Alex Mark is a current 2014 Olympic hopeful and recently had PRP Therapy done. He was gracious enough to share his answers on how his PRP experience went. You can read the full Alex Mark story here to get a complete picture of his situation.
What was your injury that was treated with prp?
I have a tendon issue just above the right Knee known as Jumper’s Knee
Why did your physician decide to utilize prp for this injury?
I had been recieving treatment and using other methods, and the doctors decided this would be the fastest way to recovery for the season ahead
What medical facility did your physician perform this treatment? Hospital? Physician clinic?
D.I.S.C Sports and Spine Marina Del Rey, CA
Did your physician have you follow a specific protocol the night before your prp treatment?
No specific protocol was needed, I actually completed training sessions the morning of the injection.
Do you remember how much blood was drawn from you? After they drew the blood, how long did you have to wait before the platelet rich plasma was ready for use on your injury?
12cc of blood drawn. Then as it was spun out in the centerfuge there was a 5 minute wait
What did the physician do to prepare the injury site for injection?
Locally cleaned and numbed the area with iodine and a cold spray
Did the physician use ultrasound as a guide to place the platelet rich plasma?
No, there was no need for ultrasound guidence
How did the injection feel? Explain. And do you remember how long the prp treatment took? If you had pain, how long did the pain last? Any swelling?
The injection itself didn’t hurt, but the pressure that was building as the plasma was injected was slightly uncomfortable. The injection might have lasted 2 minutes. There was slight swelling where the plasma was injected and for about 10-15 minutes after I couldn’t bend my knee without a strong pain sensation.
How long did the entire visit take?
The entire visit might have lasted 20 minutes.
After treatment, did your physician wrap the treatment site? If not, what did he do post treatment?
The treatment site was not wrapped after, just a band-aid placed over the site and I was able to walk out on my own.
What was your physicians post prp treatment protocol for you? Restrictions? Rest? Exercise? Stretching? Pain medication? Any specific directions you had to follow?
After Treatment I was to take a minimum of 7-10 days rest and then we would re-asess the situation.
How much was the prp treatment?
N/A
Other comments or thoughts about your prp experience?
Over all I think it has gone well to this point and I hope to see great progress as a result of this injection.
Again, a special thanks to Alex Mark. Read the complete story about PRP and Alex before you go.
