Platelet and Stem Cell Therapy at Murdock Health

You may have heard of athletes who use stem cell therapy to help heal their joints. While this type of treatment used to be considered pretty novel and experimental there is a growing evidence base that it can be very useful for many conditions.

That is why I am excited to announce that I will begin to offer platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for patients at my practice. 

PRP injections involve using a patient's own blood to harvest platelets and stem cells. This means that the injection is relatively safe and free from side effects. The only major risk factor being the risk of infection from the injection.

Platelets and the accompanying growth factors/stem cells can potentially heal damaged tissue. Stem cells are the primitive precursors to your cells and when they are injected in an area they can potentially turn into the new tissue that is trying to be repaired.

There are many conditions for which this therapy may be beneficial. This includes:

• Orthopedic arthritis and tendinitis
• Meniscus tears
• Partial rotator cuff tears
• Spine problems
• Wound healing
• Nerve damage
• Hips, hands, elbows, and feet conditions
• Sexual organ disorders

While PRP may be helpful for many conditions it is not a one-shot magic bullet. I believe that it should be incorporated with an overall change in lifestyle that includes changes in diet and activity level. This means eating real food and lowering net carbs as much as possible. The lifestyle changes should also include reducing stress and anxiety.

PRP is also not an instant solution. It will typically take 6-8 weeks or longer to see significant tissue regeneration and repair from PRP therapy.

The process of getting PRP injections is pretty simple. The patient arrives at the clinic and has blood drawn. The blood is then separated into components by a special centrifuge and the platelets, growth factors, and stem cells are removed. These are then injected back into the patient wherever it is needed. 

As we are now doing this procedure at Murdock Health feel free to send an email or call if you have any questions or would like a free in-person consultation.