How PRP is Transforming Arthritis Care

If you’re one of the tens of millions of Americans who struggle with joint pain at the hands of arthritis, there’s new hope in a regenerative therapy called platelet-rich plasma. Here’s how we can breathe new life into arthritic joints using your own plat

The number of people in the United States who struggle with arthritis is growing thanks to an aging population. Some 54 million have already been diagnosed, and experts predict that this number will reach 78 million by 2040. If you have arthritis, you know well the frustration and discomfort caused by painful, inflamed joints.

Fortunately, Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, a form of regenerative medicine, is transforming care.

At Ascension Spine, Pain, and Sports Medicine, in East Brunswick, New Jersey, Dr. Mahmud Ibrahim, who is board-certified in sports medicine and physical medicine,

has helped countless patients alleviate arthritis pain and reclaim an active life with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.

Here’s what you need to know.

The power of platelets

Your blood contains four ingredients, including:

Red blood cells
White blood cells
Plasma
Platelets

Platelets in your blood are widely recognized for their role in blood clotting, which helps prevent your body from losing too much blood. But their job doesn’t stop there.

When you injure yourself, say you cut your finger, your platelets jump into action and clot the blood vessel to stem the bleeding. With this accomplished, they then turn their attention to the damaged tissue. In addition to clotting, your platelets are also credited with:

Modulating inflammation
Remodeling your soft and hard tissues, as well as blood vessels
Synthesizing collagen — a structural protein

To create this ultimate healing environment, your platelets release growth factors, or proteins. These growth factors call upon other resources in your body, such as stem cells, creating an all-hands-on-deck healing response to repair and rebuild your damaged tissue quickly.

Targeting your joints with platelets

Now, imagine harnessing your platelets' power and redirecting them into your beleaguered joints/ That’s exactly what PRP therapy entails.

The first step is to draw a sample of your own blood. We then use a specialized centrifuge to isolate your platelets, producing a platelet concentrate. We subsequently mix this platelet concentrate back into your plasma and inject the healing solution into your problematic joints.

Once we introduce your platelets, they release growth factors that signal your body to send the necessary resources to help repair and rebuild the tissues inside your joint, while also regulating inflammation.

Most of our patients benefit from a series of PRP treatments, which we space apart to allow time for your body to respond. Your results are gradual as your body repairs and rebuilds from within, but soon enough, you’ll be able to make your way through the world with less pain and stiffness.

To learn whether groundbreaking PRP treatment is right for you, contact Dr. Ibrahim to schedule a consultation today.