Autologous Conditioned Plasma (ACP) Therapy

ChrisBChrisB Issaquah, WAMember

My first goal this year was to stay healthy and sure enough Tendinitis strikes again. I just got back from the doctor's office and he suggested ACP Therapy (I believe it is also referred to as Platelet-Rich Plasma or PRP Therapy) due to my shoulder not effectively healing. Has anybody tried this? If so, I'd love to hear about it. It's been a month out of the water already and I'm dying!

Comments

  • ViveBeneViveBene Member
    edited March 2016

    (Deleting earlier comment - I misremembered what another swimmer did for therapy, which was prolo rather than PRP.)

  • SpacemanspiffSpacemanspiff Dallas, TexasSenior Member

    @ChrisB this sounds like what my ortho suggested we try on my elbow tendinitis. He described it as "drawing blood, spinning it in a centrifuge and injecting" at the point of injury. I haven't tried it... yet. You go first

    Chrisgreenetortuga

    "Lights go out and I can't be saved
    Tides that I tried to swim against
    Have brought be down upon my knees
    Oh I beg, I beg and plead..."

  • ChrisBChrisB Issaquah, WAMember

    Spacemanspiff said:
    @ChrisB this sounds like what my ortho suggested we try on my elbow tendinitis. He described it as "drawing blood, spinning it in a centrifuge and injecting" at the point of injury. I haven't tried it... yet. You go first

    Yep, that's the process. In theory it sounds like it should work but I've read mixed results and not sure about training around the process. I thought I was doing pretty good this year, in regards to training, but w/out a significant jump in distance these shoulder pains came out of nowhere. I was excited about completing some 10K+ point to point swims and winning the under 5K events for my age group this year but now I'll be happy just feeling good in the water.

  • ChrisBChrisB Issaquah, WAMember

    Update: I was fortunate enough to find an amazing physical therapist close by. 3 months out of the water and two months of PT have me back swimming without the need of ACP Therapy. My PT actually thinks that my posture had more to do with my shoulder problems than swimming, however, the swimming is what aggravated the problem. The tendinitis was actually very minor but I did have a pretty bad case of Coracoid Impingement and am working on re-educating my muscles to pull my shoulders back into the correct position to alleviate the pressure on the coracoid. News Flash: 8-10hrs at a desk a day isn't healthy... lol

    This happened early enough in the season that I had only signed up for the Alcatraz Challenge (2 mile swim). I was going to cancel but said what the heck and completed it with only 3 workouts totaling 5000 yards under my belt. I'm now up to doing 3500yd pool workouts and 4500yd OW workouts 3-4 times a week. Speed is not close to where I was at for the beginning of the year but I'm not worried because my goal of a 10mile swim at the end of summer is still attainable and I don't need speed for that.

    Chrisgreenewendyv34
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