Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Treatment
Symptoms, Types, Recovery and Treatment in Singapore
If only our bodies could heal themselves faster! If cells were able to regenerate quicker, we would heal more quickly and the world of medicine would be turned on its head. While that used to be a distant dream, the power of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is changing things. This regenerative treatment is being used by healthcare experts around the world for head-to-toe treatments. As a new treatment, however, people often wonder how effective it really is. Can Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy actually help you heal faster? Does it really live up to all of the hype that you have been seeing online?
Let’s take an in-depth look at this popular treatment to separate myth from fact. Here is your complete guide to the uses, benefits, and limitations of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP).
What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)?
Platelet-Rich Plasma, commonly known simply as PRP, is a cutting-edge therapy that utilises a person’s own blood to stimulate the natural healing process of the body. This regenerative technique works thanks to the potent healing properties found within platelets, a component of the blood. These platelets can be concentrated through a relatively simple process. Once concentrated, they are applied directly to targeted areas to promote tissue repair and regeneration. This can be done on different parts of the body as part of a wide range of treatment plans.
Essentially, Platelet-Rich Plasma treatments work by taking advantage of the natural healing ability of our bodies. By concentrating those powerful blood cells and directly applying them to the area that needs healing, our bodies can quickly go to work. Sometimes called platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), platelet-rich growth factors (GFs), and platelet concentrates (PCs), this treatment has become one of the hottest topics of recent decades.
Image Credit: ARCC
How Is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Made?
PRP is an entirely natural treatment that utilises ingredients derived directly from your body. While the ingredients of the treatment are simple, the preparation of PRP is a complex process that involves a few steps. Here’s how this therapy is done:
- Blood Collection: The very first step is to take a small blood sample. In most cases, your healthcare professional will take a sample from your arm. It is a quick process that is similar to what you would expect from a blood test.
- Centrifugation: After the blood has been collected, it will be placed inside of a centrifuge. This is a special type of machine that is able to spin the blood at a very high speed. During this spinning process, the blood is separated into different components based on their densities. In other words, each element is automatically categorised by its weight. This separation is able to get all of the platelet-rich plasma into one place. From there, it can be collected and used for PRP treatment.
- Concentration: Once separated, the platelet-rich plasma is concentrated to increase its platelet count. This potent concentrate is then ready for its medicinal use. The PRP extracted can be applied nearly anywhere on the body to treat a wide range of conditions such as shoulder rotator cuff tears. Regardless of the part of the body that will be receiving the PRP treatment, this process is essentially the same.
Sometimes, physical therapy works well enough to treat injuries. You might want to speak with our golfer's elbow doctor for more information on such therapies.
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Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment in Singapore
This groundbreaking therapy taps into your body’s natural healing abilities and can offer transformative results for many people. While it is often associated with aesthetic treatments, its value extends far beyond the world of hair therapy and skin treatments. To fully explore the impressive array of benefits and see how PRP treatment might work for you, talk to our team of experts today! We also offer treatment plans for shoulder pain management and torn meniscus treatment therapy.
You can reach our Singapore office by phone at +65 6235 8781, message us on Whatsapp at +65 8028 4572, or email hello@rayofhealth.com.sg. Ready for a face-to-face chat? Schedule an appointment today.
The Science Behind the Value of PRP Treatments
Now that you understand how PRPs are collected, let’s take a closer look at how these treatments work. Most importantly, let’s examine what this Platelet-Rich Plasma is and why it is worth collecting.
Why Is Platelet-Rich Plasma Valuable?
In basic terms, the platelets in your body are blood cells (that have the shape of a dinner plate) that play a key role in blood clotting. These PRPs help to control bleeding if you are injured, which is a truly essential function. Any time you cut your skin, for example, it is this Platelet-Rich Plasma that naturally goes to work to help you heal.
Beyond simply stopping the flow of blood, these platelets in your body also contain a priceless pool of growth factors, cytokines (the small proteins that regulate your body’s immune responses and inflammation), and other bioactive molecules that create the foundation for the natural healing process that takes place.
The Platelet-Rich Plasma naturally works within your body but can also be harnessed for this healing power and used on a specific site. When PRP is administered at the site of an injury, these growth factors stimulate angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels), tissue regeneration and cell proliferation. These processes are what allow this treatment to be able to accelerate the healing process.
How Long Has PRP Therapy Been Around?
