By the way, doctor: What do you think of platelet-rich plasma therapy?
Q. What's your professional opinion of platelet-rich plasma therapy for soft tissue injuries? Is it safe for older adults?
A. Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRPT) is an unproven approach to treating chronic pain due to orthopedic injuries. It involves injecting platelets and plasma taken from a person's own blood into injured tissue to stimulate the body's repair mechanisms. It's used for acute injuries in elite athletes as well as pain in non-athletes that doesn't respond to standard therapies, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid injections, physical therapy, or surgery.
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