PRP Treatment For Foot and Ankle Conditions?

PRP treatment is a fairly new thing that has popped up. It’s being used as a treatment for a wide variety of problems. There’s even PRP treatment for foot and ankle conditions. PRP stands for platelet-rich Plasma. Although currently, the evidence for the effectiveness of the treatment is poor. The anecdotal evidence is good for the effectiveness of PRP for treating injuries and other persistent problems that you might have.

PRP is often related to Stem Cell Therapy when discussed outside of the medical community but these things are in fact not related. PRP involves the injection of blood that has been run through a centrifuge to concentrate the plasma within it. This is thought to promote healing where injected due to the concentration of plasma.

Stem Cell Therapy

Stem Cell Therapy is similar in spirit and idea, but the method under the hood is entirely different. This therapy involves the injection of stem cells to promote healing. Stem Cells (I’m going to oversimplify) are a type of cell that hasn’t been programmed to be anything specific yet, and as such, they can become anything. This promotes regenerative healing when introduced to damaged tissues. PRP does not use stem cells at all, instead, it relies almost entirely on the platelets within your blood already. This makes it much less expensive, but the evidence for its effectiveness is not quite there yet.

Types Of PRP

There are also multiple types of PRP. Some types prioritize red blood cells and others that prioritize white blood cells. They have different uses, and which one is right for you is a discussion that you should have with your doctor. That’s true of almost any medical choice that you make. Always trust that your doctor knows what they’re talking about because they do have the expertise to understand what’s best for you better than an internet source.

PRP can treat a wide variety of things. If you’re getting it from your foot and ankle doctor then most likely you’re going to be treating a foot and ankle problem, go figure. The most recent studies have shown that PRP is best used when treating arthritis. It’s unclear whether or not the severity of arthritis plays a role in the effectiveness of the treatment. Another problem that has shown promising results after being treated with PRP is Achilles Tendinopathy. If your Achilles tendon is in pain, then PRP might be a treatment option worth discussing with your doctor.

If you’re having problems with your foot and ankle, it would be best if you sought out help to get whatever the problem is treated. You shouldn’t have to live in pain, or with medical problems. Talk to your doctor to find a treatment that works for you. It might be PRP, but your doctor may know a more appropriate treatment for your condition. Just keep PRP in mind as a possible option, and bring up PRP treatment for foot and ankle conditions as a point of discussion. You never know when it might become the treatment that’s right for you.