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PRP Therapy

Bay Area Foot and Ankle Medical Clinic Our Services PRP Therapy
Bay Area Foot and Ankle Medical Clinic - - Foot and Ankle Surgeon

Bay Area Foot and Ankle Medical Clinic

Foot and Ankle Surgeons & Sports Medicine located in San Jose, CA

Your blood has natural growth factors that can help you heal, but the process can take a very long time. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy at Bay Area Foot and Ankle Medical Clinic in San Jose, California, can give you five times as many growth factors as usual to really power up your healing. Esteemed podiatrist Jack Guan, DPM, uses innovative treatments like PRP to improve both nonoperative and surgical treatments, based on your individual needs. Call the office or use the online booking tool to schedule a PRP consultation.

PRP Therapy Q&A

What is platelet-rich plasma (PRP)?

PRP is a concentrated solution of platelets that come from your own blood. Your blood platelets have a vast supply of growth factors, proteins that are extremely helpful in repairing and rebuilding damaged tissue after an injury or wear-and-tear damage. 

Normally, after you're injured, platelets rush to the site of the damage to deliver growth factors and start the healing process. However, these platelet levels decline rapidly once the healing begins, which is why it can take so long for tissue tears or other injuries to heal. 

PRP re-introduces platelets to the injured area, and in much greater numbers than before. This restarts and accelerates your healing process.

What conditions can PRP treat?

PRP can help with several conditions affecting the feet and ankles. Dr. Guan may recommend PRP therapy to treat a range of conditions, including:

  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Achilles tendinitis
  • Achilles tendon tears
  • Ankle ligament sprains 

In some cases, Dr. Guan may administer PRP during surgery. By placing PRP at the site of a newly repaired tendon, ligament, or bone, you can bring on a fast and powerful recovery. 

What is the PRP therapy process like?

For PRP therapy, your Bay Area Foot and Ankle Medical Clinic provider takes blood from an arm vein or another large vein using an insulin size (very thin) needle. 

Then, Dr. Guan processes the blood using a state-of-the-art centrifuge. This process eliminates the unnecessary parts of your blood (the red blood cells) and leaves the platelets in a yellow concentrate.  

Dr. Guan then injects the PRP concentrate into the area where you need to restart the recovery process. Depending on the area of injury, he may use ultrasound guidance to position the PRP very precisely.

What can I expect from PRP therapy?

You may have a temporary increase in discomfort after your first PRP treatment. Not to worry — that's a sign of cellular turnover and new tissue growth. As your body repairs itself, the inflammation and pain diminish. 

Although results vary by person, many people start to notice reduced pain after a few weeks. You'll have even better results with subsequent treatments. You may need a series of several PRP treatments to get optimal pain relief.

To find out how PRP can help with your foot or ankle issue, call Bay Area Foot and Ankle Medical Clinic or use the online appointment link. 

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