Regenerative medicine advocates have done a good job of getting the word out about platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy in recent years. Most adults have at least heard about PRP therapy by way of athletes who have opted to try it as they recover from injuries. But did you know that there are two different types of PRP therapies?

PRP is an injection therapy. The amount of white blood cells involved designates a treatment as either:

• Leukocyte-rich (high white blood cell count)
• Leukocyte-poor (low to zero white blood cell count)

Both types of treatments have their intended uses. It is up to doctors and their patients to determine how essential white blood cells are to the healing process.

Leukocyte-Rich PRP Treatments

Leukocyte-rich PRP treatments are preferred if a stronger inflammatory response is necessary. For the record, we normally consider inflammation a bad thing. It’s actually not from a biological perspective. Inflammation is a natural response that signals the body to an injury so that the healing process can begin.

Imagine a soft tissue injury that includes a significant wound. Such a scenario would call for more white blood cells and a more aggressive inflammation response. Leukocyte-rich PRP injections would be preferred over leukocyte-poor.

The downside of a higher white blood cell count is that it can aggravate pain for certain types of inflammatory conditions. It might not be the best choice for those conditions.

Leukocyte-Poor PRP Treatments

One condition for which doctors try to avoid increasing inflammation is osteoarthritis. The last thing a doctor wants is to irritate an already painful joint, thereby causing more pain. So in such a case, a leukocyte-poor PRP treatment this more appropriate.

Leukocyte-poor injections are actually designed to reduce inflammation. At the same time, the platelets and growth factors in the injected material are still able to signal the body’s natural healing response. That is the ultimate goal regardless of white blood cell counts in PRP material.

Both Treatments Take Time

It is important to note that both types of treatments take time to accomplish their goals. As explained by the pain medicine doctors at Lone Star Pain Medicine in Weatherford, TX, PRP therapy isn’t designed to merely mask pain. PRP is not an anesthetic. It’s not an analgesic, either.

PRP is a natural substance consisting of biological material the body normally uses on a daily basis. The point of the therapy is to get the body to do a better job of healing disease and injury. As the body responds, pain relief follows. But that could take days, weeks, or longer.

Minimally Invasive and Safe

Lone Star also explains that PRP therapy is minimally invasive and safe regardless of whether a leukocyte-rich or leukocyte-poor procedure is utilized. The blood from which the PRP material is derived comes from the very patient being treated. Therefore, the risk of rejection or severe complications is extremely low.

The procedure itself is pretty simple. A standard blood draw starts things off. The blood is then processed in a centrifuge to isolate platelets and growth factors. If the doctor is aiming for a leukocyte-rich material, a slightly different processing method is utilized.

The processed material is then injected directly into the site of injury or disease. Hopefully, the body begins responding soon thereafter. In most cases, several injections are necessary to optimize PRP’s benefits.

Now you know. The difference between leukocyte-rich and leukocyte-poor PRP treatments is the volume of white blood cells included in the PRP mixture. Some treatments call for a higher volume while others require little to no white blood cells.