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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

(False Treatment)

A Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injection is another form of snake oil for pudendal neuralgia patients.

 

This is supposed to be a form of regenerative medicine.  It injections of your own blood platelets to help with healing. This treatment has NOT been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yet but is offered in the U.S.

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Current medical clinical trials:

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  • Osteoarthritis

  • Tendinopathies such as Lateral epicondylatis

  • Muscle injuries

  • Ligamentous injuries

  • Tendinous injuries

  • Skin wounds

  • Chondropathy (diseases that cause cartilage damage in the knee, hip, shoulder and ankle joints

  • Spinal fusion

  • Bone formation

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A doctor will draw blood then use a centrifuge to produce Platelet-Rich Plasma. PRP contains a mixture of concentrated platelets, including cytokines and growth factors, and has anti-inflammatory properties. The PRP is injected into an injury site to stimulate the healing process.

 

The total cost of a platelet-rich plasma treatment, including facility fees and physician fees, can be between $750 to $2000. For some people, more than one injection may be needed. In comparison, the cost of surgery for various musculoskeletal conditions can be between $10,000 to $15,000.

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Anecdonate: I had PRP injections seven years ago. I paid $1,000. They were painful, bloody, and did noting to reduce the pain of my puddendal neuralgia. I had not been diagnosed yet at that time. An orthopedic doctor recommened the treatment.  To this day I hope those injections didn't damage my body.

 

Medicare is the benchmark for FDA approved procedures. If it doesn't cover one, it is probably not a good idea to go forward.

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The exception may be neurostimulation because although there are no large, significant studies concluding that it relieves chronic nerve pain for pudendal neuralgia because it is rare, there are a myriad of them of other nerves and parts of the body. 

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"But though such diseases are individually rare, collectively an estimated 25 to 30 million Americans are affected." 1 

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30 million out of 330 million Americans is not rare.

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One of our objectives of Pudendal Neuralgia Alliance is to raise funds and to convince hospitals and doctors to run clinical studies on neurostimulation and other treatments. Medicine should not only be about profit. Money is necessary for studies and research, but highly profitable areas of medicine and donation should fund non-profitable disease studies and research because Americans suffering from them are equal in value to all others.

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1 https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/nih-turning-discovery-into-health/promise-precision-medicine/rare-diseases#:~:text=But%20though%20such%20diseases%20are,30%20million%20Americans%20are%20affected.

 

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Pudendal Neuralgia Alliance

contact@pudendalneuralgiaalliance.org

© 2024 by Made with Wix ™ by volunteer Belinda Berdes

Paid for by Ms. Berdes until 501c3 established

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