What was your injury that was treated with prp?
Insertional Quadricep Tendinopathy
Did you try any other therapy before you opted for prp treatment?
Yes – Physio (including massage, acupunture, eccentric loading excercises, gym work), rest and also cortisone. None of which made a big difference.
Why did your physician decide to utilize prp for this injury?
All other forms of treatment hadn’t made any improvements.
What medical facility did your physician perform this treatment? Hospital? Physician clinic?
Southern Cross Hospital, North Shoe, Auckland.
Did your physician have you follow a specific protocol the night before your prp treatment?
No. Just fast 4 hours before treatment.
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?
Not sure on the amount of blood. It was about 20-30 minutes until the plasma was ready.
What did the physician do to prepare the injury site for injection?
Consulted me on the precise location of the injury site. Marked the area with pen. Spread a anti infection liquid over the area of the insertion.
Did the physician use ultrasound as a guide to place the platelet rich plasma?
No
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?
I would describe it as quite painful, almost unbearable at times. (I have a needle fobia which doesn’t help!!) The pain seemed to be worse once the plasma was being injected, more so than the needle insertion itself. Needle work took approx 3 minutes with maybe 5-8 separate passes. Pain and swelling following each treatment, slowly dispersed over 4-5 days post treatment.
How long did the entire visit take?
3 sessions 1 weak apart. 45mins – 1 hour per visit.
After treatment, did your physician wrap the treatment site? If not, what did he do post treatment?
Put a thick bandage over insertion site. Could take it off after a few hours. Recommended ice to reduce swelling.
What was your physicians post prp treatment protocol for you? Restrictions? Rest? Exercise? Stretching? Pain medication? Any specific directions you had to follow?
Ice to reduced swelling. No running / cycling for 4 days. Swimming after 2 days. Return to excercise based on feel.
How much was the prp treatment?
$380 NZD per treatment. = $1140 NZD
Did the treatment work for you? If so, when did you start feeling better? How soon could you bet back to playing your sport?
I am slowly getting back to full training now. My knee is feeling the best it has felt since the injury back in January. Still working through some rehab excercises (eccentric loading of tendon), until I feel confident the pain is gone and will then resume into full running. Cycling is already feeling good.
Other comments or thoughts about your prp experience?
Painful, especially for people with needle phobia. So far seems to be working. I like the philosophy behind it compared to cortisone.
Jamie Whyte is a Professional Ironman athlete from New Zealand. Over the past few years he has been a consistent performer in the world of long distance triathlon with multiple podium finishes on the Ironman 70.3 circuit and in full Iron distance racing, including a victory at Challenge Wanaka 2011. You can follow his training stories and race progress at www.facebook.com/jamiewhyte.triathlete
