Camarillo, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/20/2015 -- The Regenerative Medicine Specialists, a Ventura County clinic specializing in rapid pain relief and recovery, has introduced platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy. This medical technique has been used for years by elite sports stars who needed to achieve a full recovery with minimal risk and down time, and now it is available to all Ventura County patients.
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A Star-Studded Past
PRP therapy is famous as the technique which allowed Hines Ward, the Pittsburgh Steelers' star wide receiver, to play in the 2009 Super Bowl. If it hadn't been available, the injury he received right before the "big game" likely would have left him unable to play.
Up until fairly recently, however, elite athletes and wealthy patients had to travel abroad in order to receive PRP therapy. Now, thanks to Regenerative Medicine Specialists, it is available on an outpatient basis in Ventura County. The doctors at this clinic have already successfully applied it to help patients suffering from tendonitis, ligament strains, arthritis, muscle strains, and much more.
Why Is PRP So Powerful?
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) represents such a powerful (and affordable) treatment because platelets are a special type of cell which already serve to speed healing. They are normally found circulating in everyone's blood: under usual conditions, their job is to stop bleeding and aid wound healing if the body is injured.
Platelets already contain a variety of growth factors meant to stimulate tissue growth and healing. These factors call in undifferentiated stem cells to the area where the injury happened, stimulating their growth. Another platelet factor, called "stromal cell factor 1 alpha" ensures the new cells stay adhered to the injured area.
For PRP therapy, though, this is only the beginning. When doctors combine an injection of PRP with stem cells that have been harvested from fat or bone marrow, the PRP actively aids the stem cells. It encourages them to grow and multiply, driving an even faster healing process. The PRP also stimulates the growth of collagen, which is the main component of frequently injured connective tissue like tendons and cartilage.
The bottom line is that PRP therapy puts the body's natural healing process into a kind of overdrive, allowing a much faster and healthier recovery.
PRP Offers Significant Benefits Over Traditional Therapies
Traditional treatments with NSAIDs and steroid injections aim to do precisely the opposite of what PRP therapy accomplishes. Those treatments seek to reduce inflammation in a given area, but unfortunately this also makes healing slower and less effective.
PRP injections, on the other hand, draw in white blood cells (macrophages) into the area that clear out damaged tissue. The body then naturally produces a protein matrix, giving new tissue a solid place to attach. Cells called fibroblasts are brought in to produce strong collagen fibers to rebuild damaged ligaments, cartilage, and tendons. Stem cells are also brought in, and they differentiate themselves to produce whatever tissue must be healed.
The whole healing process proceeds naturally, generally over the course of a few weeks following injection.
However, PRP therapy itself does not take several weeks. The procedure generally requires just an hour, spent in a comfortable medical office. There's usually no need for downtime, rehabilitation, or physical therapy, and certainly no surgery.
About Regenerative Medicine Specialists
Regenerative Medicine Specialists consists of Marc D. Wolfsohn, MD, Dale G. Kiker, MD, and Joseph A. Cabaret, MD.
http://www.regendoctor.com
All have extensive experience working with regenerative techniques like PRP and stem cell therapy.
For More Information:
Ann Premazon
805-585-5004
pr@regendoctor.com
http://www.regendoctor.com