Platelet-rich plasma, better known as PRP, is a blood component that contains proteins and other growth factors that promote healing and cell regeneration. Platelets are important cells in the body’s natural healing process. In the body, they work to control bleeding by causing blood to clot and help form stabilizing tissue after sustaining an injury while promoting the healing cascade.

When plasma that is rich in platelets is separated from whole blood, it can be injected into the face, joints, scalp, and scars to trigger cellular regeneration, collagen formation, and reduce inflammation. PRP is also used in dermatology to treat many health and cosmetic concerns.

To collect the plasma, platelets, proteins, and other growth factors found in blood, a simple sample is collected from the patient. Once the blood components are separated from the whole blood sample in our specialized centrifuges, which separates the plasma from the platelets, white and red blood cells. Then, they can then be concentrated and injected into the area of injury. At Meeting Point Health, we use Emcyte and CareStream centrifuges for obtaining the optimal platelet concentration for injection.

Injecting the site of injury with platelet-rich plasma stimulates localized collagen production, which is a large component of our skin and joints, and is essential for wound healing and tissue regeneration. This promotes the new growth of healthy cells within the surrounding area around the injection site.

PRP treatments have also been shown to relieve the pain and inflammation associated with muscle and tendon tears, arthritis, and other joint and connective tissue concerns.

Meeting Point Health offers a range of platelet rich plasma treatments administered by Dr. Stephen Matta, DO, Regenerative Orthopedic Medicine specialist, in a sterile, comfortable setting. In addition to traditional platelet rich plasma treatment, we also provide the following ultra-concentrated plasma therapies:

• Platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM)
• Platelet lysate (hyper-refined PRP)
• PRP Supershot
• Platelet-poor-plasma (PPP)
• Alpha 2 macroglobulin (A2M)
• PRP with Ozone
• PRP with Peptides
• PRP with Prolozone
• PRP with Stem Cell
• PRP with Exosomes

These injection therapies contain specific proteins and other naturally occurring blood components that are isolated from the patient’s blood sample, and can then be injected into the desired area of injury.

Each specific type of therapeutic injection can be used for more than one indication, although some specific treatment modalities work better than others. For example, while A2M and PRP are both effective in arthritis, A2M is a more powerful anti-inflammatory for acute types of joint injury, and PRP is highly effective in recruiting stem cells to promote faster healing and ligament regeneration in more degenerative conditions.

PRP has proven effective in treating various joint and musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, by injecting prepared PRP directly into the affected area of injury. This stimulates a rush of collagen and elastin production to promote cell growth and regeneration and reduce inflammation, provide pain relief, and accelerate the healing process.

Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of the knee is considered an overuse or wear-and-tear condition, where the cartilage between the joints is worn away and the knee loses its natural cushion. With less ability to absorb shock within the knee, the joint becomes stiff, swollen, and painful, with decreased range of motion.

Degenerative Disc Disease

Similar to the cartilage in the knee, spinal disks between the vertebrae of the spine act as shock absorbers. With continuous wear and tear with age, the disks can become thin and worn out, providing less cushioning for the spine. Degenerative disc disease can lead to additional spinal issues and is often painful.

Joint Pain

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is useful for joint pain because it harnesses the body’s natural healing abilities by injecting concentrated platelets into the affected area. These platelets release growth factors that promote tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and stimulate cartilage regeneration, potentially alleviating pain and improving joint function.

Plantar Fasciitis

The plantar fascia is a strong ligament found on the bottom of the foot, connecting the heel to the front of the foot and giving support to the arch of the foot. The plantar fascia is responsible for supporting the foot and absorbing the high stress placed on our feet. When this tissue is injured, typically from chronic overuse, it becomes inflamed and results in heel pain and stiffness. This is referred to as plantar fasciitis.

Wound Healing

Superficial wounds may occur from many different causes, yet all injuries require the same components to effectively heal. The concentrated platelets used in PRP injection therapy provide the components to promote optimal healing and wound repair.

