PRP treatment reduces pain, tendons, muscles and joints.

What is PRP or Platelet-Rich Plasma?

PRP is a high concentration of platelets. extracted from his own blood to be injected to treat deterioration Mild or partial injury Whether it is tissues around the structure, bone joint surface, bone herniation, tendon that has not yet deteriorated. to stimulate wound healing help repair cells Restoring the condition back to near normal use. PRP injections can help relieve pain. Promote healing and help delay joint replacement surgery

Which part of the injury can PRP inject?

PRP injections can be injected into all parts. It can be injected in any area, such as torn muscles, joints, bones, around tendons or even intramuscularly. Because there is no danger that causes infection because Platelet-Rich Plasma is Autologous Rejection or the patient’s own blood.

Steps in PRP Treatment

1. Get enough sleep Eat all 5 food groups
2. abstain from alcoholic beverages
3. Drink plenty of fluids, about 1-2 liters before receiving PRP injections to make the blood thicker, less viscous and easier to suck the blood out.
4. Refrain from taking vitamins before injections / refrain from taking antibiotics that have been taken for a long time.
5. Do not take ASA or NSAIDs, such as aspirin, pain relievers, as they may contaminate the blood. and inefficient
6. If you have a chronic disease such as diabetes, gout, high blood lipids These diseases should be kept in near normal condition before injecting PRP because they affect blood viscosity. The compounds within the blood are impure. This will cause the effectiveness of treatment to be inferior.

Care after PRP injections

The mechanism of action of PRP or Platelet-Rich Plasma is to stimulate the body to have inflammation in the injection area, which may be inflammation, pain, tightness, therefore, during the first 48 hours after injection. It will be like general inflammation, which has the following methods of care.

1. cold compress to reduce pain
2. Try to avoid using the PRP injection site.
3. If there is a lot of pain You can take the painkiller paracetamol. Do not take NSAIDs, anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, as they inhibit the factors the body produces and suppress the immune system, reducing the effectiveness of PRP.

Number of sessions in PRP injection therapy

The number of treatment sessions with PRP injections depends on the patient’s condition, eg injections to treat degeneration. muscle tear injury Tear in the knee joint or herniated disc, arthritis skin, torn knee ligament, which can be classified as follows

1. injection to treat deterioration It’s a time-consuming treatment. Do it once, it may not disappear immediately. Therefore, it must be injected at least 3 times to increase the amount to effectively repair the problematic part.
2. Injections to treat minor muscle injuries Therefore, it can do Single Shot PRP 1 time and do ultrasound after injection. to see if the muscle being injected has repaired better
3. Injection to treat a tear in a joint that makes it difficult to connect. It’s a treatment that needs to be done on an ongoing basis. Therefore, it should be injected continuously at least 3 times.

Distance for each PRP injection

If the patient does not have any side effects or inflammation. Can be injected once a week To allow the body to rest and the state of the body is back to normal levels. Therefore, the stimulus was injected again. Injecting at too little distance can cause a lot of inflammation in the body. Increased pain at the injection site

Who can be treated with PRP?

• Patients in the group with early-stage degeneration of joints The point is not very deformed. Surgery is not yet required.
• Elderly with early-stage osteoarthritis PRP treatment will help slow down the symptoms of deterioration. and reduce pain without surgery
• Athletes with cartilage injuries but few symptoms There is a hole in the shallow cartilage area. The width of the cartilage pit is not too wide. with less blood making bonding difficult This allows the cartilage to connect more easily and balance in the joints better.

Therefore, PRP is suitable for patients who want to treat degeneration, injury, tearing of tendons or muscles. for the symptoms to improve and return to near normal without surgery is one of the treatment options. However, there is a limitation, namely, it must not be highly deformed and there is no friction to the extent that the injected PRP is disturbed to the extent that it does not benefit from the PRP injection.

Results of treatment with PRP injections

Treatment results may vary from person to person. Because each person has different immunity. Therefore, the factors that affect is the overall physical health of those who receive treatment that is healthy or not Is the innate repair of the patient’s own immunity and white blood cell function good? If the immune system and the immune system are working well. will make the repair mechanism more efficient. see results quickly But if the treated person has a congenital disease such as SLE, taking steroids for a long time. Results and treatment efficacy may also be reduced.

If treated with PRP injections as recommended by the doctor How long will the treatment effect last?

Most of the time, PRP will help to stimulate self-repair. Therefore, it is not possible to tell how long the treatment will last, but it can help balance and help repair the problem areas. stimulate the regeneration of the body If the symptoms improve, there is no need to return for repeated PRP injections, but if the pain persists, PRP injections can be resumed to encourage repair.

Limitations and exclusions for PRP injections

1. People with underlying medical conditions such as cancer, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, or HIV-infected.
2. People taking ASA or NSAIDs, such as aspirin or antiplatelet drugs.
3. People with blood clotting disorders
4. be at least 15 years of age

Article by : Dr. Peerapat Ruchiwit
spine and joint surgeon Specialist in laparoscopy and sports medicine, Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital