Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP) in Chandler AZ is a therapy where your own platelets are extracted from your blood and injected in high concentrations to an area of injury, which accelerates healing. Like many other regenerative therapies, this is a strategy that assists the natural biological processes by using your own body tissues. This is why regenerative therapy is often called “autologous” therapy. The tissues which are extracted and re-delivered to the body are often called “orthobiologics” if used to heal injured joints.

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How Does PRP Therapy in Chandler AZ Work?

Your blood is comprised of many different factors that are essential for bodily functions. It travels from the heart through a network of blood vessels that gradually get smaller and smaller as they approach the tissues, called arteries and eventually arterioles. Red blood cells, which give blood the distinctive red color, carry oxygen to the tissues for energy consumption. Yet blood also contains various white cells and proteins which are used in hormonal response, nutritional consumption, immunity, and healing.

When blood is spun in circles using a centrifuge it separates into three distinct layers. The heaviest or bottom layer mostly contains the red blood cells. The other two layers combined is called the plasma, which is the liquid portion of the blood. The lightest or top layer mostly contains factors which are not as big as proteins or cells, although it may contain some white blood cells, a low concentration of platelets and other factors. This is often called the serum.

The middle layer, called the buffy coat, is where most of the white cells and platelets settle during the spin. This is often called “platelet rich plasma” because it has most of the platelets from the sample concentrated in that layer.

During platelet rich plasma therapy, this portion is extracted and injected into a joint, the soft tissues surrounding a joint, and/or other soft tissues. By performing this therapy, the health care provider is delivering the healing and growth factors that are necessary to repair the injured tissues in concentrations 3-10 times what the body normally delivers through the vascular network (arteries and arterioles). Platelets also help recruit stem cells which assist in the healing process.

The portion which is particularly vital for healing is the platelets. Sometimes people become familiar with platelets in high school biology when they learn about how a scab is made after getting a cut. Yet the skin doesn’t have to be broken for an injury to occur. When an injury occurs on the inside, it’s still the platelets that assist in healing.

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Conditions PRP Therapy May Help

Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Orthopedic Conditions:

Since its inception, Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy has mostly been used to heal joints, tendons, ligaments, and more:

• Tendonitis
• Ligament Sprains
• Shoulder Bursitis
• Rotator Cuff Injury
• Tennis Elbow
• Neck & Back Injuries
• Lower Back Pain
• Pelvic Pain & Instability
• Hip Arthritis
• Knee Arthritis
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries
• Achilles Tendon Injuries
• Ankle Sprains
• Heel Spur Syndrome
• Plantar Fasciitis

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Soft Tissue Dysfunctions

In addition to the orthopedic conditions listed above, platelet rich plasma therapy has also been shown to restore functionality in other soft tissues of the body. As such, it can be used for the following conditions:

• Hair Loss
• Inflammation
• Muscle Pain

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Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy ​As A Medical Spa Treatment

PRP therapy can be used as an alternative to facial fillers. It is used in combination with microneedling for facial rejuvenation. This helps give you a more youthful look.

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Ultrasound-Guided Injections

As with other injectable therapies that are offered by Serenity Healthcare, platelet rich plasma injections are administered with guidance of ultrasound technology. Patients who are mothers are familiar with ultrasounds since they are used for imaging during pregnancy. Yet, ultrasounds can be used to visualize all soft tissues and precisely locate injured tissues.

Healthcare providers, including those at Serenity Healthcare, are well-trained and know human anatomy well. Prior to using ultrasound, an injection could be administered successfully by feeling the local anatomy. Yet, an ultrasound allows the provider to be even more precise.

Trigger points are specific locations within muscle where the muscle doesn’t relax so they form knots, which can be painful since they pinch local nerves and can become inflamed. Traditional medicine might use corticosteroid injections in trigger points to relieve pain; instead we tend to use one or more of the ingredients mentioned above to reduce inflammation and stimulate healing. For trigger point pain we can also provide massage therapy or dry needling through our in-house partner, Grant Chiropractic & Physical Therapy.

This therapy uses acoustic waves to trigger biological healing. It uses a machine to generate the waves which are pointed towards the site of injury using the wand (like magic of course — it actually looks more like a gun on some devices, and technically it’s called an applicator). Unlike the therapies mentioned above this is not administered by injection. It is particularly useful for chronic pain from myoskeletal conditions (muscle and skeletal injuries).

PEMF stands for pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. This therapy uses a device to deliver pulsed energy waves toward a site of injury in the body. It is also known as low field magnetic stimulation (LFMS).

Cold lazer therapy uses light at a specific frequency which is directed at a site of injury to stimulate healing. It’s called a “cold” laser because the device is specifically designed to prevent heating or burning the tissue while still being able to use the light.