Platelets were initially identified by scientists in the 1880s, and during the 1940s, they began their experiment using platelets for facilitating wound healing. By the 1980s, researchers were already employing PRP therapy for the mending of injured tissues. Modern orthopaedic applications have expanded to include the treatment of degenerative conditions like arthritis, foot pains and accelerated healing after surgery, while a wide range of cosmetic options has sprung up for anti-ageing and scar healing.
Is Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy Safe?
PRP therapy has a long history of safe and effective use. Not only has it been studied extensively and widely used in a diverse range of applications, but enough time has passed to see the long-term effects. And, year after year, this treatment shows to be safe.
Part of the secret to the success of Platelet-Rich Plasma treatment is that it is all-natural and taken directly from your body. Since it is done using your own plasma, it is much safer than many other kinds of injections that use a foreign element that hasn’t been naturally derived. Because it came from your body, there is very little chance that your body will reject the plasma or that you will have a bad reaction to it.
It is still important to keep in mind that any procedure involving a needle has a very small risk of infection at the injection site. The best way to reduce the potential side effects of PRP therapy is to always do treatments at a trusted healthcare clinic with a professional that has been certified by the Singapore government.
What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Used For?
PRP treatment is used for a wide variety of treatments, including the following medical applications:
- Orthopaedic medicine: In sports medicine and orthopaedics, PRP treatments can be used to treat injuries like ankle sprains, tendonitis, and arthritis. As Platelet-Rich Plasma works to repair tissue repair, it also reduces pain and inflammation while helping keep joints healthy.
- Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery: PRP is also beneficial during oral and dental surgery because it helps to soften tissues and heal after tooth extractions, dental implants, and gum surgery. Likewise, in certain orthodontics treatments, PRP can be used to speed up tooth movement.
- Chronic Wound Healing: In certain cases like diabetic ulcers, doctors face non-healing wounds. By utilising this unique technology, they are able to prompt the body to regenerate tissue and close wounds.
- Bone Grafting: PRP is often used in conjunction with bone grafts to help your body heal your bone faster and boost the success of bone grafting procedures.
- Chronic Tendon Injuries: Healthcare professionals around the world have seen promising results when Platelet-Rich Plasma injections are used for chronic tendon issues like tennis elbow and Achilles tendinitis.
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Read MoreFrequently-Asked Questions About PRP Treatment in Singapore
PRP offers considerable advantages over traditional treatments. Let’s take a look at why this treatment is so popular.
- Natural Recovery: PRP utilises your own blood, making it what is called autologous therapy (which is basically a treatment that involves taking something from one part of the body and using it elsewhere in the body of the same person) that minimises the risk of bad reactions or infections.
- Minimally Invasive: PRP treatments are done with injections, which are less invasive than the alternatives of major surgery or other more intensive treatments.
- Little Downtime: By avoiding surgery and other more invasive options, you can greatly reduce your downtime.
- No Allergies or Rejections: As the treatment uses your own blood components, the risk of having an allergic reaction or immune response is incredibly low.
- Cost-Effective: Compared to undertaking a surgical procedure, this comparatively quick and simple is usually more in, making it a practical option for many people.
While this treatment shows incredible promise in a wide variety of different kinds of regenerative medicine, no medical treatment is ever perfect. Let’s look at some limitations and disadvantages of PRP treatment:
- The results vary: The effectiveness of this treatment can vary from person to person. While the results for some people are transformative, others may not respond as well to the treatment. Since it all depends on your unique body chemistry, there are no guaranteed results.
- It can take a lot of time: The treatment process varies depending on the specific goal of your treatment, and some forms of therapy can be time-consuming. Multiple sessions are often needed to get the best results. So, while each treatment can be fairly quickly and there is no real downtime, it is not something that you can do one time and be done in most cases.
- It is not a one-size-fits-all solution: While the number of treatment options is very diverse, it is not an option that works for everyone all of the time in every case and may not be suitable for people with certain medical conditions.
About the Author
Dr James Tan C H
Dr James Tan is a highly skilled surgeon who has more than 10 years of experience in sports surgery and exercise medicine. Apart from partnering the industry to pioneer advanced and proven treatment techniques, Dr Tan has treated athletes from the Singapore National Teams and professional footballers from the Singapore Premier League and the Young Lions. He is a member of the elite Asian Shoulder and Elbow Group and a founding member of the Singapore Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Society.