Scar Treatment

Scars form when wounds penetrate the dermis layers deep inside our skin. When these layers heal, the collagen fibers may not lay flat and smooth, resulting in raised, pitted, or discolored scar tissue. In treating scars, PRP acts as a dermal filler to lift and smooth away sunken scars or help re-heal raised scar tissue. It’s most often used with micro-needling to break up the scar tissue so the PRP serum can penetrate the skin and heal deeper scar tissue.

Hair Regrowth

Hair loss often stems from weakened or damaged hair follicles, the tiny pouches from which hair grows. To combat this, PRP harnesses the healing power of your own blood to improve the symptoms of hair loss conditions such as androgenic alopecia. PRP treatment is designed to promote hair growth by nourishing the hair follicles and creating an optimal environment for hair restoration. Patients can expect to see a reduction in hair loss and a noticeable increase in the thickness and coverage of their hair over several treatment sessions.

Before any injection appointment at Meeting Point Health, you’ll meet with Dr. Matta for an initial consultation. In that appointment, he’ll do a full physical exam and look at the areas you’re concerned about under ultrasound. He will then help you determine what combination of PRP treatments is right for you, how many treatments you’ll need, and where they should be administered. You’ll receive a copy of your treatment plan and recommendations to prepare for your appointment.

Preparing For Your Appointment

It’s recommended that you avoid medications and supplements that thin your blood for several days before your appointment, such as Warfarin or aspirin. Your medical professional will instruct you on how to prepare for your treatment and how to care for yourself afterward.

Additionally, it is important to eat before your appointment, as your treatment will require a small amount of blood to be drawn, and some patients may be sensitive to this process. We recommend a balanced meal or snack with plenty of protein, fiber, and some healthy fats. This will help prevent potential light-headedness after your blood is drawn.

What the procedure entails

After performing any necessary diagnostics or ultrasound imaging, the site of injection is prepared for treatment. Your blood is drawn and prepared under a specialized centrifuge. Dr. Matta performs all his injections under ultrasound to ensure precision and safety.

Recovery and aftercare

There is no recovery time for platelet rich plasma injections, and you can resume non strenuous activities after treatment, such as walking. PRP therapy relies on your natural immunity to repair degenerative tissue, so avoid taking NSAIDs or applying ice for 2 weeks post treatment. Note that you may experience some soreness, which is normal and reflects that it is working to restore healthy tissue in the area.

For orthopedic use, stem cells can be autologous (auto means self) or allogeneic (allo means other.) Autologous sources of stem cells come from the patient’s bone marrow or adipose tissue. Allogeneic stem cells are harvested from various sources, such as amniotic fluid, placental tissue, umbilical cord products, and Wharton’s jelly, which are collected during childbirth from healthy donors. Once collected, these materials undergo a series of purification processes to isolate and concentrate the stem cells.

The purification process typically involves steps such as filtration, centrifugation, and/or enzymatic digestion to separate the desired stem cells from other cellular components and debris. These techniques help ensure that the final product contains a high concentration of viable and functional stem cells. After purification, the stem cells may undergo further processing, such as cryopreservation, to maintain their viability and potency for future use. This process involves freezing the cells at very low temperatures to prevent cellular damage and maintain their therapeutic properties until they are needed for transplantation or research. Overall, the harvesting and purification of allogeneic stem cells require careful handling and adherence to strict quality control measures to ensure the safety and efficacy of the final product for therapeutic applications.

Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells
Amniotic stem cell therapy utilizes the growth factors and stem cells found within the clear amniotic fluid that surrounds a growing fetus in the uterus during pregnancy. This technique is safe and can be used to treat numerous health conditions. 

Placental Matrix Derived Stem Cell

Placental tissue matrix stem cells are derived from amniotic tissues and are used to reduce inflammation, minimize scar tissue, and support the healing of soft tissue in areas of injury. 

Umbilical Cord Products

Cord blood stem cells can also be collected from the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born. This source is rich in blood cell precursors and is often used to treat immune deficiencies, various types of cancer, and certain genetic disorders.  

Exosomes

Exosomes are important carrier vesicles that are generated by all types of cells and are responsible for communication between cells. Exosomes are a vital aspect of cell biology and carry growth factors, nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and metabolites, which travel through the body and are released into the blood to aid in cell signaling. 

