Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and other regenerative medicine therapies were first used in the United States in the 1970s to enhance healing after maxillofacial surgeries (procedures involving the mouth, jaw, and lower face).
However, sports medicine specialists, wound care professionals, pain management physicians, and orthopedic, plastic, and cardiovascular surgeons soon recognized its value in helping patients heal.
Leia Rispoli, MD, is a double board-certified interventional pain medicine physician who offers exceptional pain management and physiatry (physical medicine and rehabilitation) services at her practice in Marina Del Rey and Newport Beach, California.
Dr. Rispoli embraces PRP and other regenerative medicine therapies in her practice because they focus on solving the underlying cause of pain or dysfunction rather than masking symptoms.
Read more about these innovative therapies and how they work with your body to enhance healing.
Platelet-rich plasma is a component of your blood concentrated with platelets and growth factors essential for tissue repair, promoting cellular regeneration, and reducing inflammation.
We obtain PRP by placing a small amount of your blood into a centrifuge. This medical device separates plasma, rich in platelets, from red and white blood cells.
During treatment, Dr. Rispoli injects PRP directly into the damaged tissue, such as a tendon, ligament, or joint, under ultrasound guidance for precision.
When injected, PRP helps enhance healing by:
Platelets release natural growth factors that signal cells to multiply and produce new tissue. The concentrated levels in PRP enhance the process, boosting healthy tissue production.
Growth factors found in PRP can modulate the inflammatory response, reducing pain and swelling.
PRP therapy encourages collagen formation, the main structural protein in connective tissue, enhancing tissue strength and elasticity.
Conditions that often respond well to PRP therapy include:
Dr. Rispoli personalizes treatment strategies to meet your needs. She may suggest a combination of therapies to reduce pain, decrease inflammation, improve mobility, and potentially avoid surgery.
Based on your evaluation and response to other conservative treatments, Dr. Rispoli may recommend other regenerative therapies, including:
Stem cells are undifferentiated and thus capable of becoming bone, muscle, cartilage, etc. When harvested from sources like fat tissue, stem cells injected into damaged areas help regenerate tissue.
Dr. Rispoli may recommend stem cell therapy or other regenerative treatments for sports injuries, spinal disc problems, and arthritic joints.
Obtained from a blood draw and delivered via injection, this regenerative medicine treatment is particularly useful in managing joint and soft tissue conditions, such as osteoarthritis and chronic neuropathy (nerve pain or dysfunction).
A2M is found naturally in blood plasma and is a potent protease inhibitor. It helps neutralize enzymes that degrade cartilage, synovial fluid, and other tissue affected by osteoarthritis and other chronic conditions.
By inhibiting these harmful enzymes, A2M helps prevent further damage, potentially slowing or halting the progression of arthritis, joint degeneration, etc.
A2M also reduces inflammation by blocking the cascade of inflammatory responses that contribute to pain and progressive tissue damage. This action creates a healing environment that promotes tissue repair.
Don’t accept chronic pain as part of your life. Schedule a visit with Dr. Leia Rispoli today for nonsurgical solutions that get you moving pain-free again. Call the office or request a visit online.
