For patients living with chronic wounds, healing can begin to feel less like a process and more like a waiting game. Weeks turn into months, bandages are changed, instructions are followed, yet progress remains slow or nonexistent. In many cases, the problem is not effort or compliance, but biology. The body’s natural healing signals have weakened or gone quiet. That is where platelet-rich plasma therapy, also known as PRP, is beginning to change the conversation.
PRP therapy is a recent addition to the care protocol at the Wound Center of Tucson, introduced to help address wounds that have stalled despite appropriate treatment. Rather than relying on synthetic materials or external agents, PRP uses the patient’s own blood to enhance healing. A small blood sample is drawn and processed to concentrate platelets, which are then applied directly to the wound site. These platelets carry growth factors and signaling proteins that play a central role in tissue repair, inflammation control, and new blood vessel formation.
In healthy wounds, platelets act early and decisively. They help organize the body’s response to injury by recruiting the cells needed to rebuild tissue and restore circulation. Chronic wounds, however, often lack this coordinated response. Conditions such as diabetes, vascular disease, and prolonged pressure can interrupt the signaling process, leaving wounds stuck in a prolonged inflammatory state. PRP therapy works by reintroducing a concentrated dose of the body’s own healing signals exactly where they are needed, helping to restart processes that have slowed or stopped…