Ultrasound technology has been around for many years as a way to look at specific structures inside a person’s body. Ultrasound machines use sound waves to make a live, two-dimensional picture. It is different from X-rays and CT scans since it uses no radiation, and it is different from MRI since it uses no magnets. Obstetricians use ultrasound technology to look at a pregnant person’s baby. At SOBH Sports, we use ultrasound to see the health of your tendons, muscles, ligaments, and other structures. We look for causes of discomfort, like degeneration and tears, and we even use ultrasound to help guide injections, providing quality and service to our patients. Ultrasound is a fast, cost-effective, and safe way to help get you on your way to living a better life!
PRP results are not guaranteed and indications may not be approved by the FDA.
WHAT DO YOU TREAT WITH PRP?
Osteoarthritis of most any joint (shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, etc.)
Tendon degeneration (tendinosis)/tendon tears: tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, patellar tendinosis, Achilles tendinosis, peroneal tendinosis, rotator cuff tendinosis, gluteal tendinosis
Meniscus/cartilage tears: knee, TFCC (wrist)
Labral tears: hip, shoulder
Hair loss (microneedling with PRP)
DOES PRP ACTUALLY WORK?
Everyone is different, but PRP can definitely work if it’s done right. Three things that PRP needs to be successful:
Platelet Concentration
Too much or too little can be ineffective.
Ultrasound Guidance
Tendons are small. Imagine trying to poke around the tendon, hoping you inject into the tear. It’s like trying to shoot an arrow in the dark! This is why using the ultrasound to guide the needle is very important. Best part? You can watch (if you’re up for it)!
Physical Therapy
Proper physical therapy is necessary to maximize tendon regrowth and strengthen supporting muscles.
Hair Loss
PRP works very well for androgenic alopecia (male and female pattern baldness). The studies show that you need one treatment a month for four months, then every 2-6 months for maintenance. Most patients will start to see results after a few treatments. Package deals and referral discounts are available.
Orthopedics
“Dr. Sobh gave me a course of treatment of three PRP shots and three ORTHOVISC shots. I felt some soreness for about 4 or 5 days after each shot, but my pain level got less and less over time. I’m very pleased indeed.”
Osteoarthritis
PRP has been shown to significantly improve pain from osteoarthritis when compared to placebo and viscosupplementation (gel shots). The studies show that patients experience the most improvement with three treatments.
Tendon
We use ultrasound-guidance to that we know exactly where we are putting the PRP. Most of the time, only one treatment is needed. An ultrasound exam will be done at 8 and 12 weeks to compare progress. An overwhelming majority of patients have seen significant improvement in pain and quality of life after 12 weeks!
Lateral epicondylar (tennis elbow) tendon before and 12 weeks after PRP.
Notice the dark area (the tear) has filled in with new tendon.