PRP Therapy for Athletes: Benefits, Recovery, and What to Expect

When an athlete is sidelined by an injury, the top goal is to heal as quickly as possible to get back in the game. While rest and physical therapy are effective in most cases, sometimes recovery takes longer than expected.

At A&U Family Medicine in Sugar Land, Texas, our sports medicine expert, Dr. Hammad Zaidi, works closely with injured athletes to ensure they recover safely and as quickly as possible. When you’ve reached a plateau with traditional treatment methods, we may recommend platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to help accelerate healing.

Here’s what you need to know about PRP therapy, how it works, what to expect, and the potential benefits.

What is PRP therapy?

PRP therapy harnesses your body’s natural healing elements to support the repair and recovery process. The treatment uses your blood to create a solution with a high concentration of  platelets, the tiny cells that stop cuts from bleeding.

When activated, platelets release proteins and growth factors that initiate healing. By injecting these concentrated elements directly into an injured area, PRP therapy may enhance the body’s repair process to support a faster recovery from joint, ligament, and tendon injuries. 

Benefits of PRP therapy

Sports injuries can disrupt training, competition, and overall quality of life. Rest and rehabilitation remain essential for recovery, but PRP therapy can give your body a boost when the process slows down.  

Potential benefits of PRP therapy for sports injuries include:

• Accelerated healing
• Reduced inflammation and pain
• Shorter recovery time
• Lower risk of reinjury

PRP therapy may also help you avoid or delay surgery. 

What happens during PRP therapy

We administer PRP injections at our office. After we draw a sample of your blood, we use a centrifuge to separate the platelets from the other cells in the blood. We then add the platelets to the plasma (liquid portion of your blood) to make the PRP solution.

You sit or lie on the treatment table, we clean the injection site with an antiseptic agent, and then we administer the PRP into the injured area. Advanced imaging technology in use during the injection ensures accuracy. 

What happens after PRP therapy

You remain at the office for a few minutes following the injection so we can monitor for any immediate reactions. Some pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site is normal and signals that your body is beginning the healing process.  

While PRP therapy may accelerate the body’s natural repair process, it’s important to have realistic expectations. Healing still takes time, and you may need multiple injections to get the best results.

If your sports injury is keeping you sidelined longer than you’d like, PRP therapy may help you recover more quickly and get back to the activities you love. Call A&U Family Medicine today or book an appointment online to learn more about PRP therapy for athletes and how it might benefit you.