News from the NSCAA National Coaches Convention 2017:  While at this year’s convention there were not breakout sessions concerning concussions, PRP therapy was discussed.  Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a process that spins the blood withdrawn from the person being treated, taking out excess blood plasma to make a serum rich in the platelets necessary for recovery.  This PRP is then reintroduced to the same patient (with no possibility of rejection since it is the person’s own blood) at the site of injury.  It has been noted that recovery is speeded up with this treatment.

PRP treatment can be a one-time effort or a series of treatments over the course of months…always with the same result — the period of recovery is shortened.

Of course the cost for this treatment is high, especially since it is relatively new and not yet covered by insurance in all instances.  The cost should come down though, and PRP therapy should become standard treatment in the near future.  There just aren’t any downsides.