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What Are PRP Injections?

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You may have heard of PRP injections, or Platelet Rich Plasma injections, before. They have been used to treat sexual dysfunction, hair thinning, joint pain, and other conditions.

But what are PRP injections, and how do they help with a variety of health issues?

Plasma is the part of the blood that consists of protein and liquid. Platelets and related growth factors are the parts of the blood that help promote healing, regeneration, and blood clotting.

For PRP injections, a blood sample is taken and placed into a machine called a centrifuge. This spins the sample until the blood separates naturally, parting the red and white blood cells from the platelet rich plasma. The PRP is then taken and injected into targeted areas within the body to promote healing and recovery.

This therapy is gaining in popularity because it uses your own blood in a natural, noninvasive process that can help with a myriad of concerns.

Read on to learn more about the types of conditions PRP injections can treat and why it works for these issues.

PRP for Erectile Dysfunction

Platelet Rich Plasma Injections (sometimes call the P-Shot) have shown promise in treating erectile dysfunction (ED) in men, as well as improving sexual performance. Here’s how:

Erectile dysfunction can be caused by many things, including loss of blood flow to the penis which leads to weaker erections that don’t last as long and aren’t as penetrative.

PRP injections contain growth factors and platelets that encourage tissue repair and growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis). Because PRP injections encourage more blood flow to the area by healing and promoting the growth of new blood vessels, they can ease ED symptoms and improve overall sexual performance.

PRP Injections for Men at the Defy Medical Tampa Clinic

During the in-office procedure, a blood sample is taken and separated into the platelet rich plasma. Before the PRP injections, a numbing agent is applied so you feel as little discomfort as possible. Once the numbing agent takes effect, the PRP sample is injected throughout the shaft of the penis.

The Defy Medical Tampa clinic also offers options to help enhance size and girth as part of the PRP injection procedure. These include a proprietary solution injected into the fat pad that dissolves fat at the base of the penis to reveal more length. The second option is a corona enhancement using cosmetic filler injected into the band of the penis.

Erectile dysfunction has many causes, including hormonal deficiencies, physiological factors, and emotional aspects. It is important to comprehensively evaluate your health to understand the root cause of your symptoms, so that you can treat them fully.

PRP injections can address issues with blood flow and penis health to improve the strength, duration, and ease of erections. In addition, a comprehensive blood panel and evaluation can help you and your provider understand whether you require additional support therapies to address and alleviate ED symptoms.

Tests included as part of the PRP injection protocol at the Defy Medical clinic are:

  • Complete Blood Count Panel
  • Comprehensive Metabolic Panel-14
  • Testosterone Free & Total
  • Estradiol
  • DHEA
  • Lipid panel
  • Luteinizing hormone
  • Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
  • Prostate Specific Antigen
  • Sex Hormone Binding Globulin
  • Uric Acid

This therapy also includes a complete medical consultation prior to the procedure, where your experienced provider will discuss PRP injections, your symptoms, your bloodwork and recommendations based on your results, and any additional treatments that can benefit you. You will have up to one hour to discuss your needs and goals with your Defy Medical provider, plus ask any questions and seek clarification.

Additional treatments for ED include Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) as well as oral medication and ICP penile injections like Trimix as appropriate for the patient. Many patients find that treating a Testosterone deficiency with TRT if identified can completely alleviate ED and low libido.

PRP for Vaginal Rejuvenation

Platelet Rich Plasma’s regenerative properties have shown to be effective in treating female sexual health issues, as well. The growth factors and platelets can encourage blood flow and new tissue growth that can help treat a variety of issues that decrease the quality of a woman’s intimacy.

PRP injections may be successful in treating:

  • Vaginal pain during intercourse. PRP injections can encourage healing of blood vessels and tissues that can reduce a kind of vaginal pain called dyspareunia.
  • Trouble achieving orgasm. Female Orgasmic Disorder affects many women and occurs when a woman can become aroused but struggles to orgasm. This can make intimacy a less enjoyable experience and can decrease a woman’s libido and desire to be intimate. PRP injections have shown promise in treating this issue.
  • Lack of arousal. When a lack of arousal is caused by insufficient blood flow to the vagina and clitoris, PRP injections can help with this issue, so you can feel aroused and interested again.

PRP Injections for Women at the Defy Medical Tampa Clinic

If you’re interested in vaginal rejuvenation with PRP injection therapy, you’ll consult with a Defy Medical provider about your symptoms and needs to see if it’s right for you. The comprehensive evaluation includes an in-depth review of your symptoms as well as a complete blood panel to check your hormone balance and overall health.

The blood panel includes the following tests:

  • Complete Blood Count Panel
  • Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
  • Testosterone Free & Total
  • Estradiol
  • DHEA
  • Lipid Panel
  • Follicle Stimulating Hormone
  • Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
  • hCG Pregnancy Test
  • Uric Acid

Comprehensive testing is crucial, because low libido, Female Sexual Dysfunction, Female Orgasmic Disorder, and vaginal pain during intercourse can be caused by many factors. A complete evaluation helps your provider get a full picture of your health so you can work together to create a treatment plan that treats you as a whole person, and not just one or two symptoms.

The goal of this approach is an overall improved quality of life and alleviation of your symptoms, so you can get back to enjoying all aspects of your life.

Your provider will listen closely to your needs and answer any questions. Then, if you determine together that PRP injections are right for you, you will proceed with the in-office treatment.

PRP is an effective and noninvasive treatment because it uses your own blood to deliver healing properties. Once the sample is collected and separated, it will be injected into different parts of the vagina to improve blood flow and sensation in those areas. A numbing agent will be applied prior to injection to ensure you are comfortable during the procedure.

