Why Most PRP Treatments Fail (and How We Do It Differently)

PRP, or platelet rich plasma therapy, is often touted as a wonder treatment to promote healing in damaged or injured areas of your body.

The only problem is that many times it doesn’t work.

At Carolina Joint and Arthritis, Dr. Austin Yeargan is a pioneer in PRP therapy. Based on his knowledge and experience, he goes about the procedure a little differently to ensure positive results for his patients.

Here’s how it works.

What is PRP therapy?

PRP therapy is a regenerative treatment that uses platelets from your own blood to treat injuries by jump starting the body’s natural healing process. Platelets are a component of your blood that contains growth factors, which are proteins that accelerate the healing process, reduce inflammation, and protect healthy cells.

During the PRP therapy process, a sample of your blood is taken, then spun in a centrifuge to separate the plasma and platelets. This plasma mixture is then reinjected at the site of your injury. The goal is for the growth factors in the platelets to improve your symptoms and supercharge your body’s natural healing process so it’s faster and more effective.

Why does PRP therapy fail?

The problem is that PRP often fails to fulfill its promise. This occurs for several reasons:

• Improper patient selection: Not every condition responds well to PRP. Also, patients on blood thinners are not good candidates.
• Poor preparation or administration: There’s no standard protocol for preparing a PRP injection, so variations can lead to ineffectiveness. Poor injection technique or missing the target area can also lead to failure.
• Miscellaneous: Lifestyle factors such as smoking or excessive drinking can affect how well PRP works. So can underlying medical conditions.

How we do it differently

Dr. Yeargan has created a much more effective PRP treatment process. He optimizes the plasma solution by putting it through a nanofilter to eliminate unwanted proteins that can contribute to inflammation.

He also adds concentrated TSG-6 proteins, small molecules that help fight inflammation, protect healthy cells, and support signaling cell activities to promote healing. This crucial extra step boosts the effectiveness of the process.

In addition, we pair our PRP treatment with tailored physical therapy protocols we have carefully designed to enhance the effectiveness of the procedure.

Dr. Yeargan will also tell you if you’re not a good candidate for PRP therapy based on your specific condition or situation.

If you’re ready to give PRP therapy at Carolina Joint and Arthritis a try, we’re ready to help. To schedule a consultation, call our Wilmington, North Carolina, office or use our online booking form to request a time that works for you.