This ground-breaking therapy, which is only currently available in one other Clinic in Scotland, is a non-surgical alternative to treat joint and tendon pain whereby a patient’s own blood platelets are injected into the problem area to provoke the body’s own healing process.  

From an orthopaedic perspective, Joint Solutions, the country’s first fully integrated orthopaedic,  sports medicine and injury rehabilitation service, is employing the treatment method for conditions that have traditionally required the use of steroids or surgery, such as joint and tendon pain, Achilles tendinosis or Tennis Elbow. 

Until now, PRP has really only been available to sports athletes however Joint Solutions is bringing this high performance level care method to the wider public. 

The treatment process is straightforward and convenient. Blood is drawn from a vein in the arm, and a separation procedure undertaken by a Centrifuge machine then separately extracts and concentrates the desired body substances (ACP – Autologous Conditioned Plasma). These substances are injected directly into the affected area. The advantages to the patient are that it does not involve artificial drugs, is non-surgical, takes under 30 minutes from start to finish and has little or no downtime.

Mr Tim White MD FRCS, a leading Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon, said: “Sports injuries, painful joints, knees, muscles, bones or pre-existing debilitating problems affect large parts of our population and avoiding surgery is usually first and foremost for most patients. Getting the right treatment is imperative and this new PRP method is an excellent non-surgical alternative for joint and tendon pain.

We are collaborating with other experts at the University of Edinburgh and around the world to bring this ground-breaking treatment to Edinburgh, and to contribute to the scientific understanding and development of this exciting field.
 
The Joint Solutions team includes Dr Carrie McCrea, a highly experienced Sports and Exercise Physician, Mr Tim White MD FRCS, a leading Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon, Mr Sam Molyneux FRCS, MSC (Hons), BMedSCi (Hons), Specialist Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon and Louise Imrie, a specialist Sports Physiotherapist with previous experience of caring for Olympic level athletes, with other leading specialists also on board.  Dr Carrie McCrea and Louise Imrie have been appointed by Team Scotland as part of its medical team for Gold Coast 2018 and Bahamas 2017. 

PRP is available from £420.  For more information on the treatment and Joint Solutions Clinic, please call 0131 447 2340 or visit www.edinburghclinic.com. 

Notes to Editors:  

• The Edinburgh Clinic is a private day-case hospital founded in 2008. Part of Aspen Healthcare, the clinic is located at 40 Colinton Road and offers fast access to appointments for out-patient consultation, on-site diagnostic imaging and day-case surgical treatment.  For more information, visit www.edinburghclinic.com  
• Joint Solutions follow up treatment options (which are separate to the one-day appointment) can include: 

Surgery
Arthroscopic (keyhole)
Soft tissue procedures
Open (joint replacement)

Sports medicine treatment
Exercise prescription

Injury assessment and management 
Injections, including steroids or hyaluronate joint lubricant
Ultrasound or shock-wave treatment
Health promotion
DEXA scans
PRP injections
Female athlete assessments

Physiotherapy
Full body assessment to identify predisposing factors
Range of treatment techniques and modalities
Pre +Post-operative rehabilitation
Rehabilitation training and reconditioning
Individualised exercise programmes
Yoga-based rehabilitation