PRP Doctor for Knee Pain Potomac, MD 
When you are considering a PRP doctor for knee pain in Potomac, MD, choose the Pain Arthritis Relief Center! Our board-certified doctors and medical technicians have the experience and skills necessary to successfully alleviate pain in and around the knee area. Regardless of what the medical ailment may be, a Potomac, MD PRP knee pain doctor can assess your personal issues and give you a correct diagnosis. With this in mind, he or she can tell you if PRP treatments would be appropriate.
In very recent years, more doctors have begun using platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatments for their patients, as a method to help boost growth factors and promote natural healing of body tissue. Many patients like the idea of PRP treatments, because the solution injected is made from their very own blood source. Here we have answered questions that patients are likely to inquire with their doctor during a PRP consultation:
Am I a candidate for PRP therapy?
Platelet-rich plasma therapy, or better known as PRP, is a safe, nonsurgical procedure that has rapidly become a go to treatment for people who have injuries to the bones, ligaments, muscles, or tissues. The treatment utilizes platelets from the blood of the patient to help heal injuries or damages to cartilage. An MD PRP doctor for knee pain in Potomac can successfully carry out the treatment in an exam room and should take less than one hour.
After the blood is drawn, it is placed in a centrifuge for 15 minutes. This process separates the platelets. An ultrasound machine is then used to by the doctor to help guide him or her to the correct area of injection. Once found, platelet rich plasma is injected into the site. Depending on the severity of the injury, between one and three injections (or more) will be needed, but in general, one is enough. Your PRP doctor can discuss this in further detail during a consultation.
Once the procedure is finished, the patient will be instructed to rest or may be put on a special regimen. Physical therapy may follow for about 6-12 weeks. Most PRP patients will be able to resume normal activities within 3 months of the procedure.
When you see a knee pain PRP doctor in MD at the Pain Arthritis Relief Center, you may be assessed for your overall health and well-being. In general, PRP therapy is ideal for people who have moderate osteoarthritis in the knee, or have suffered a knee injury. In general, the following people may not be ideal candidates for PRP therapy:
- Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer who has not been in remission for a minimum of 5 years
- People who are being treated with certain malignancies or blood-borne diseases
- Anyone who has an ongoing infection
- Patients who take a high dosage of Coumadin
- Patients who have cerebral palsy or Parkinson’s
- Patients who are pregnant
- Patients with several medical conditions
- Patients with certain skin diseases
- Are going through an anticoagulation therapy and is unable to suspend the treatment
- People who are anemic
There might also be general procedural contraindications; your PRP doctor can go over these things and let you know whether or not you will be an ideal candidate.
Can you explain more about how the solution for PRP is created?
The solution used in PRP injections comes from the patient’s blood. So, this means that the patient will have to be comfortable enough to have their blood drawn in order to make the sample. This blood collected is then spun in a tube using a centrifuge machine, until the platelets separate from the rest of the blood material. This platelet rich solution is then extracted and injected right into the injured area.
How much blood is needed to make the PRP solution?
About 1-3 vials of blood will likely be drawn from the patient by a Potomac PRP doctor for knee pain, to ensure that enough plasma has been gathered to provide a beneficial amount. When the activated platelet sample is injected into the diseased or injured body tissue, growth factors are released. This helps stimulate the reparative process that the body naturally does on its own. An ultrasound machine may be used by the doctor as a way to administer the solution into a precision location.
What are the benefits of receiving PRP?
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) has shown to greatly improve the healing process for various health conditions and injuries. PRP injections can help people who struggle with pain from Achilles tendon ruptures, rotator cuff tears, and other similar soft-tissue injuries. PRP has also been shown to decrease pain for people who have chronic conditions like tendonitis, golfer’s elbow, and tennis elbow.
In general, a couple major advantages of receiving platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatments, is that they can decrease the need for a patient to take opioids or anti-inflammatory medications and accelerate healing related to joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The chances of an infection, adverse reaction, or other side effect is very low since the solution is made from the patient’s own blood. There are no foreign substances that are added to the solution prior to injection. The risk of the body reacting negatively to the injection is slim.
How long will it take for the advantages of a PRP injection to be felt?
Patients can consult with a knee pain PRP doctor based in Maryland for a more detailed consultation about whether this treatment approach can benefit them. Overall, most patients experience some level of decrease in pain within 2-6 weeks. Some patients may need more than one session, especially if the injured or diseased area is severe. It is normal to feel a little bit of inflammation and soreness after an injection, but this should go away after 72 hours. If you are concerned about any symptoms you feel after a treatment, be sure to contact your PRP doctor right away for assurance.
If you have chronic pain in the knee and would like to talk to a Maryland PRP doctor for knee pain for honest medical advice, please call the Pain Arthritis Relief Center at (301) 710-9777.
