It is not uncommon for professional athletes to pursue natural regenerative medicine to help treat ailments as a way to avoid surgery or potentially long term pain. Oubre was hampered by knee pain during the Wizards post season run and turned to PRP for relief.
PRP, also known as Platelet Rich Plasma, is an alternative natural injection commonly used by athletes to avoid more invasive treatment options. By utilizing PRP, our physicians at Healthy Feet Podiatry use their knowledge, and your own body, to help treat and heal your pain. When presenting to our office one of our trained assistants will draw your blood, which is then spun down to separate the platelets from the plasma. Following the separation of platelets and plasma, the platelets are then re-injected into the area of interest/pain. Once injected into the injured area, the platelets release cells that kick-start the first step of the healing cascade of events involved to heal an injury. All of this can be done within 30 minutes! Like Oubre, you would be required to ease off of activities for 2 weeks following the procedure and most likely wear an immobilization boot to promote the best healing environment.
So, you may be asking yourself, “what can PRP do for my feet?” I’m glad you asked! PRP can be used for chronic heel pain or plantar fasciitis, Achilles Tendinitis and ankle pain to name a few common conditions. PRP can also be combined with thrombin (a clotting agent) to form a gelatinous plug that can promote wound healing. There are many indications for PRP. Feel free to consult with one of our physicians about your foot or ankle problem to see if PRP is an option for you. Visit our website at thetampapodiatrist.com or call for further details.