Read about Other Athletes Using PRP
Hines Ward is an All-Pro NFL (National Football League) wide receiver. The Super Bowl XL MVP is one of the better players at his position and is known for his great hands and ability to block. In recent year’s Ward has also become known for his taking part in an experimental treatment called PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Therapy. He underwent the procedure prior to playing in one of the biggest games of his life, the Super Bowl.
Hines Ward and PRP Therapy
Hines had injured the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during this team’s participation in the AFC Championship Game. The sprain was severe enough that the Steeler’s training staff initially believed he’d be out for four to six weeks. Hines and his team’s medical staff, however, refused to settle for this time frame and were willing to utilize treatments that weren’t considered mainstream. They opted for PRP therapy and the rest is history. Hines injury healed much faster than it would have otherwise and he was able to participate in the Super Bowl. He gave much of the credit to platelet rich plasma.
PRP is a newer therapy that is largely considered to be experimental. Though there are numerous doctors who perform it, the procedure has yet to become mainstream. There are some people who doubt the merits of it but seemingly many more who don’t. This is especially true amongst athletes who have used it, many swear by it, including Hines Ward, who stated the following after having the procedure done and subsequently, being able to play in the Super Bowl,
“I was next in line, the next guinea pig,” Mr. Ward said, referring to Mr. Polamalu’s experience with platelet-rich plasma. “I think it really helped me. The injury that I had was a severe injury, maybe a four- or six-week injury. In order for me to go out there and play in two weeks, I don’t think anyone with a grade-2 M.C.L. sprain gets back that fast.”
PRP uses a person’s own blood to speed up the tissue recovery process. A doctor will take roughly 30 milliliters of blood from the patient. The blood is then placed in a centrifuge where the platelets are separated from the other parts of the blood. These platelets are injected into the area of the injury. The growth factors produced by the platelets are believed to help, at least in part, to dramatically accelerate the healing process.
Hines Ward is one of the more well known professional athletes to have undergone PRP Therapy but he’s certainly not the only one, nor the most famous. Other well known athletes who have also used it to get back on the court, field or links include golf great, Tiger Woods and L.A. Dodgers pitcher, Takashi Saito. Kenyon Martin, a basketball player from the Denver Nuggets, also successfully underwent the treatment as well. PRP Therapy isn’t only for famous athletes. It can be used by anyone who suffers from serious or chronic injury. One of its most common and effective uses is for Tendinitis.