Wharton’s Jelly

Wharton’s jelly stem cells (WJSCs) are a type of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) found in the gelatinous substance within the umbilical cord, known as Wharton’s jelly. These stem cells are considered valuable because they possess characteristics similar to other MSCs, including the ability to differentiate into various cell types and to modulate immune responses. They exhibit properties such as self-renewal and multipotency, meaning they can give rise to different cell types like bone, cartilage, and fat cells. Additionally, they have low immunogenicity, making them suitable for injection or infusion.

At Meeting Point Health, we take a comprehensive and personalized approach to care. Stem cell therapy can be a beneficial form of regenerative medicine for numerous orthopedic conditions and injuries. Below are some of the most common indications for stem cell therapy. 

Arthritic Joints

Arthritis is inflammation of the joint, where two bones are connected. This condition causes joint stiffness, pain, and swelling, which limits the individual’s range of motion and physical activity. 

Sports Injuries

Sports injuries can be acute or chronic in nature and vary in severity, method of injury, and expected healing process. Injuries can be caused by long periods of overuse with activity or sudden injury with direct stress or force. 

Tendinopathies

There are many conditions involving tendons or the structure that helps to connect your muscles to your bones. Tendinopathies are a response to overuse and result in pain and inflammation of the specific tendon. 

Non-Union Fractures

The term non-union describes any fracture that has failed to heal after an extended period of time, likely due to inadequate stability or blood flow to the area. The treatments for this type of injury are limited and often include surgery, bone grafting, and immobilization.

Meniscal Tear

A tear to the meniscus is typically the result of forceful rotation or twisting of the knee, sometimes resulting in serious joint pain but always threatening the integrity of the musculoskeletal system. There are different types and severity of tears, with some able to heal on their own and some requiring treatments for proper healing. 

Degenerative Disc Disease

Spinal discs act as cushions between vertebrae in the spine. As we age, the spinal disks go through normal wear and tear, get thinner, and may even develop small tears, resulting in degenerative disk disease. The most common symptom is pain that varies in location, severity, and with certain movements. 

Osteonecrosis or Avascular Necrosis

Osteonecrosis or avascular necrosis is caused by disrupted blood flow to the bone, resulting in the death of the bone tissue. This will eventually result in the bone’s breakdown and the joint’s collapse. This can occur in any large joint but is most common in the shoulder and hip. 

Stem cells are also known as mesenchymal stem cells and have the unique property of being able to develop into different types of cells. When they are injected into areas of injury, stem cells help to accelerate the healing process by regenerating the key components necessary to restore function to the joint. 

It is important to properly prepare your body before undergoing stem cell therapy. One week before your procedure, you must avoid taking any NSAID medications, including Motrin, Advil, or Aleve. In the days leading up to your procedure, drink plenty of water, preferably 64 oz per day, to ensure adequate hydration. 

The average recovery time post-procedure can dramatically differ depending on the condition being treated and the patient’s underlying health status. Most patients will experience minimal downtime after the procedure and may return to work within a day or two, depending on their occupation. 

Patients should expect to limit strenuous activity or exercise for the few weeks following the procedure. In addition, patients should avoid physical manipulation of the joint or area of injection. 

Your body already has the innate ability to heal itself. Prolotherapy enhances this natural process by using dextrose, a well-researched, easily-absorbed sugar molecule, to trigger a controlled, localized inflammatory response. This response increases blood flow and activates growth factors at the injury site, stimulating collagen production and tissue repair. As your cells go to work, they recruit platelets, stem cells, and additional growth factors to promote fresh collagen formation. The result? Improved range of motion, stronger tissues, and reduced pain—helping you get back to feeling your best.

Dr. Matta will first obtain your history and perform diagnostics with ultrasound imaging, orthopedic testing and osteopathic palpation to best understand the nature and location of the injury. After diagnosing the specific area of treatment, he will inject the area with a local anesthetic to ensure a comfortable procedure. The prolotherapy mixture is then injected under ultrasound-guidance to ensure precision. Your body automatically begins to regenerate by sending growth factors, platelets and stem cells to the area to repair and rebuild the damaged tissues.

