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With such similar-sounding names and both seeming to include plasma, patients are often curious about what the differences are between platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) injections. Both serve important regenerative functions and are becoming more frequently used in pain management, physical medicine, rheumatology, and orthopedics. At Remedy Pain Solutions, our physicians are trained to perform both types of injections, but it is important to understand why one would be used over the other.

 

Both PRP and PPP are created in a very similar way, beginning with a blood sample being taken from you, the patient. The blood sample is then inserted into a centrifuge which spins the blood and separates it into its component parts. From this sample, both PRP and PPP can be created. As the name suggests, PRP is a sample containing both plasma and a high concentration of platelets. Platelets are the blood component responsible for clotting, but also release growth factors which alert the body of an injury and stimulate a healing response. This healing response is valuable in a variety of injuries throughout the body and can be used without the fear of rejection or immune response since it is the patient’s own blood. Because PRP has shown so much promise as a treatment, physicians often used to discard the platelet-poor plasma as a simple byproduct of platelet extraction and PRP creation. In recent years, PPP has emerged as a second treatment option with its own unique healing properties. PPP can be used to heal various nerve and muscle abnormalities, offering treatment to patients with damaged tissue that otherwise could not have been healed.

 

So which treatment is better? It depends. Just as a screwdriver is not superior to a hammer, the correct treatment depends on what type of injury has occurred and in what type of tissue the injury is found. Both treatment options are offered at Remedy Pain Solutions, and our physicians would be more than happy to elaborate on all possible treatment options to help find the one that is right for you. To find out which treatment has the best chance of healing your injury to get you back to pain-free living, we invite you to schedule an appointment at Remedy Pain Solutions today.

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