|
 LOCAL
PODIATRISTS USE NEW MEDICAL PROCEDURE TO OFFER RELIEF FROM
FOOT AND ANKLE PAIN
A
revolutionary new procedure being used by injured sports
stars across the nation is now available to local athletes
and others suffering from foot and ankle problems.
Laser
Podiatry Associates, with offices in Frederick, Mount Airy
and Germantown, is now offering "Plasma Therapy" – a
natural healing process that takes platelets from a
patient’s own blood and delivers a concentrated injection
directly to the problem area.
"Plasma
therapy, also known as Platelet
Rich Plasma (PRP), is an alternative to surgery and can
be applied right here in the office," said Dr Kenneth
Benjamin, a podiatrist with over 25 years experience and a
leading proponent in his field for advanced medical
practices. "It’s an injection that heals tissue, slows
down degeneration, and there's little or no pain.
We’re now using PRP to treat patients who suffer from
arthritic joints, sports injuries, Achilles tendonitis,
and plantar fasciitis, among other inflammatory ailments."
Numerous
football and baseball players have used Plasma Therapy, as
has golfer Tiger Woods. In a procedure that can take less
than an hour, approximately 10ml of the patient’s own
blood is drawn and then put into a centrifuge. After five
minutes the platelets are separated from the red and white blood cells
to make the PRP, which is then
redrawn using a specialized dual syringe and injected into the problem area to stimulate and accelerate bone and
soft tissue healing.
"The human
body has an extraordinary ability to heal itself," said Dr
Jennifer Mullendore, an expert in foot and ankle
reconstructive surgery, who has been with Laser Podiatry
Associates since 2005. "I have been using PRP with
surgical procedures to enhance healing for several years
and am thrilled to be able to offer this in the office
now. By enhancing the body's natural healing potential,
the treatment leads to a more rapid and efficient repair
of the tissue to a healthy condition."
It’s that
natural healing process that is behind the science of
Plasma Therapy. Platelets are small, colorless cell
fragments that are formed in the bone marrow and pass
constantly through the blood stream. With a PRP injection,
the platelets gather at the site of an injury and release
a highly concentrated amount of beneficial proteins called
growth factors which stimulate the healing
environment.
"Reports
presented to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
have noted the positive effects and promise of this
procedure," said Dr Benjamin. "While longer term studies
continue, we’re already receiving excellent feedback from
our patients and the fact that insurance companies are now
recognizing the procedure means that we can offer an
increasing number of people a practical, effective and
lasting method of relief from foot and ankle pain."
|
MORE
INFORMATION...
A Patient's Guide to Natural
Healing
Hea ling
after an injury involves a well-orchestrated and
complex series of events where proteins in the
blood act as messengers to regulate the entire
process. Many proteins involved in the healing
process are derived from small cell fragments in
the blood called
platelets.
Platelets are small,
colorless, cell fragments present in the blood.
They are formed in the bone marrow and are freely
passing through the bloodstream in a resting
state. However, when an injury occurs, the
platelets become activated and start to gather at
the injury site to release beneficial proteins
called growth factors. This is the beginning of
the healing process. :
For many years, blood components derived from
the patient and then delivered to the site of
injury have created growing interest for use in
orthopaedic procedures. New research and
technology has expanded the application of this
therapy for use in orthopaedic procedures.
What is
Autologous Conditioned
Plasma (ACP)?
Autologous Conditioned Plasma is a concentration
of platelets
and growth factors created from a small amount of
your own blood. Increased levels of growth factors
improve signaling and recruitment of cells to an
injury site and optimize the environment for
healing. Often referred to as platelet rich plasma
(PRP),
this treatment has been used to assist in the
treatment and recovery of injuries.
How does the ACP process
work?
Your health care
provider will recover a sma ll
amount of blood from your arm using a small needle
and a specially designed syringe. The blood then
goes through a rapid spinning process that
separates and concentrates the platelets and other
beneficial growth factors from the blood. The
plasma containing these platelets and growth
factors are then applied to the treatment area.
The entire ACP production process is usually done
in less than 20 minutes.
Am I a candidate
for treatment with ACP?
Speak with your physician and ask if ACP is the
right treatment for you. Your physician will
perform an examination to make a determination if
the use of ACP will benefit you based on your
injury. If you are on anti-inflammatory
medications or blood thinners, your physician may
temporarily discontinue the use of these until
your treatment has taken place.
What are the
risks associated with this treatment?
ACP uses your body's own natural properties to
treat your injury. Side effects utilizing PRP
systems are very uncommon.
Will my
insurance cover this procedure?
While PRP treatments have been around for many
years, many insurance companies still consider
this treatment experimental and deny coverage.
Your physician's office will contact your
insurance company to confirm if they will cover
this procedure. If your insurance will not cover
the treatment, your physician may discuss other
options. *
The Double Syringe (ACP) System is used to
facilitate the safe and rapid preparation of
autologous platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) from a small
sample of blood at the patient's point of care.
The PRP can be mixed with auiograft and allograft
bone prior to application to an orthopaedic
surgical site as deemed necessary by the clinical
use requirements.
|
|
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
PRP Report |
|