How PRP Can Treat Your Rotator Cuff Injury

A rotator cuff injury may not be severe enough to warrant surgery, in which case a conservative form of treatment is the typical path to healing. Regenerative therapies such as PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections can boost your body’s natural healing abilities, helping to relieve pain and restore mobility.

At The Spine and Sports Center in Sugarland and Houston, Texas, Dr. Benoy Benny provides regenerative medicine treatments like PRP to help in the healing of rotator cuff injuries.

Your rotator cuff

Your rotator cuff is the combination of several components in the structure of your shoulder. A shallow socket in your shoulder blade (scapula) holds the head of your upper arm bone (humerus) to form your shoulder joint. 

Around this joint is a network of supporting muscles and tendons which connect your humerus and scapula. This is your rotator cuff, which (as its name implies) provides the structure required for your joint to rotate in many different directions.

Symptoms of a rotator cuff tear

It’s fairly common for people who play sports or do construction work to suffer rotator cuff tears. Repetitive motions, like throwing a baseball or painting using an overhead roller cause wear and tear that eventually abrade the materials of your shoulder and cause a tear.

The typical symptoms of a rotator cuff tear include:

• General aching and pain, including at night which can make it hard to sleep
• Stiffness and an inability to reach overhead or behind you 
• Muscle weakness when lifting your arm or trying to hold something up
• A constant, dull ache deep within your shoulder
• Crackling and grinding sensations when you rotate your arm

PRP for rotator cuff injuries

We often recommend PRP therapy for rotator cuff tears that aren’t severe enough for surgical intervention. We create platelet-rich plasma here in our office by taking a small sample of your blood and centrifuging it. 

The red and white blood cells separate out, leaving a concentration of platelets in the plasma. Your platelets are responsible for blood clotting and signaling growth factors throughout your body to come to the site of your injury. 

When we inject the PRP into your shoulder joint, the platelets go straight to work, encouraging your body’s healing processes and rallying those growth factors to increase regenerative capability. 

PRP therapy takes less than an hour, and may be repeated several times during your recovery from a rotator cuff injury. Since the injectable substance is made from your own blood, it’s 100% biocompatible, and most people have zero adverse reactions. 

If you’ve suffered a rotator cuff injury, PRP could be the right treatment choice for you. Schedule a consultation at The Spine and Sports Center today by calling our location nearest you or booking a visit online.