Despite the best care, some sports injuries do not heal as expected. In addition to nagging pain and discomfort, you may start wondering if you’ll ever get back to the activities you once enjoyed.

At Baptist Health, you are not out of options. We’ve helped many athletes overcome injuries with the help of platelet-rich plasma therapy. 

What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy?

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a new treatment that uses your body’s own cells to jumpstart the healing process. Unlike medications and cortisone shots, which provide temporary relief, this non-surgical treatment helps you overcome injuries for good.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy doesn’t just cover up your symptoms, it resolves the underlying injury and can help you avoid surgery.

This treatment uses components of your blood known as platelets to help your body repair damaged tissue. When you are injured, platelets help transport special proteins that promote healing.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy works by delivering concentrated doses of platelets to the site of the injury. This concentrated dose significantly speeds up the recovery process.

Physicians have been using platelet-rich plasma therapy for over 10 years to help athletes overcome stubborn injuries. It is a safe but still experimental treatment, treatments may not be covered by your insurance, and you would need to pay out of pocket.

Treating Sports Injuries at Baptist Health: Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy

Our sports medicine experts use platelet-rich plasma therapy to help athletes overcome a range of common sports injuries, including tendon injuries and knees sprains.

Highlights of platelet-rich plasma therapy treatment at Baptist Health include:

• Expertise in sports injuries: Our team is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of athletes. We have special training and years of experience in treating all forms of sports injuries. Whether you are a professional or a weekend warrior, we take the time to understand what caused your injury. Our approach helps you achieve good long-term results.
• Precision treatments: We use ultrasound imaging technology to guide treatments, which helps us achieve a level of precision that is not otherwise possible.
• Seamless care: Platelet-rich plasma therapy is one of many advanced treatments available at Baptist Health. After a comprehensive evaluation, we coordinate all the sports medicine treatments and services you may need. These treatments may include physical therapy and soft tissue massage. 

Conditions We Treat Using Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy

We use platelet-rich plasma therapy to treat injuries that fail to improve after standard treatments. These injuries may include:

• Achilles tendon injuries
• Arthritis
• Inflammation in the tendons on the outside of the elbow (tennis elbow)
• Knee problems, including ACL Injuries
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Tendonitis
• Foot and ankle problems, including sprains

Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy: What to Expect

If platelet-rich plasma therapy is right for you, here’s what to expect:

• To prepare for treatment, you will need to stop taking anti-inflammatory medications, such as Ibuprofen, a few weeks before treatment.
• During an office visit, we draw a sample of your blood.
• We separate the platelets from the rest of the blood by spinning it in a special machine (centrifuge).
• Within the same office visit, we inject the concentrated platelets back into your body.
• We use ultrasound imaging technology to pinpoint and guide the needle to the treatment area, which ensures we treat the exact location of your injury.
• The platelets immediately start working to speed up your body’s healing process; however, you may not feel results right away.
• You may actually have more pain in the injection area before it starts to feel better.
• It may take more than one treatment to achieve full recovery.