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Certain hospitals are now offering self-healing sports medicine treatment to get athletes back in the game quicker.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is an emerging nonsurgical procedure available at Gwinnett Medical Center. The treatment has been around for more than 10 years, but it was used primarily on racing horses and by oral surgeons. Physicians are now finding that it helps heal human ligaments and sports injuries. PRP facilitates healing by harnessing the body’s natural ability to do so and is used for the treatment of wounds, ligaments and tendons.

Doctors like Val Phillips, MD, believe that PRP injection is a very promising therapy for treatment of many acute and chronic injuries to the ligaments and tendons.

Many professional athletes, including football players in the NFL, are currently receiving this therapy. Dr. Phillips is pioneering the PRP treatment in Gwinnett County, GA. He also reads the MRI’s of the UGA football team and believes this natural method of healing can shorten rehabilitation time.

The PRP treatment consists of injecting portions of a patient’s own blood directly into an injured area, which stimulates the body’s cells to repair damaged tissue. Platelet-rich plasma is made by placing the patient’s blood in a centrifuge that rotates at high speed and isolates the platelets from the rest of the blood. Finally, a few teaspoons of platelets are then injected into the damaged area to serve as a natural catalyst for the healing process.

The procedure is less invasive than surgery and will help heal the injured tissue. Patients can see a significant improvement in symptoms. This may eliminate the need for more aggressive treatments such as long term medication or surgery as well as a remarkable return of function.

Andrea Wehrmann of GA 10:31AM November 11, 2009