Why Platelet Rich Plasma Works For Soft Tissue Injuries

By Farhan Malik, MD
Atlanta Innovative Medicine

Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods have done it. So have Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, David Ortiz, Troy Polamalu and countless other high level athletes. Using platelet rich plasma (PRP) to recover from a sports injury has become commonplace for elite competitors—for runners, golfers, basketballers, tennis players and beyond.

Why The Pros Use PRP 

Muscle sprains, tears and other soft-tissue injuries are common, especially among athletes. Oftentimes, the RICE method (rest, ice, compression and elevation) just isn’t working fast enough or effectively enough to get active people back into the activity they love doing. So they turn to PRP therapy to enhance the process of healing and decrease their recovery time.

Using PRP For Muscle Injuries 

Multiple studies have examined outcomes for the use of PRP in treating these injuries. It’s been shown to promote muscle recovery thanks to the growth factors released from activated platelets—and in doing so, reducing pain, swelling, and the time it takes to return to play sports.

Studies suggested that PRP may have benefits associated with the increased release of cytokines and growth factors resulting from supraphysiological concentrations of platelets that facilitate muscle repair, regeneration and remodeling.

What this means: PRP operates under the theory that injecting growth factors from the blood into an injured area will cause new tissues to form, reducing inflammation and promoting tissue formation.