Platelet-Rich-Plasma Treatment Offers Relief from Tendonitis 

Tendonitis, or inflammation of tendons, is a condition commonly caused by sports but nearly any type of physical activity can lead to its development. It can occur in any part of the body, causing severe pain and even loss of motion.  

For the most part, treatment of tendonitis is conservative. Patients are given anti-inflammatory medicine and prescribed lots of rest. However, it can often take months before tendonitis goes away, leaving patients incapable of physical activity. 

One potential way to speed up recovery time is the use of PRP injections.   

What’s PRP Therapy?

PRP stands for platelet-rich-plasma. In the procedure, a PRP doctor withdraws a small amount of your blood and concentrates the platelets in a centrifugal machine. Your doctor will then inject the concentrated plasma directly into your injury.  Platelets contain growth factors and other beneficial compounds that promote tissue growth. During an injury, your body naturally sends blood to the injured area for healing. But some areas in the body, like tendons and ligaments, have limited body flow which can slow down healing. 

It’s believed that by directly injecting these healing compounds in the injury, recovery time and pain will be reduced.   

While this is a relatively new procedure with only a limited number of studies on its use available, it does appear to be extremely effective in the treatment in a wide variety of conditions including tendonitis, joint pain, and arthritis.  

In fact, PRP treatment has proved so effective that athletes around the world rely on it to get back into the game faster after an injury.