The human body has the amazing ability to heal itself after an injury. This is why bruises fade, and a small cut or scrape will usually heal without medical care. However, when the injury is more involved and tissue is damaged; then the body typically needs more help to recover.
Regenerative medicine is a branch of medicine that helps to accelerate healing by stimulating the body’s repair channels to restore tissue and organ health without surgery or medication. One of the most popular regenerative medicine procedures is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, also known as PRP.
What is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)?
Platelet Rich Plasma therapy has been used in medicine worldwide for over twenty years and can treat an array of conditions from sports-related injury to cosmetic medicine and aesthetics. So what is Platelet Rich Plasma anyway? Well, the name says it all! It’s plasma, the liquid portion of the blood, with a high amount of platelets, usually ten times more concentrated than the general baseline to be exact.
This is important because platelets are blood cells that contain growth factors that are known for their ability to heal by stimulating tissue regeneration and triggering cell reproduction. In a PRP treatment, the patient’s blood is used and then reintroduced to the injured area to facilitate this healing response.
How Does PRP Treatment Work?
At the beginning of all PRP treatments, the patient’s blood is drawn by a medical professional. Our blood contains many different types of cells with the major types being: red, white, and platelets. To separate the platelets from these other cells, the blood sample is placed in a special container that starts to separate the blood which is then placed in a centrifuge and then spun and processed.
At OWM, a double spin process is used to offer the highest concentration of PRP on the market. Next, depending on the treatment, the PRP is then injected into the site of injury or needled into the skin or scalp.
PRP therapy has been used over the years in several medical specialties including dentistry and neurosurgery. At OWM Integrative Wellness this regenerative process has been used to repair tissue injury, treat hair loss, and as an anti-aging therapy for the skin.
Benefits of PRP Therapy
Repairing Injured Tissue and Pain Reduction
PRP injections are used to treat a variety of orthopedic conditions and multiple degenerative conditions. It can be used to heal issues such as arthritis of the spine, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and feet. It is also one of the best alternatives to surgical treatments of tendon or ligament tears including tears of the rotator cuff, tennis elbow, and Achilles tendon.
At OWM Integrative Wellness an ultrasound is performed before the procedure to allow for accurate placement of PRP in the joint space, surrounding ligaments, and capsule of the joint. This osteopathic approach not only included PRP injection to the injured joint but also to stabilizing joint and ligament structures outside of the injured area.
PRP for Hair Growth
Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA) is the most common cause of hair loss and affects over 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States. In men, this can be identified by a receding hairline and hair loss at the crown of the head. In women, hair loss is typically spread evenly all over the head minus the receding hairline.
Androgenetic Alopecia is caused by changing hormone levels and metabolic imbalance that are believed to affect the blood supply to the hair follicles. A variety of other genetic and environmental factors are also being studied for their connection to androgenetic alopecia including coronary heart disease, PCOS, and prostate cancer.
Before hair growth PRP at OWM, blood work is obtained to rule out other causes of hair loss. The patient may be prescribed hormone and nutrition supplementation to assist in the hair growth response. When PRP is injected into the scalp, growth factors and signaling cells activate and attract stem cells to the injection site. The result is reduced hair loss, stimulation of new growth, and an increase in the health and diameter of existing follicles.
PRP Medical Skin Rejuvenation and Microneedling
Just as platelet-rich plasma can heal injury and stimulate hair growth, it can also be used as an anti-aging treatment in cosmetic medicine and aesthetics. As we age, both intrinsic and extrinsic factors cause damage to the skin resulting in a loss of collagen and elastin, the proteins that make our skin plump and elastic.
When injected into the skin, PRP growth factors stimulate the regeneration of collagen in place of a volumetric filler; when micro-needled into the skin, microchannels are created allowing deeper penetration of platelet-rich plasma and stimulation of collagen regeneration.
Interested in PRP Therapy? Contact OWM Integrative Wellness Today.
If you are looking to improve function and reduce pain in your body, or even turn back the clock and reduce physical signs of aging then PRP therapy might be the treatment for you! To learn more about Platelet Rich Plasma and other regenerative medicine therapies offered at OWM Integrative Wellness, call us today to book your personalized, in-depth consultation.
