{"id":12102,"date":"2018-12-18T20:36:48","date_gmt":"2018-12-19T01:36:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/barrcenter.com\/staging-2025\/?p=12102"},"modified":"2025-09-14T12:27:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T16:27:47","slug":"platelet-rich-plasma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barrcenter.com\/staging-2025\/platelet-rich-plasma\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections<\/span>\u202fwere originally used by dentists in the 1990s to help with implant dentistry.\u202f Later large animal veterinarians used PRP to keep performance<\/span> horses perform better and stay healthy longer<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) uses naturally occurring growth factors and signaling proteins \u00a0in your own blood to promote healing. In this process we take a small amount of your blood, about the same as a typical blood draw for routine labs, spin it down in a centrifuge, and use only a small portion constraining a very high concentration of platelets and growth factors for the injection.<\/span><\/p>\n

The gro<\/span>wth factors and signaling proteins regulate the inflammatory process and facilitate natural wound healing and tissue regeneration by proliferating myoblasts cells that form skeletal muscle. Pure PRP is distinguished from regular PRP by the absence of red blood cells and neutrophils, as well as by the sheer concentration of the platelets and growth factors contained in each sample. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the Barr Center we are currently the only practice in Hampton Roads using the Tropocells<\/span> PRP system which is currently the only monocyte rich, neutrophil poor system that eliminates all red blood cells. This is important as it is the neutrophils and red blood cells that cause pain post injection and cause the platelets to clump together and negatively impacting their release of signaling proteins and growth factors. <\/span><\/p>\n

The old adage more is better is likely to hold true in PRP injections, in so far as the number of platelets and growth factors are concerned. The irony is that prolotherapy and PRP both work by the same mechanism. They both stimulate inflammatory and proliferative responses, thereby acting as signals to the cells and catalysts for tissue regeneration. <\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, it appears clear that the addition of actual stem cells be it fat derived, obtained from bone marrow aspiration or commercially available amniotic stem cells; may only be necessary in select patients who have a low platelet count or more severe muscle and tendon tears cartilage loss and significant arthritis as well as those who fail to respond to PRP and prolotherapy injections<\/span><\/p>\n

Before Your Platelet Rich Plasma treatment:<\/strong><\/p>\n