PRP - Platelet Rich Plasma

Explore Health

William D Nelson, NMD

Physical Medicine & Addiction Medicine located in North Scottsdale, AZ & Flagstaff, AZ

If you have acute or chronic back pain or joint pain and conservative treatments such as massage, acupuncture, chiropractic only give temporary relief, you may find a long-lasting solution with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. Dr. William Nelson, of Explore Health located in Scottsdale and Flagstaff, AZ has 25 years of experience using regenerative injections to heal patient's injuries to the ligaments, tendons, and joint capsules that are most likely the cause of your pain.

Dr. Nelson has been performing regenerative injections since 1996 and has helped thousands of patients recover from chonic pain or acute injuries using regenerative orthopedic injections. PRP makes use of the miraculaous healing substances contained in your own blood to harness your natural healing abilities. PRP works by fooling the body to start repairing the damaged tissues. This is accomplished by accurate placement of the PRP injection using ultrasound guidance into the exact location of the injured tissue.

The concept seems very simple, but it takes considerable skill gained only through years of experience to accurately diagnose the problem and determine where to place the injections for the optimal clinical result.

Dr. Nelson has safely and successfully treated thousands of patients since 1996 using prolotherapy, PRP and most recently extracellular vessicles. Many of these patients had already received similar injections from other doctors without success and now are pain-free or have been able to avoid surgical procedures for their shoulder, knee, hip, neck, back, etc. pain.

Call the office in North Scottsdale or Flagstaff, Arizona, to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online today.

PRP FAQ

What is Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a concentration and extraction of the patient's platelets contained in their blood. PRP contains platelets and a myriad of growth factors that signal the natural healing cascade to regenerate and repair the injured tissues, muscles, tendons or ligaments.

PRP is prepared by drawing a small amount of blood on the day of your visit and then processing it just prior to your procedure.

Dr. Nelson injects the PRP into the precise location(s) of the damaged ligament or tendon attachements using ultrasound guided injections. The PRP immediately triggers an inflammatory response that puts the body's repair mechanisms in motion. The PRP injection causes a profound increase in circulation to the area and sends a biochemical signal that attacts the WBC to clean up the weakened tissue and debris and recycles the raw materals to create new and rejuvinated tissue.

The analogy we use is to imagine a rubber band sitting out in the Arizona sunshine in July. A new rubber band will "age" in a matter of weeks becoming brittle, inflexible and weak. Stretching a worn out rubber band will cause small cracks and fissures to occur, eventually causing the rubber band to break in half. PRP injections are the only way to repair the biological equivalent to the rubber band which are the ligaments and tendons that hold the skeleton in place and move the bones when the muscles contract.

PRP requires no surgical incisions, and you won’t need to plan for extended downtime after your treatment. The repair to the tissue achieved by PRP therapy is permanent. The renewed and strengthened tissue is however still subject to aging and potential re-injury so a successful procedure may need to be repeated later.

If you are an elite athlete, "Weekend Warrior," or just an active adult wanting to regain your level of health and ability to exercise , regenerative therapies, including PRP are an effective and safe non-surgical therapy to treat all types of acute and chronic pain.

Am I a candidate for PRP therapy?

You may be a candidate for PRP therapy if you have acute injury, chronic pain or limited mobility because of musculoskeletal conditions like:

Low back pain
Bulging disc, sciatica, neuropathy
Neck pain and whiplash
Hip pain
Knee pain
ACL and meniscus tears
Tennis and golfer's elbow
Shoulder pain
Frozen shoulder and rotator cuff injuries
Foot and ankle sprain
Muscle tears
Ligament strains
TMJ
Wrist pain and carpal tunnel syndrome
Ligament, cartilage and tendon injuries
Plantar Faciitis

PRP injections can also help wounds and surgical incisions heal faster and more efficiently.

Dr. Nelson can determine if you’re a candidate for PRP therapy during a comprehensive physical exam and a review of your medical history. He may recommend PRP injections or stem cell therapy, so you can reduce your reliance on pain medications and prevent the need for surgery.

What’s involved in PRP therapy?

To collect the PRP that Dr. Nelson uses in your therapy, he first draws a sample of your blood during a simple in-office procedure.

After the blood is collected, the blood is placed in a centrifuge to isolate the growth factors and platelets from the serum and red blood cells. Now the PRP is concentrated and ready to be extracted for treatment. The benefits of this process is there are no risks of allergic reaction, infection, or side effects because your own blood is used to create the therapeutic injection.

The PRP is now precisely injected into damaged joint, ligament, tendon, facet or joint capsule to stimulate the healing process. After a thorough orthopedic and ultrasound examination helps to pinpoint the locations of the compromised tissues, Dr. Nelson's treatment will accurately and safely deliver the PRP using an ultrasound guided injection technique.

What should I expect from PRP Treatments?

Immediately after the procedure, patients should expect some discomfort that can last for a few days. Over the next weeks to months, new tissue growth stimulated from the PRP injection will strengthen, tighten and regenerate the injured tissue.

Most patients will notice a gradual decrease in pain, improved range of motion and increased strength that will occur over the next few months. Many people find these benefits continue to improve gradually for up to 12 months.

To find out if PRP therapy is right for you, call Explore Health today or book an appointment online.