Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy isn’t new. In fact, doctors have used this regenerative treatment in operating rooms for decades because of its remarkable ability to heal wounds and stimulate bone formation.
But in recent years, more and more experts have brought this innovative therapy to outpatient settings. Now doctors harness PRP’s healing power to treat a wide range of injuries, including those involving tendons.
Your tendons are the fibrous cords of connective tissue that attach muscles in your body to bone. Their job is to provide structure with movement, like helping your arm bend at the elbow. This role also leaves tendons susceptible to damage and injury, ranging from inflammation and tears to separation from a bone.
Dr. Jared Tadje specializes in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal conditions, including tendon injuries, at Tadje Orthopaedics. At his practice in Meridian, Idaho, Dr. Tadje offers cutting-edge interventions that aim to treat your injury at the source, including PRP therapy.
The goal of PRP is to trigger and support the healing process, which is why it’s considered a regenerative medicine. That’s because instead of addressing your symptoms, it works to heal your injury at the source — or regenerate healthy new cells. And it uses your body’s healing properties to do it.
PRP comes from your blood, specifically your plasma. This substance in your blood contains healing proteins that support cell growth. During PRP therapy, we take a sample of your blood and concentrate these healing proteins to increase their potency.
When Dr. Tadje injects this PRP serum into your injury, it triggers the healing process and stimulates cell production. The response? Decreased pain, reduced inflammation, and restored function in the injury site.
Tendon injuries can be slow to heal. But PRP accelerates the healing process because it concentrates the growth factors required to repair damage and support cell regeneration. That makes PRP a highly beneficial treatment for numerous tendon injuries, such as:
Dr. Tadje also uses PRP for other types of tissue damage, including fractures and arthritis. And since your PRP injection comes from your own blood, there are few if any risks associated with these treatments.
PRP treatment is fairly simple and straightforward. They take place at our state-of-the-art facility and start with a blood draw. Then we concentrate your sample by spinning it rapidly in a centrifuge machine, which separates the healing components for your PRP injection.
When your sample is ready, Dr. Tadje pinpoints the specific areas for the injection into your tendon. Sometimes, he uses digital imaging equipment, like ultrasound, to identify the precise location.
Afterward, you may resume normal activity immediately, though Dr. Tadje provides personalized instructions based on your tendon injury and treatment plan.
PRP therapy doesn’t provide immediate results. It takes time for the healing process to begin and new cells to regenerate in the injection site. It can take weeks or months before you notice the full benefits.
But over this time, you can expect your pain to diminish and function to return to the treatment site as new cells generate in the area.
Do you have an acute or chronic tendon injury? Contact us at Tadje Orthopaedics to see if PRP therapy can help. Make an appointment by calling 208-515-2654 or book a consultation online today.
