Naturopathy and Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment: Another Dud, Methinks.

here, I compare opinions about Platelet Rich Plasma therapy by the New York Times [NYT; see 001., below], PalMD at Scienceblogs [see 002., below], and an NMD [see 003., below]:

001. Kolata, G. (? ?) reports in the NYT’s “Popular Blood Therapy May Not Work”(2010-01-12):

“platelet-rich plasma, or P.R.P. [...] it is a new procedure, based on an idea that once seemed revolutionary: Inject people with their own blood, concentrated so it is mostly platelets, the tiny colorless bodies that release substances that help repair tissues […] now, though, the first rigorous study asking whether the platelet injections actually work finds they are no more effective than saltwater […it’s] ‘an unproven therapy.’”

Note: I'd argue that PRP is seemingly on its way to being another proven placebo therapy.

002. PalMD writes in “Platelet Rich Plasma”(2010-02-23):

“there is little evidence to support platelet rich plasma for the treatment of anything. And yet it is being hyped and sold everywhere as a miracle cure for musculoskeletal injuries. Perhaps more studies will enlighten the issue further, but at this point, PRP is nothing but expensive snake oil, and those who promote and use it should re-examine the data and their ethics.”

003. meanwhile, in naturopathy-land, Cronin, M.J. (NMD NCNM 1980) states in “Naturopathic Doctor of Scottsdale Treats Golf Injuries with Revolutionary Technology”(2010-04-13):

“platelet rich plasma treatment (PRP) is a non-surgical method that regenerates ligaments and treats chronic pain […] PRP is a major component of the healing process that Dr. Cronin prescribes […] Michael Cronin, NMD […] states ‘naturopathic physicians seek to treat the causes of disease rather than to simply suppress the symptoms […] treating pain effectively and achieving complete recovery is an important part of what we do here. PRP has given hope to those whom only a few years ago had very limited options to recovery [...to] correct those nagging and painful injuries that limit their activities.’”

004. so, there seems, at first glance, to be contesting EXPERT opinions regarding PRP!

I, myself, do not think it works and would not trust an ND/NMD’s opinion of what is actually ‘in-evidence.’ ND/NMDs are, after all, the crowd that labels the hugely science-ejected for decades and hundreds of years as scientific.  That is not expertise, that is madness.