In recent years, doctors have learned that the body has the ability to heal itself. Autologous platelet rich plasma (A-PRP) therapy is a form of regenerative medicine that can harness your body’s own natural growth factors your body uses to heal tissue. At Balance, this method is used to harness your body’s own natural com­ponents and treat foot and ankle injuries.

A-PRP is a biological solution from the patient’s whole blood that has concentrated growth factors, high levels of platelet concentration, and proteins, that help your blood to clot. It also contains proteins that support cell growth. Researchers have produced PRP by isolating plasma from blood and concentrating it. The idea is that injecting PRP into damaged tissues will stimulate your body to grow new, healthy cells and promote healing. Because the tissue growth factors are more concentrated in the prepared growth injections, researchers think the body’s tissues may heal faster. Many famous athletes like Tiger Woods and tennis star Rafael Nadal have been known to use these injections to help heal injuries.

A member of the healthcare team at Balance will obtain a small amount of blood from your arm using a small needle and a syringe. The blood will be put through a “soft” centrifugation spinning process that will separate and concentrate the platelets and other beneficial components including growth factors. The platelets and growth factors are mixed within the plasma and are then applied to the treatment area. This A-PRP process is usually done in less than 15-20 minutes.

They are the main component of A-PRP and play a central role in hemostasis and tissue healing. Platelets are the architects of tissue healing as their presence at
an injury site initiates and guides the healing process.

Contact us and ask if A-PRP is the right treatment for you. The proper course of therapy will be determined upon examination and if the use of A-PRP may benefit you based on your injury.

There are three simple steps:

1. Blood Draw: Using a small butterfly needle, a member of the Balance nursing staff will draw a small amount of blood from your arm into the Regen THT tube
2. Load, Balance & Spin: The Regen THT tubes are inserted into the centrifuge and spun at high speed for 8 minutes to separate the various components of your own blood
3. Platelet Preparation: After your blood is spun down and separated into its individual components, the platelet-rich plasma (the yellow area) is used by your healthcare provider to treat the injured area