Athletes and the Benefits of PRP

With the amount of pressure on athletes today to perform at the highest competitive level, it is hardly surprising that many of them succumb to serious injury. Yet thanks to PRP therapy, many elite athletes have been able to bounce back into the game even after seemingly career-altering injuries.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is an innovative new therapy that harnesses the body's own regenerative ability to accelerate and enhance the healing of injured or damaged ligaments, tendons, joint capsules, fascia, and muscle fibers. PRP is particularly effective for sports injuries such as tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, plantar fasciitis which commonly occurs in runners and basketball players, and rotator cuff injuries seen in throwing sports like baseball or basketball.

High level athletes are susceptible to ligament and tendon injuries because of the repetitive motions they must perform during practice and in games or athletic events. What makes matters worse is ligaments and tendons have very poor blood supply compared to other tissues, making healing a very slow and difficult process.

PRP contains a high amount of growth and healing factors, which stimulate a wound-healing cascade leading to the deposition of new collagen and regeneration of damaged tissue. As the collagen matures, it shrinks and tightens the tendon or ligament, making it stronger. Following PRP therapy, pain relief and improvement in function occurs within 3-4 weeks, and this may continue over a period of 3-6 months by which time most athletes may expect a near 100% return to their ability level prior to injury.

If you are suffering from a musculoskeletal injury that has occurred while playing or working out which is taking a long time to heal and significantly affecting your life, you might be pleasantly surprised with the amount of pain relief and improved mobility that you experience after PRP therapy.

Dr. Domb is a nationally recognized orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery of the hip, shoulder and knee. A noted pioneer in advanced new techniques in hip arthroscopy, he delivers innovative treatments for patients with hip injuries such as impingement and labral tears. Dr. Domb is also an expert in arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder and knee, adept in specialized techniques including arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and all-inside ACL reconstruction.