PRP is an ultra-concentrated preparation of blood, a patient’s own blood. Because it is a blood product, there has been concern that it is a form of blood doping. Nothing could be further from the truth.

This type of treatment was first used in sports medicine to help athletes get back on their playing field more quickly without having to resort to surgery.

Conversely, blood doping is a procedure where whole blood is drawn from the patient and then banked away. It is then given back to the athlete intravenously in order to improve the oxygen carrying capacity of circulating blood. This provides a competitive advantage in athletic activities requiring cardiovascular endurance such as professional bike riding.

PRP, while a derivative of blood, is actually a small amount of plasma in which there are a large number of platelets. It is not injected intravenously. PRP is used to heal soft tissue damage such as tendon or ligament injuries and arthritis.

PRP was the subject of a report on CBS News in December.

CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook explained, “It\’s that healing power that first attracted professional athletes to it about five years ago,\” LaPook said. \”Now, ordinary folks are requesting the treatment, and some swear by it.\”

The report chronicled a patient… “After enduring years of chronic foot pain, Linda Leonard is thrilled to be back on horseback. While riding 15 years ago, her horse stumbled, prompting her to jump off. Leonard landed hard, shattering her ankle…

After multiple surgeries, arthritis set in.

Leonard spent years searching for relief before finding out about PRP which helped her immensely… and no longer experiences crippling pain.

But the point made by Dr. LaPook was that so far, studies have not produced convincing evidence that PRP is a magic bullet for tendon and muscle injuries or arthritis.

He invited Dr. Peter McCann, chairman of orthopedic surgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City to comment. Dr. McCann said, \”… PRP is equivalent to cortisone injections. There are a few studies that show slight improvement, but it\’s really not improvement that patients would appreciate.\”

McCann, who is also editor in chief of The American Journal of Orthopedics, said further studies are warranted.

LaPook also added …” Last year, the International Olympic Committee commissioned a report saying, \’Let\’s look at the entire world literature and see (whether it works).\’ They found that it was safe so far, although there are no long-term studies, but in terms of it being effective, the jury is still out.\”

\”You know who was not in today\’s piece?\” LaPook said… \”My friend, Richard, who had an injection in each Achilles tendon for $2,500 each, and it totally didn\’t work.\”

What Dr. LaPook did not comment on was who did the procedures on his friend, what kind of experience they had, the exact technique involved, the type of PRP concentrate, the machine used to prepare the concentrate, the exact concentration used, and whether ultrasound guidance was employed to ensure accuracy.

Any one of these factors, if missing, could explain poor results.

So… the bottom line is this. While not yet proven, PRP is still a therapeutic option, which in the right hands, appears to work.

Nathan Wei, MD FACP FACR is a board-certified rheumatologist and nationally known arthritis authority and expert. For more info: Arthritis Treatment and Arthritis Treatment Center

Nathan Wei, MD FACP FACR is a board-certified rheumatologist and nationally known arthritis authority and expert. For more info: http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com/arthritis-treatment.html Arthritis Treatment and Arthritis Treatment Center

Author Bio: Nathan Wei, MD FACP FACR is a board-certified rheumatologist and nationally known arthritis authority and expert. For more info: Arthritis Treatment and Arthritis Treatment Center

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: platelet rich plasma, arthritis treatment, tendon, ligament, blood doping