PRP Therapy

If you have an injury or you’re in pain, the most effective treatment could be coursing through your veins right now. Benjamin Petty, MD, a double-board-certified physician and sports medicine specialist located in Dunn, North Carolina, offers the regenerative powers of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which is made from the healing components of your own blood. If you want to boost your body’s regenerative powers and accelerate repair with PRP, contact Dr. Petty’s office staff by phone or use the online form.

What is PRP?

Platelet-rich plasma is a regenerative therapy that concentrates the healing substances in a small amount of your own blood to repair injured tissues, bones, and nerves. Professional athletes have used PRP for more than 10 years to help them recover faster from serious injuries. 

As an athlete and sports medicine specialist, Dr. Petty understands the importance of using regenerative and supportive therapies rather than surgery to heal injuries, trauma, and pain.

What kinds of injuries and conditions can I treat with PRP?

Dr. Petty uses PRP to heal tissues and stimulate their self-repair in a wide variety of conditions. Either alone or in combination with stem cell therapy, he may recommend PRP for:

• Fractures
• Joint injuries
• Sprains
• Strains
• Osteoarthritis
• Inflammation
• Acute pain
• Chronic pain

Doctors use PRP for regenerating both injured and aging tissues, so it’s become popular as a skin rejuvenation treatment, too.

How is PRP made?

The PRP treatment is made and administered in the office. Dr. Petty first uses a syringe to withdraw a small amount of blood from your arm. Within minutes, he filters the blood and spins it in a special centrifuge, which isolates the platelets.

Platelets are one of the solids in your blood. Your platelets already help you heal by coagulating your blood when your skin or veins are wounded. The platelets are filled with growth factors and stem cells that stimulate healing and regeneration.

Dr. Petty mixes the separated platelets with a small amount of your plasma — the liquid part of your blood. The resulting serum has a concentration of platelets that’s 5-10 times higher than your regular blood. 

What happens when I get PRP?

The PRP serum is ready within 30 minutes, and Dr. Petty injects the concentrated platelets into the site of your injury. The growth factors are same factors involved in stimulating your tissues to mend themselves and restart the production of strengthening proteins — collagen and elastin.  PRP can help you reduce your pain and increase your function.

While you may not feel any different directly after your therapy, within a few weeks, your injury heals, and your pain subsides.

Unlike some other kinds of treatments, PRP’s results are lasting. The platelets don’t mask your pain like steroid injections, PRP has been shown to have longer lasting results. You may need a series of treatments to get the degree of relief you need.

To find out if you’re a candidate for PRP, contact Dr. Petty by phone or by using the online booking tool.