All You Need to Know About PRP (Platelet-rich plasma) Injections: Procedure, Cost, and Side Effects

PRP or Platelet-rich plasma is a healing substance that is injected into our body through needles. Plasma is a protein-contained blood component that helps your blood to clot. PRP is produced through isolating plasma from blood and then make a concentration. When PRP injection Singapore is given to someone, it heals the cells and generates new ones. This way the tissue grows at a much faster rate providing quick recovery. Though it is not approved as a legal treatment method in several countries, many giant sportspersons like Tiger Woods, Rafael Nadal, and many other athletes have used these injections to get quick recovery from injuries.

Can you inject PRP into your body?

Platelet-rich plasma injections can be used for several health issues, such as

Hair loss

Dermatologists inject PRP into the scalps to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss. A study conducted in 2014 says that Platelet-rich plasma injection is a very effective treatment for Androgenic Alopecia or commonly known as baldness.

Injuries

Doctors have been using these injections to treat both, tendon injuries and acute sports injuries. Sportspersons are given these injections for hamstring pulls or knee sprains etc.

PRP is injected in chronic tendon injuries as well, like tennis elbow, jumper’s knee or patellar tendon pain in the knee, etc. Tendons are very tough but thick tissues that work as a bridge between muscles to bone.   

After surgical treatments

After surgery doctors inject Platelet-rich plasma if a tendon tissue gets torn accidentally.

Osteoarthritis

People suffering from osteoarthritis have got more effective pain relief through Platelet-rich plasma injections than hyaluronic acid injections.

But, it is advised not to inject PRP without consulting a doctor as they are given according to the need or injury of every individual.

How Platelet-rich plasma injection is prepared?

PRP can be injected in various ways, 

• Sometimes numbing cream is used before the injection and for that, you have to arrive earlier for your treatment session.
• In other cases, local anesthesia is mixed with PRP or sometimes it’s applied during the surgical procedure too.

Complete procedure to inject PRP

• After visiting your pain specialist Singapore, he/she will decide the right PRP dosage for your issues.
• On the day of treatment, the blood sample will be drawn. The amount of the sample depends on the area of the injection. But, don’t worry as most of the time they will draw one tablespoon or less blood.
• Then in order to separate the blood components, it’s placed on the centrifuge that spins at a very high speed. 
• The process takes around 12-15 minutes and after that, the healthcare provider separates the plasma to create the injection.
• To find a specific tendon tissue, the doctors use ultrasound technologies most of the time.

Platelet-rich plasma injection cost

Before approaching Platelet-rich plasma injection, you must know that your health insurance will not cover this. So, the money you will spend on these injections will come out of your own pockets. The cost of PRP injections depends on the health condition of the individual, but for hair loss treatment, it might cost around S$ 1200- S$3500. On the other hand, the knee injection may cost around S$ 600- S$ 1500.

Side effects

As PRP injects certain substances in our body, you could suffer from some side effects. PRP injections are not allergic as it is an autologous treatment, where contents are drawn from your own body. However, some of the side effects of PRP injections are,

• Skin infection
• Nerve injuries
• Swelling and redness in the injection site
• Pain in the injection site
• Tissue mutilation

Treating Pain To Make Your Life Better

Pain occurs due to various reasons. There are painful conditions in different parts of our body. Different pains may occur due to different conditions of the body. But one thing that is common with all the pains is that you cannot go on with your normal routine when you are in pain. It disturbs normal life. Pain has been the reason for a lot of people absenting themselves from work. It reduces the person's productivity. Chronic pain can cause the person to become irritated and cause mental depression. There is a need for the person to be relieved from pain. In many cases, the pain is taken care of first and then the underlying cause is treated. PRP injection in Singapore is being used to treat various kinds of conditions that cause pain.

Understanding Uses Of PRP Injection In Singapore

PRP stands for Platelet-Rich Plasma and it is used to inject into certain parts of the body to trigger the growth of tissues and alleviate pain. It promotes the healing of tissues. Plasma is a component of your blood and it contains proteins and other factors that promote cell growth and tissue regeneration. PRP is produced by separating plasma and concentrating it. It has been observed that injecting PRP stimulates the growth of new and healthy cells which will speed up the healing process.
PRP is mainly used in ligament and tendon injuries. Tendons usually take a long time to heal. Sometimes the area of injury is not repaired at all. The injection of PRP will trigger the body to start repairing the area. Chronic tendon problems have been cured with PRP injection. It is also used in acute injuries such as that occurs with sports. When there is an increased number of platelets the stimulation to repair is more. This therapy has helped many people to be relieved of pain.

The Preparation Of PRP And Injection Procedure
As already mentioned, PRP is platelet-rich plasma and plasma is a component of the blood. So, your blood has to be first taken to prepare the PRP for injection. The amount of blood collected will depend on where it is to be injected. The sample of blood is taken for extracting the plasma. The plasma must be extracted from the blood. This is done using a centrifuge that spins at high speed to separate the plasma. The process takes about 15 minutes. The area of the injection is located by using ultrasound imaging.

In most cases, PRP injection is administered after applying a local anesthetic to the area. This will numb the place and reduce the pain of the injection. In other cases, the local anesthetic is mixed with PRP and the injection is administered. This will automatically numb the area as soon as the needle touches the skin. PRP is also administered during surgery of the affected area.

Various Pains That Will Take You To The Doctor

There are many pain conditions other than tendon or ligament injuries that are treated by PRP. These pain conditions may require only a pain-relieving medicine for immediate relief. The underlying cause may need to be investigated and treated so that the pain doesn't recur. Pain in different parts of the body occurs due to many reasons. It could be due to an injury. There could be a pain due to neurological problems. Sometimes pain occurs due to arthritis which is a condition that occurs due to aging.

One of the main reasons for visiting a pain doctor in Singapore is for back and neck pain which are common occurrences. These pains are usually associated with the wrong posture. With people spending a greater number of hours at work, the occurrence of back and neck pain is on the rise.