Learn How PRP Injections Are Revolutionizing How We Treat Joint Pain

At Bryant Medical group, our team understands the widespread impact that joint pain can have on your quality of life, as it places serious limitations on your mobility. 

Here's a look at how PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) injections are revolutionizing the way we approach and resolve joint pain.

Behind those aching joints

By their very nature, your joints work hard day in and day out, providing support, mobility, and range of motion. This leaves them vulnerable to injury as well as degenerative processes, including:

• Tendonitis
• Bursitis
• Soft tissue injuries
• Cartilage damage
• Arthritis

Far and away, the leading cause of joint pain is arthritis, which is a catch-all term for more than 100 different diseases that cause pain and inflammation in your joints. At the head of this list is osteoarthritis, which is a progressive disease in which the cartilage inside your joints breaks down, leaving your bones to rub together unprotected.

Unfortunately, treating this form of arthritis is difficult since your cartilage lacks vasculature, which means it doesn't have the resources to repair and rebuild itself properly. 

The power of platelets

Your blood contains four main ingredients:

• Red blood cells
• White blood cells
• Plasma
• Platelets

The platelets in your blood are tasked with clotting, but their role in healing doesn't stop there. Your platelets also contain powerful growth factors that aid in repairing and rebuilding damaged tissue. After your platelets stem the flow of blood, they release these growth factors to create the ultimate healing envirnment, calling in other resources, such as your body's own stem cells to help with the effort.

To access the healing power of your platelets, our team uses PRP inejections (Platelet Rich Plasma). In this procedure, we draw a sample of your blood and isolate your platelets in a special centrifuge. We then take this concentrate, mix it back in with a small amount of your plasma, and inject this PRP directly into your damaged tissue. 

With this boost in resources, we're able to help reducs the inflammation in your joints and encourage repair. Because we use your own platelets, your body readily accepts the PRP injections, which means we can use this therapy in most any joint that's giving you trouble.

If you find much-needed relief from joint pain, contact our office in Lafayette or New Iberia to learn more about PRP injections.

Author

Jaimie Melancon, FNP-C Jaimie Melancon, FNP-C, is a certified family nurse practitioner focusing on primary care services at Bryant Medical Group’s two convenient locations in Lafayette and New Iberia, Louisiana. Jaimie offers care for conditions including neck pain, back pain, and arthritis using ultrasound-guided joint injections. Jaimie earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing, graduating with honors, at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2009. She worked in the nursing field for a number of years before returning to the University of Louisiana to complete her master’s in nursing and obtain her certification as a family nurse practitioner. Again, she graduated with honors as a top student in her class. Jaimie then completed advanced training in ultrasound-guided joint injections to offer precise and effective treatments for pain.