There are some more articles that I found on the "plasma therapy" that Rafa has undergone & he isn't the only one that has..this is interestingly enough & I feel there is real hope for Rafa in prolonging his career with this treatment ..gotta love science!

NyTimes:A Promising Treatment for Athletes, in Blood

Experts in sports medicine say that if the technique’s early promise is fulfilled, it could eventually improve the treatment of stubborn injuries like tennis elbow and knee tendinitis for athletes of all types.
The method, which is strikingly straightforward and easy to perform, centers on injecting portions of a patient’s blood directly into the injured area, which catalyzes the body’s instincts to repair muscle, bone and other tissue. Most enticing, many doctors said, is that the technique appears to help regenerate ligament and tendon fibers, which could shorten rehabilitation time and possibly obviate surgery.

Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy to Treat Sports Injuries

What is PRP?

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is the name given to blood plasma with a high concentration of platelets (another blood component). These concentrated platelets contain huge doses of bioactive proteins, such as growth factors, that are pivotal in the repair and regeneration of issues. These special proteins also initiate new blood vessel formation, bone regeneration and healing, connective tissue repair and endorse overall wound healing.

Differentiating "Blood Doping" and "Blood Spinning"

Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP) has begun to adopt the appropriate title of "blood spinning." This post aims to differentiate that label from "blood doping," a separate treatment performed for a completely different purpose. While a blood transufussion means of doping relies on an athlete's blood being spun in a centrifuge similar to PRP, the materials being extracted from the centrifuge are different in both procedures, with seperate uses and intentions. Simply stated, PRP aims to repair soft-tissue tears naturally, blood doping attempts to enhance red blood cell counts artificially.