For those interested in cosmetic enhancements, an optional addition to the PRP injection procedure is an injection into the pubic area below the belly which dissolves the fat in the area for a smoothing effect.

Your doctor may also suggest additional treatments to help treat your sexual dysfunction symptoms, depending on the results of your blood testing. Sexual dysfunction is women is very often caused by hormone deficiencies, and Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy can help alleviate these disruptive symptoms. If you would like to feel passion and sex drive again, BHRT may be able to help you get there.

You may also seek additional medications like Bremelanotide, which has been shown to help boost libido and sex drive in women, and topical libido cream, which can increase blood flow and sensation.

PRP for Hair Loss

PRP’s healing and regenerative properties can also be utilized to treat hair thinning and hair loss in its beginning stages.

Hair loss and thinning in men and women is most often caused by a condition called androgenic alopecia. This is a genetic condition that makes someone more sensitive to the androgenic hormone Dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

High levels of DHT can shrink hair follicles and cause hair to grow back brittle, plus fall out more quickly. This issue is compounded by hair taking longer to grow back, creating a thinning and balding effect.

In men, the thinning often takes place in the front of the head or crown, while women typically experience thinning all over the head, especially where the hair parts. This can affect your self-confidence and make you feel uncomfortable with your overall appearance. PRP injections may be able to help.

Platelet Rich Plasma injections direct growth factors and platelets right into these areas of the scalp to encourage thin hair to grow thicker and inactive hair follicles to begin growing hair again. This therapy typically works best when you are in the beginning stages of hair loss with thinning but have not reached complete baldness.

PRP for Hair Loss at the Defy Medical Tampa Clinic

To begin the Platelet Rich Plasma therapy process at the Defy Tampa clinic, you’ll have a comprehensive evaluation with a knowledgeable provider.

This includes a consultation and a comprehensive lab panel that tests for relevant health markers, including Testosterone and DHT levels, among others. These tests are for women as well as men, because women’s bodies create and utilize androgenic hormones.

It’s important to understand the root cause of your hair loss so we can treat the condition correctly.

The full panel includes:

  • Testosterone Free & Total
  • Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
  • Estradiol (Estrogen E2)
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC)
  • Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
  • Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)

Your consult will last up to one hour and will go over your lab results as well as explain PRP injections for hair loss in detail. You’ll be able to ask questions, so we recommend coming prepared to maximize this time with your provider.

Once you’ve confirmed that PRP injections for hair loss are the right treatment for you, you will begin your procedure. A numbing agent will be used to help keep you comfortable and make the procedure as painless as possible. A blood sample will be taken and the platelets and growth factors separated on-site.

The PRP will then be injected into targeted areas of the scalp. If you feel any discomfort, you can ask for an additional topical anesthetic. The procedure will continue until the scalp has been thoroughly injected with the healing PRP treatment.

Depending on your individual needs and response to PRP injection treatment, your provider may recommend more PRP injection sessions or supplemental hair loss treatments. Defy Medical offers additional hair loss treatments to help support hair growth and thicken hair and slow down hair loss. You can also read more about recent research supporting the use of PRP for hair loss.

PRP for Joint Pain

Ongoing joint pain can be severely interruptive to everyday life and stop you from doing things you love, especially if an active lifestyle caused the joint injury in the first place. PRP injections can help speed up the recovery process and treat joint-related conditions with the healing properties of Platelet Rich Plasma.

Common joint-related conditions PRP has shown promise in treating include:

  • Osteoarthritis or degenerative arthritis
  • Tendonitis
  • Patellar tendonitis
  • Tennis/golf elbow
  • Bicep tendonitis

Joint pain can stem from conditions within the joints themselves, like osteoarthritis that affects cartilage within joints, or with the tendons that connect joints to muscles and bones. PRP injections can address both types of conditions and promote regeneration to ease pain and increase mobility.

PRP injections for Joint Conditions at the Defy Medical Tampa Clinic

PRP injections for joint pain begins with a comprehensive evaluation at the Tampa clinic to understand what’s going in in your body. Because joint pain is multifactorial, it’s important to examine the cause.

At Defy Medical, this includes a blood panel and physical exam as well as a review of available  x-rays and scans of the injury site (provided by the patient as applicable).

Lab tests included in the panel are:

  • Complete Blood Count with differential
  • Comprehensive Metabolic Panel-14
  • Testosterone Free & Total
  • Estradiol
  • IGF-1
  • Uric Acid

The lab testing is to identify any other potential causes for your symptoms outside of primary joint conditions. The evaluation also includes a consult with an experienced provider to discuss your symptoms, pain level, range of movement, and any questions you may have.

Once you go over the PRP therapy in-depth and decide it is right for you, the procedure will be performed in-office. It will include collecting a blood sample and separating that sample into the Platelet-Rich Plasma.

A topical numbing medication will be applied to alleviate pain before the procedure. Then the PRP will be injected into the joint and surrounding areas to deliver your body’s own healing properties directly where you need it most.

Your provider may recommend multiple PRP sessions or supplemental treatments depending on your individual results and needs as a patient.

Expert Care at our clinic in Tampa, FL

Our experienced practitioners provide in-office care in a comfortable and welcoming environment at our Tampa clinic. In addition to PRP injections for multiple conditions and ailments, we offer:

We also offer comprehensive care via telehealth in the fields of Hormone Replacement Therapy for men and women, Peptide Therapy, Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy, Weight Management and more. Our care includes doorstep delivery of medications, a convenient online patient portal, telemedicine consults, and ongoing patient support via email and phone.