How Effective is Platelet-Rich Plasma as a Therapy?

What if you could concentrate and direct the powerful healing and regeneration abilities of your own body?

It sounds like a bit of superhero sci-fi, but is, in fact, a tested, effective and minimally invasive treatment option for women coping with urogynecological health issues.

For decades, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has allowed healthcare providers to do just that. PRP effectiveness has been proven in treating injuries and in speeding healing after surgery. Now the all-natural healing technology is being used to treat conditions like urinary incontinence and painful lichen sclerosus — as well as giving a powerful boost to women’s sex lives and intimate relationships.

What is PRP?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a high concentration of growth factors and stem cells created from a patient’s own blood. These rich platelets trigger rapid cell growth, tissue repair and collagen production.

How are PRP Therapies Performed?

PRP begins with taking a sample of a patient’s blood and placing it in a centrifuge. The centrifuge separates the plasma from the blood cells which concentrates the growth factors. The activated platelets are then injected directly into the injured or diseased tissue, releasing growth factors that encourage tissue renewal and healing.

How is PRP Used?

At Coyle Institute, we use a PRP treatment known as The O-Shot®. This simple, fast and natural therapy has shown tested PRP effectiveness in treating gynecological and urinary system health issues. A few of the benefits including boosting sexual response and libido, improving overall vaginal health, diminishing or eliminating the symptoms of lichen sclerosus and treating urinary incontinence.

The O-Shot® is a PRP injection into the tissues of the vagina, clitoris, vulva and other pelvic areas. At the injection sites, PRP growth factors heal and strengthen tissue. PRP can also stimulate better blood flow to the treated areas for faster healing and improved tissue structure.

The O-shot®: PRP Effectiveness for Urinary Incontinence

If your muscles, ligaments, and tissues that support the bladder have lost strength or tension, the bladder and urethra are left weakened.  This leads to the annoying leakage that many women face.

Stress incontinence occurs involuntarily when laughing, coughing, sneezing or activities such as running or jumping put pressure on the bladder. With the O-Shot®, new, rejuvenated tissue growth in the vaginal walls provides support for the bladder and urethra, giving women more control and helping to ease the symptoms of stress incontinence.

Urge incontinence, or overactive bladder, is the sudden, unexpected urge to urinate. The theory is that PRP helps to rebuild the nerves needed for bladder control.

PRP Effectiveness for Lichen Sclerosus

At Coyle Institute, we use a single treatment protocol called TULIP® for treating vulvar lichen sclerosus, an inflammatory, autoimmune-related skin disease that typically appears on the vulva, peritoneum, anus, clitoris and the vaginal area.  The TULIP® is a procedure invented by Dr. Coyle and is a continuation of his original research on lichen sclerosus combined with the healing benefits of Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP.

The painful lesions of lichen sclerosus cause the affected skin to itch, tear and bleed which then leads to scarring. As the scars form and fuse the vulvar skin, they can interfere with urination, cause painful intercourse and create stress in a woman’s intimate and romantic relationships. The condition is also linked to a higher incidence of squamous cell carcinoma.

The TULIP® treatment speeds the healing of lesions which means less risk of scar tissue. The activated platelets used in TULIP® release growth factors that contribute to cell growth and regeneration. Consequently, the increase in blood circulation heals lichen sclerosus lesions quickly and at their complete depth through all layers of skin, rather than treating the disease from the surface with steroids. Because PRP is safely derived from the patient’s own blood, it is safe for repeated treatments until satisfactory results are achieved.

Other PRP and O-Shot Benefits

PRP effectiveness for improved sexual satisfaction is another benefit of this time-tested treatment. Women who have PRP therapy report:

• Greater arousal from clitoral stimulation
• Smoother, firmer vulvar skin
• Tighter vaginal opening
• Stronger and more frequent orgasms
• Increased libido
• Decreased pain from vaginal intercourse
• Increased natural lubrication

What Are the Risks of PRP?

The risks of the O-Shot® are very limited since the body does not reject a person’s own blood. Doctors have safely used PRP therapy for decades to speed healing after injuries and surgery.

If you have been searching for an effective, minimally invasive procedure that will improve your overall urogynecological health, PRP just the right option for you. Contact us today to set up a consultation with our expert team regarding sexual health, incontinence or the treatment of lichen sclerosus.