At Meeting Point Health, Prolotherapy is often used alongside other therapies to enhance recovery. When Prolotherapy is combined with additional treatments, patients frequently experience significant pain reduction in the affected tissues. Prolotherapy at Meeting Point Health offers a range of benefits for individuals seeking natural, surgical alternative solutions to pain and tissue repair. Key benefits include:

Pain Relief

Enhanced Tissue Repair

Improved Joint Stability

Increased Range of Motion

Non-Surgical Treatment

Reduced Reliance on Medications

Customizable and Versatile

Minimal Downtime

Chronic Joint Pain: Alleviates pain in the knees, hips, shoulders, and other joints by repairing damaged tissues and improving stability.

Osteoarthritis: Helps rebuild cartilage and reduce inflammation, providing relief from joint stiffness and discomfort.

Tendon and Ligament Injuries: Strengthens weakened tendons and ligaments, such as those in the rotator cuff, Achilles tendon, or wrist.

Back and Neck Pain: Treats conditions like sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction, herniated discs, or facet joint syndrome by stabilizing and repairing the supporting structures.

Sports Injuries: Assists in the recovery of sprains, strains, and overuse injuries, such as tennis elbow or runner’s knee.

Whiplash and Soft Tissue Injuries: Promotes healing in soft tissues damaged by trauma, like those caused by car accidents.

Chronic Pain Syndromes: Addresses unresolved pain by repairing the underlying tissue damage contributing to long-term discomfort.

Plantar Fasciitis: Reduces inflammation and repairs tissue in the foot for improved mobility and pain relief.

TMJ Disorders: Stabilizes and strengthens the temporomandibular joint to alleviate jaw pain and dysfunction.

Pelvic Pain and Instability: Helps strengthen the ligaments and tissues in the pelvic region, offering relief from pain and improving function.

Both OMT and PT are medically supported therapies. Both of these therapies believe that the function of a body’s different systems depends on the underlying structures of that system. Both use movement and physical manipulation as part of their treatments.

However, the biggest difference that sets OMT apart from PT is who is licensed to perform it. OMT can only be performed by DOs, who are fully trained, licensed and practicing physicians. Physical therapists are not medical doctors. Though a physical therapist can obtain a doctorate in PT, they cannot write prescriptions and perform the other duties of a fully licensed medical doctor. 

OMT is remarkable and can treat just about any pain condition. At Meeting Point Health, we commonly treat the following with OMT with great success:

• Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ)
• Migraine and headache
• Sports injuries
• Dizziness
• Chronic back pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Musculoskeletal Pain
• Lyme Arthritis
• Neurological Mold Illness Symptoms

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurs when the median nerve is compressed as it passes through the wrist. This compression can cause symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and pain, primarily affecting the first three fingers of the hand.

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome is caused by compression or irritation of the ulnar nerve, which runs from the neck to the hand. This often occurs where the nerve passes under a ligament at the elbow. Symptoms include numbness and tingling in the ring and small fingers, along with pain that can radiate from the elbow down the arm to the shoulder or hand.

Sciatica

Sciatica results from irritation or impingement of the sciatic nerve, which starts in the lower back and travels through the hips, buttocks, and down each leg. This condition can cause pain, numbness, and tingling in the leg, and may lead to difficulty moving or feeling the foot.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome occurs when the nerves and blood vessels running from the neck through the armpit to the arm are compressed in the upper chest. Often seen in individuals performing overhead activities or with tightness in the neck and shoulders, this condition can cause pain, numbness, or tingling in the hand, shoulder blade, and neck, as well as weakness in certain hand muscles. Severe cases may also lead to symptoms like blood pressure changes, irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), and other complications.

Neuropathy

Neuropathy refers to damage or dysfunction of the peripheral nerves, which connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. This condition can cause a wide range of symptoms, including numbness, tingling, burning sensations, or sharp pain, typically in the hands and feet. Neuropathy may also lead to muscle weakness, coordination issues, and sensitivity to touch. Common causes include diabetes, injuries, infections, and certain medications. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to managing symptoms and preventing further nerve damage.

