Huston Street is a pitcher for the Colorado Rockies (MLB). In 2007, after receiving a contract worth $22.5 million for a period of three years, he began experiencing problems with his throwing elbow. The injury was so severe that he was forced to stop playing. Initially, Street was instructed to rest, by team doctors. After his elbow injury failed to improve on its own, Street secured an appointment, through his agents, with a renowned, Canadian doctor who had a reputation for helping professional athletes return from injury in record time, by treating them with alternative medical methods such as PRP (platelet rich plasma) therapy.
Huston Street and PRP Therapy
The Canadian doctor diagnosed Street with having an irritated ulnar nerve. He suggested that Street undergo oxygen and PRP therapy to expedite the healing process. Over a period of 18 days, Street was treated. The treatments appeared to be effective, at least in part. Shortly after the being undergoing the doctor’s two-part treatment, Street was once again, able to pitch.
Huston Street wasn’t the only high profile athlete the doctor, Dr. Galea (who has since been linked with steroids and illegal medicine distribution), has treated. Other professional athletes treated by him include a who’s who of athletes in their respective sports. Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran, are just a few of the big name athletes treated by the well known doctor. Many, though not all, of his patients, were pleased with their results gained via PRP therapy.
Though PRP therapy has been used in other medical fields, it is fairly new for the teatment of soft tissue injuries. The treatment is very simple and straight forward but quite effective. People who undergo it, often find that the amount of time it takes their injury to heal, is significantly shorter than if they underwent traditional treatment therapies. This is because PRP helps to speed up the healing process and in some cases, jumpstarts it.
A doctor adminstering a PRP treatment will first draw a small amount of blood from the patient. He or she will then extract the platelets from the other blood components by spinning it in a centrifuge. The extracted platelets are then injected into the point of injury. In Huston Street’s case, the platelets were injected into the elbow.
Huston and his team chose PRP therapy in an effort to speed up the healing process. Professional sports are competitive and participants must be able to perform at a high level in order to keep their spot on the team or maintain their playing time. After hearing of the success Dr. Galea had with other professional athletes using PRP therapy, Street was eager to give it a try. Fortunately, for him the treatment was a success.
PRP has proven to be quite effective for treating soft tissue and bone injuries. Though it is considered experimental, many health professionals believe that this will soon change. Though more studies still need to be done, many athletes both professional and recreational, have undergone the procedure with a great deal of success.
