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How To Prepare For Your Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Appointment

What is PRP?
PRP stands for platelet rich plasma. Blood is made up of 3 components: cells, platelets, and plasma. We ultimately want to inject only the platelets in a small amount of plasma from your blood into the injured or painful area. In order to obtain the platelets, we have to draw your blood, spine it in a centrifuge, and then extract the platelets, leaving the cells and a majority of the plasma behind.
Why is PRP Effective?
PRP is effective because the platelets have thousands of growth factors inside of them that your body uses to repair tissue and support healing. Because of this, we need to keep your platelets in top shape before the procedure. This means you will need to stop certain medications which are known to negatively affect platelets before the procedure. You will also need to stay off of these medications after the procedure to allow your body to go through the normal healing process. If you have been asked to take any of these medications by your doctor, you should get approval to stop these medications or supplements prior to discontinuing them.
How to prepare 2-4 weeks before your appointment?

Medications and Supplements to Avoid before your Appointment

  • Avoid Corticosteroid medications or injections for 4 weeks prior to the procedure 
  • Avoid NSAIDs like Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Meloxicam, Diclofenac, Celebrex for 2 weeks prior to the procedure 
  • Avoid supplements like Turmeric, Garlic, Ginkoba, Vitamin E, and Omega 3s for 2 weeks prior to the procedure 
  • Let us know if you are taking any blood thinning medications like Aspirin, Plavix, Eliquis, Xarelto, or Coumadin (or any other blood thinners), so we can give you specific instructions on how, when, and whether to stop these medications prior to the procedure with permission from your prescribing provider.
How to prepare the day before your procedure?

Preparing for the Blood Draw Associated with PRP Therapy

On the day of the procedure we will draw 60-120mL of your blood to retrieve your body’s platelets. These platelets are what will be injected into the joint or injured area. 

  • To make the blood draw easier to tolerate, ensure you drink plenty of fluids on the day preceding your treatment as well as the day of your treatment so that you are hydrated. 
  • You do not need to fast prior to the blood draw, but you should avoid fatty meals within 12 hours of the blood draw. 
  • When considering what comfortable clothing to wear on the day of your procedure, keep in mind staff will need access to the vein on the inner part of your elbow.
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