Burning Sensation: A persistent or intermittent burning feeling in the affected area.

Sharp or Stabbing Pain: Sudden, intense jolts of pain that may feel like an electric shock.

Tingling or “Pins and Needles”: A prickling sensation, often in the hands or feet.

Numbness: Partial or complete loss of sensation in certain areas of the body.

Sensitivity to Touch: Pain or discomfort from light touch, even from clothing or bed sheets.

These therapies for nerve pain focus on relieving discomfort and restoring mobility through various surgical alternative treatment options. Early intervention and a customized nerve pain treatment plan can lead to effective recovery and prevent future issues.

Peptide Therapy

Peptide Therapy can be introduced as an at-home treatment, and in-office for joint injection and nerve hydrodissection purposes. Peptide therapy introduces peptides to signal communication with our cells to perform a specific response. Administrating peptides elicits a response to regulate or improve physiological functions. For regenerative medicine, peptides for wound recovery, and tissue repair, reduce inflammation, accelerate recovery time, and promote cell migration and differentiation. 

Nerve Hydrodissection

Nerve hydrodissection involves the use of ultrasound-guided injections of an aqueous regenerative solution such as peptides to flush space around an entrapped nerve.

Prolozone

Prolozone therapy is a mixture of ozone gas and a prolotherapy solution is injected into the affected area, often around joints, ligaments, or tendons. The theory is that this combination not only irritates and strengthens the tissues (like prolotherapy) but also delivers the potential therapeutic benefits of ozone, such as improved circulation and tissue oxygenation. Prolozone combines procaine, dextrose, B vitamins, saline, oxygen, and ozone into a damaged joint and the combination allows for regrowth of damaged tissue.

PRP Therapy

Platelet-rich plasma PRP therapy is a medical treatment that involves the use of a patient’s own blood to promote healing and tissue regeneration. Once injected, the growth factors and other bioactive substances in PRP work to accelerate tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and promote the formation of new blood vessels. This helps in reducing pain, improving function, and enhancing the overall healing process.

Acupuncture

Medical acupuncture uses needles to stimulate nerve activity, initiate muscle firing and induce the release of chemical substances such as neurotransmitters, endorphins, and hormones. This helps to reduce pain and boost your body’s natural healing ability.

Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy therapy is a medical injection procedure whose goal is to relieve pain and promote healing of musculoskeletal conditions, especially involving ligaments, joints, and tendons. Prolotherapy stimulates healing, causes inflammatory responses that increase blood flow and the arrival of immune cells and growth factors to the injection area, and tissue repair.

If you think you are experiencing nerve pain, your doctor will evaluate your symptoms and medical history, followed by a comprehensive examination. This includes orthopedic testing and advanced ultrasound diagnostics to identify potential peripheral nerve entrapment.

• Arthritis
• Any type of joint pain – shoulder pain, knee pain, hip pain, elbow pain, foot and ankle pain
• Spine – SI Joint Pain, Low Back Pain, Thoracic Pain, Neck Pain
• Facial Pain, Dental Pain, TMJ
• Headache and Migraine
• Sinus Pain
• GI Discomfort including nausea, bloating, and constipation
  

We also use it for relief of other types of symptoms related to:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• High blood pressure
• PTSD
• Concussion

One of the greatest benefits of regular medical acupuncture is a reduction of stress and anxiety. It lowers stress hormones, boosts endorphins and helps to moderate anxiety. Another notable benefit is a reduction of joint and muscle pain where the treatment is received. Additionally, our acupuncture services can help improve blood flow and treat painful headaches.

At Meeting Point Health, acupuncture is always used in a care plan as a complement to other treatments. It should take about 15-30 minutes and the treatment itself involves needle insertion, manipulation and removal.

After treatments, patients report feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Generally, your practitioner will recommend multiple sessions, but this may vary depending on your condition and how receptive you are to therapy.

“I thought I’d do some writing about acupuncture, and more specifically what acupuncture means to me.

