The road to recovery after a muscle injury can be a long and painful one. Fortunately, the healing process can be speeded up by things like physical therapy that can restore mobility and lessen pain by using the body’s own natural healing process. For some, physical therapy and time are enough to get them back on their feet again. For others, more intensive treatments are needed. And no, this doesn’t always have to mean surgery.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a non-invasive, surgery-free treatment option that is designed to utilize your own blood cells to encourage tissue regeneration and healing. Athletes in particular can benefit from PRP after experiencing a muscle strain, tear or other injury. But it can really be for anyone of any age who wishes to naturally recover from their muscle injuries or degenerative conditions. Here’s how PRP can be used to treat muscle strains and promote recovery.
What Happens With a Muscle Strain?
If you have pain radiating from a muscle, you may have a muscle strain. Sometimes you know exactly how it happened, and other times, you have no idea what led to the painful symptoms. A muscle strain results from torn or stretched muscle fibers – it’s common in athletes, but certainly can happen for anyone else for virtually any reason. Maybe you tripped, or moved the wrong way, or perhaps picked up a large object. Or maybe you developed a strain from an overuse injury at work.
Whatever the case may be, here are some common signs of muscle strain:
- Acute or dull pain
- Muscle cramps or spasms
- Dents or gaps in the outline of the muscle
- Increased pain when moving
- Numbness
- Reduced motion
- Tingling
- Itching
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Redness
- Bruising
It’s easier to diagnose a muscle strain if you can recall the activity that caused it. Athletes may hear and feel a “pop” during strenuous game play. Others may be at the gym and feel a muscle stretching till it tears. Muscle strains are typically categorized as Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III tears. Each one is based on the nature and severity of the tear. Most minor muscle strains will heal on their own with enough rest. The other two categories may require additional treatment such as PRP to stimulate the body’s ability to heal tissue at a cellular level.
PRP for Muscle Strain: Explained
PRP uses platelets from your blood to encourage tissue regeneration in injured muscles. Due to its holistic nature, there are no risks, side effects, or long recovery times associated with PRP. Plus, it’s not as expensive as having surgery and addictive opioids are not needed to recover.
When you get a PRP treatment, a sample of your blood will be taken and placed in a centrifuge, which separates the red blood cells from the white ones. Then, white blood cells from your plasma are set aside. Those cells will then be centrifuged again, which will identify the platelet-rich plasma. This will then be injected back into the site of injury.
The rich growth factors in platelet-rich plasma help to speed up the healing process and reduce inflammation – a vital treatment for those suffering from tissue injuries.
Contact Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine
To learn more about how PRP can promote muscle recovery after a tear or injury, contact our pain specialists for a free, no-obligation consultation today.