The Book on PRP: An easy to understand "consumer's guide" to understanding how platelet-rich plasma is used to treat problems such as tendonitis, ... fasciitis, and other related disorders Paperback – December 2, 2010

My orthopedic specialist recommended I get a PRP injection and felt it was a safer and healthier option than getting steroid injections several times a year. This book helped me understand the procedure and the many ways it would work to alleviate my pain and help me to have a better quality of life without pain, and eliminate the risk of steroids eventually damaging my joints. I highly recommend this book, and also the PRP injections, that fortunately, have kept me pain free for over a year, with each injection!

It's ok

Our office is planning on performing this procedure in the near future. I wanted beginner's guide to understand start to finish and what to expect. With that I can also explain the same to the patient, step by step, for them to trust and understand as well and feel more confident and at ease.

This is a good basic introduction to PRP prolotherapy, but it's a shame Dr. Wei didn't do more research outside his own area of special interest before writing it. The basic science presented is quite solid. However the parts on clinical practice suffer from some severe deficiencies1. The author repeatedly asserts that ultrasound guidance is essential for effective treatment. He offers no evidence to support this theory. On the contrary, prolotherapists have been injecting tendons, joints and ligaments without ultrasound for 50 years and their many published studies show that they get success rates of 80% and better. Probably 90% of the time adding ultrasound just makes the procedure take longer and adds to the cost. To say that PRP treatment without ultrasound guidance is ineffective is just misinformation.2. The author also repeatedly asserts that tenotomy is necessary for best results of PRP treatment. Again with no evidence whatsoever. It appears that he is just relating his own theory.3. Not surprisingly the author thinks that rheumatologists (since he is one) are the best specialists to practice PRP treatments. Orthopedists, Physical Medicine specialists and others might disagree. Especially since very few rheumatologists are actually trained in prolotherapy. He doesn't mention that the American Association for Orthopedic Medicine has the only certification program in prolotherapy.4. He recommends specific brands of PRP preparation machines. These are out of date. New machines appear and old ones disappear all the time. The important thing is the platelet concentration produced and whether or not the PRP contains red blood cells and/or white blood cells. PRP with red blood cells causes unnecessary pain and inflammation. There is ongoing debate about whether PRP is better with or without white blood cells.5. He advocates using stem cells from bone marrow. But you can get 10-100 times as many stem cells from fat and it's just as easy to harvest.This book is good on the basics of PRP, but is not helpful for someone actually seeking treatment. The recommendations are frequently not based on science.

The book is definitively for the non medically oriented public. It is clear and easy reading. Unfortunately the author makes some very inaccurate and false claims. The biggest and most invasive procedures a rheumatologist perform during training is a joint injections and maybe muscle infiltration. It is true, they know joints and soft tissue very well. Neurologist know the brain very well but that does not make them the best choice to take place shunts and remove brain tumors. With extreme exceptions, they are not train for this type of procedure unless they have done a "weekend" course. I do not question Dr. Wei's ability, but to make the claim that rheumatologist in general are the most indicated to perform this procedures is a big false statement. Orthopedic surgeons, pain doctors and PM&R, in that sequence, on the other hand knows the anatomy, function and their training is more invasive. Do a google search to check the background of the people currently doing this type of procedure. He should be impartial, unbiased and not use the book as a marketing tool. In summary, an OK book, easy reading, clear and very concise, it is true you should always check the physician's credentials. Some specialties learn anatomy and function as part of their training more than others. Don't pick a doctor base on their specialty.

Returning book it did not offer information regarding PRP vampire facials. Thanks

The author does a good job of explaining how PRP can help the patient and what to expect. It stops short of telling a practitioner of what is necessary in order to be effective at PRP. This should not be a surprise...everybody wants to sell what they know or charge heavily so they can learn.

Good buy for basic knowledge. Low price.