PRP Doctor for Knee Pain Rockville, MD
When active and healthy people find themselves seeking a PRP doctor for knee pain in Rockville, MD at the Pain Arthritis Relief Center, it often means they’re encountering overuse injuries or osteoarthritis. Thankfully, the body may hold the key to recovery! At our clinic, we are happy to explain to you the details and benefits of PRP therapy, which is a unique regenerative treatment that can help completely heal your condition.
What does the procedure entail?
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy injections can be used to help stimulate a person’s healing by using naturally-occurring material from their own blood. A PRP doctor will need to draw blood from the patient, place this sample into a centrifuge machine, and then administer that solution right into the damaged area. The proteins within this spun sample can help repair and regenerate the injured site, providing benefits like a faster healing rate and pain relief.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is an innovative and non-operative treatment that can mitigate the pain of a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, including knee osteoarthritis. PRP is blood drawn from your own body, which is then spun down and separated into layers. These layers include:
- Red blood cells, which compose about 45% of the blood sample
- White blood cells and platelets, in a thin middle layer (or “buffy coat”); less than 1% of the blood sample consists of this
- “Platelet-poor” plasma, or plasma with a low concentration of platelets, makes up about 55% of the blood sample
After this step, the PRP is then prepared to be administered through an injection. When consulting with a MD knee pain PRP doctor in Rockville for treatment, we can determine whether a one-time injection or a series of injections spaced over weeks or months is a better option for you.
What can be treated using PRP injections?
There are various conditions related to the knee, arm, hip, lower leg, shoulders, and feet that can benefit from PRP injections. It is important that those who are interested in receiving this treatment meet with a Maryland knee pain PRP doctor at the Pain Arthritis Relief Center, who specializes in performing this procedure. A doctor can talk with you about your past and current medical status to determine whether it’s right for you. Examples of conditions that can be treated with PRP injections include:
- Ligament injuries (such as lateral or medial collateral ligament damage)
- Muscle tears and strains
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendinopathies (such as tennis elbow, patellar tendon, rotator cuff, and Achilles tendon)
Do PRP injections hurt?
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections are usually tolerated very well from patients. There may be some soreness after the injection as the inflammatory response is triggered. However, this swelling and soreness often decreases over the following couple of days, and a PRP doctor for knee pain in Rockville can give the patient pain medication is this helps alleviate discomfort. If you have a very low tolerance for pain, let your doctor know so he or she can consider using a local numbing solution to lessen the severity.
What is the science behind PRP therapy?
PRP therapy can be effective because platelets, which are responsible for clotting blood, are also significant when it comes to healing injuries. After an injury occurs, the body sends platelets to the wounded area, which immediately begin repairing the area by delivering stem cells to the injury.
The PRP process essentially enhances the body’s natural healing properties, which in turn speeds the recovery of muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries. By increasing the overall platelet count, this may help you recover quickly and get back to participating in the activities you love sooner.
How fast should I expect to see results?
As a Rockville, MD knee pain PRP doctor may tell you, every patient is different. A person who has very severe damage that has been slowly worsening over many decades, then he or she may need a few sessions until any drastic changes are experienced. Most patients are going to see some degree of improvement around one month later. If you want to know what to expect based on your specific condition, then it is encouraged you book a consultation for a more personalized answer.
Who may benefit from PRP therapy?
There is an extensive list of joint ailments that may be relieved and healed by PRP therapy. Some of the knee and joint injuries that can benefit from this unique treatment include the following:
- Knee sprains and instability
- Patellofemoral syndrome
- Patellar tendonitis
- Nerve entrapment syndromes
- Knee osteoarthritis (except in the most severe cases)
If you believe you are experiencing symptoms of these or other conditions, consider consulting with a MD PRP doctor for knee pain at the Pain Arthritis Relief Center for long-term solutions rather than mere pain management. One of our specialists can help you determine whether PRP therapy is the right option for you.
How safe are these PRP injections?
Because the platelet rich plasma (PRP) solution is being taken from the patient’s own body system, they are quite safe to use since there are no foreign substances. But, as with any type of procedure there may be some risks involved. For example, there is a risk of infection at the injection site. However, this is true for any patient who has an injection of some kind and isn’t specific to just PRP treatments. Many patients appeal to the idea of using their own material as a way to encourage the body to heal itself.
Who wouldn’t be a good candidate for PRP?
Patients who struggle with a low platelet count, anemia, abnormal platelet functions, active infections, or are battling cancer, may not be ideal for platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatments. The best way to find out if you are a good candidate or not for these injections is to talk with us for more information.
At our clinic, we are serious about empowering our patients to live a more active and healthy lifestyles. If you are ready to receive integrative and regenerative care for your joint pain, please call a Rockville, MD knee pain PRP doctor at the Pain Arthritis Relief Center for an assessment at (301) 710-9777.