminate these socially embarrassing problems!!
Cosmetic and Dermatologic Procedures
PRP is hugely beneficial in procedures to stimulate new collagen growth which unfortunately decreases with aging. Collagen is the scaffolding or structure that supports the skin and as it diminishes the aging changes become progressively more apparent. Unfortunately we accelerate this process over time by normal daily activities like whistling, drinking from a straw, frowning, prolonged exposure to sun, smoking, and even worse – the poor nutrition of the highly processed Standard American diet (SAD). This leads to the less than desirable appearance of wrinkles, tear troughs, nasolabial folds and others. It also helps with treatment of acne scars! PRP stimulates new collagen growth and helps minimize wrinkles and rejuvenates the face, hands, and other skin areas to erase years from your appearance. Imagine – a cosmetic boost that helps minimize the need for Botox and fillers!!
Osteoarthritis and Joint Injuries
These are a huge issue as are sports or work injuries. Inflamed painful joints interfere with our daily function. We can’t work, we can’t walk well, we can’t play sports, we can’t play with our grand kids, it even interferes with intimacy in a relationship! Unfortunately joints don’t heal well! They have a poor blood supply, and therefor a poor oxygen supply which is vital for healing. This is especially true as we age. This can slow recovery and healing to a snails pace. More studies are emerging that PRP helps improve joint lubrication which improves function. It also helps decrease inflammation and pain from injuries like a strained tendon or muscle, a rotator cuff injury, tennis elbow, bursitis, heel spurs and others and can even help to rebuild cartilage damaged by years of overuse or injured in an athletic or work event.
PRP therapy to treat osteoarthritis theorizes that the platelet-rich plasma might:
Inhibit inflammation and slow down the progression of osteoarthritis 1
Stimulate the formation of new cartilage 2
Increase the production of natural lubricating fluid in the joint, thereby easing painful joint friction 3
Contain proteins that alter a patient’s pain receptors and reduce pain sensation 4
The healing growth factors and other cytokines present in PRP include:
- platelet-derived growth factor
- transforming growth factor beta
- fibroblast growth factor
- insulin-like growth factor 1
- insulin-like growth factor 2
- vascular endothelial growth factor
- epidermal growth factor
- Interleukin 8
- keratinocyte growth factor
- connective tissue growth factor
Schedule your complimentary regenerative treatment assessment – TODAY:
Call Renew: 217-864-2700
We look forward to helping you improve your health and live your best life.
References:
- Van Buul GM, Koevoet WLM, Kops N, et al. Platelet-rich plasma relea- sate inhibits inflammatory processes in osteoarthritic chondrocytes. Am J Sports Med. 2011;39:2362–2370.
- Drengk A, Zapf A, Sturmer EK, et al. Influence of platelet-rich plasma on chondrogenic differentiation and proliferation of chondrocytes and mes- enchymal stem cells. Cells Tissues Organs. 2009;189:317–326.
- Anitua E, Sanchez M, Nurden AT, et al. Platelet-released growth factors enhance the secretion of hyaluronic acid and induce hepatocyte growth factor production by synovial fibroblasts from arthritic patients. Rheuma- tology (Oxford). 2007;46:1769–1772.
- Descalzi F, Ulivi V, Cancedda R, Piscitelli F, Luongo L, Guida F, Gatta L, Maione S, Di Marzo V. Platelet-rich plasma exerts antinociceptive activity by a peripheral endocannabinoid-related mechanism. Tissue Eng Part A. 2013 Oct;19(19-20):2120-9. doi: 10.1089/ten.TEA.2012.0557. Epub 2013 Jun 6. PubMed PMID: 23578218.
