Platelet rich plasma (PRP) consists of platelets, which not only are responsible for blood clotting but also contain growth factors that facilitate cell reproduction and tissue healing or regeneration, and also plasma which is the liquid portion of your blood. To harvest PRP, a blood draw is performed in clinic and taken to our laboratory where we centrifuge the sample which separates the different components or “ingredients” of your blood. The platelets are removed with a small amount of plasma into a concentrated amount of PRP. Degenerative disk disease is evident in 80% of people 50 years or older and is the cause of chronic spinal pain in about 25% of people. Historically, intervertebral disc pain has been very difficult to treat as the discs themselves have very limited healing/regenerative capacity. PRP is used in a variety of tissues throughout the body for healing and regeneration. Unique to the spine we have found amazing success injecting PRP into the intervertebral disks, facet joints, sacroiliac joints, and ligaments for tissue regeneration and lasting relief. Because this treatment involves your own tissues, PRP injections are safe and can be performed in clinic.