I think my initial real understanding of acupuncture was through my discussions with a friend of mine who’s father learned it in Korea and actually used acupuncture in Africa as a missionary there for many years. I learned first hand all the benefits of acupuncture and how effective it was at treating so many things, most importantly to me, musculoskeletal conditions. At the time, I was suffering from some pretty rough plantar fasciitis which failed 2 cortisone injections and was getting worse, not better. I decided to go for it and made an appointment at a local community acupuncture clinic. I had the absolute great fortune of getting treated by Megan Rogers, who is a fantastic acupuncturist and overall great practitioner. I remember telling her about my heel pain and telling her to do whatever she needed to do to get this pain to go away. The next thing I can remember is just laying down in this chair and just feeling this…well it’s hard to describe if you’ve never felt it, but it kinda felt like a wave that moved from my head into my leg while at the same time feeling like the pain was slowly dissipating from my heel. Although I wasn’t totally cured after that first treatment, I knew that this was gonna get rid of my heel pain. And it did. It took about 6 sessions altogether, but after we completed those 6 sessions, I was finally able to start running again and my heel pain was gone.

That experience of using acupuncture to resolve a pain I had dealt with for years totally opened up my mind in my approach as a doctor. I had gone through all the regular treatment methods we recommend in orthopedics including physical therapy, injections, and anti-inflammatories, and all failed. On the other hand, after just 3 sessions, I had more relief then I had got from any previous therapy from conventional medicine.

After me, my wife started getting acupuncture for some of what she was dealing with. After she also got better, we started talking about her perhaps pursuing a second career as an acupuncturist. Before we had children, she was a very accomplished project manager with a Masters in Statistics from the University of Pennsylvania and several publications in journals including the American Heart Journal, American Journal of Cardiology, Journal of Interventional Cardiology, etc, etc, etc. She chose to stay at home to raise our 2 children, and now that they were in school, she decided it was time to go back to work. Acupuncture became a perfect fit for her. She applied, enrolled, busted her butt for 3 years, and was valedictorian of her class.

While she was in school, she regularly encouraged me to pursue my own training and eventually I received my own certification in Neurofunctional Acupuncture from McMaster University.

Why Acupuncture?
In case you don’t know, it has been around for centuries as it was previously the medicine of ancient China. It is a proven medicine and science and allows us to evaluate and treat the body by tapping into the bodies own healing mechanisms by restoring the body to a balanced state. I’m convinced that the root of Osteopathic Medicine must have come from China because so many of our principles are the same. Know that I’ve been practicing Acupuncture myself, I am absolutely amazed by it and do not believe there is a more effective solution to healing the body than Acupuncture.

Why?
When I first heard about acupuncture, I thought that it would be a great solution to my heel pain because I felt like I needed someone to stick a needle in my degenerative tendon to break up the scar tissue and allow the thing to heel. At the time I really had no idea how complex acupuncture really is. My wife’s 3 years of rigorous academics studying academics gave me an additional level of appreciation as well. I also gained an understanding of how the body is evaluated and treated from the perspective of an acupuncturist, with the core principle of balancing the systems of the body. I think restoring balance to the body is probably the best way to understand why acupuncture works. If all the systems of the body are functioning in complete balance and harmony, then likely, all will be well. Unfortunately, that’s not the way life really turns out and things get out of whack quite easily it seems. As an osteopathic doctor, I use my hands to try to correct asymmetries in the spine and tissue of the body which can help to allow to body to restore some balance. I believe acupuncture goes much deeper and engages the bodies healing mechanisms even better than I had been able to with my hands alone. And it’s not just the needles. Therapies such as cupping and gua-sha (pronounced Gwa-Shah) are very powerful tools to change tissue, decrease inflammation, and even decrease stress.

I do really feel quite thankful that my wife and I both now practice this very effective medicine. She approaches her treatments so elegantly and brilliantly and you can see her creative and artistic mind at play whether treating an anxious teenager, or a mother who has been struggling with headaches for several years.

For me, I like to using acupuncture to access the body’s nervous system to reactivate pathways that have been been asleep for awhile. At the end of the day you could say that the two of us “balance” one another. At least I think so.”