Arthritis Treatment in Chicago
Cell therapy (SVF) and PRP as one element of arthritis care — knee, hand, shoulder and other joints, with a doctor reviewing your tests beforehand
No surgery — an injection instead of an operation
Own tissue — your blood and adipose tissue
Ultrasound guidance for every injection
Free consultation
and review of your scans
What is arthritis
and when does this treatment fit?
Arthritis is inflammation of a joint. Typical signs are pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness that lasts longer than half an hour, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint. The causes vary: autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, gout, infection or an old injury.
These injections — PRP and SVF — can reduce pain and inflammation and support tissue inside the joint, but a systemic disease stays under a rheumatologist's care. During an active infection of the joint or a severe flare the procedure is not done: the doctor first confirms the arthritis type and chooses when to act.
No surgery — an injection instead of an operation
Ultrasound guidance for every injection
Free consultation and review of your scans
Joints we treat
Small joints as well as large — the doctor reviews your scans and then chooses the joint, the method and how many injections to give
Elbow
Pain after strain in sport or overuse, and worn surfaces inside the joint
Hand and wrist joints
Pain and stiffness affecting the small joints of the fingers and wrist
Knee
Cartilage that has worn, meniscus trouble, pain after walks and on stairs
Hip
Early hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
Ankle
Pain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries
Shoulder
Wear in the joint and the tendons around it, painful arm raising
Methods we use
Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue
To obtain the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a mix of cells that support tissue repair, a small sample of your adipose tissue is processed. The SVF is combined with your own plasma and injected into the affected joint.
Once the acute flare has settled, it is used in inflammatory arthritis for its effect on tissue repair and local inflammation.
PRP — platelet-rich plasma from your own blood
Your blood, in a small amount, provides plasma rich in platelets and growth factors; injected into the joint, it helps ease inflammation and creates better conditions for repair of the tissues.
Rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis may call for it as one part of the overall treatment plan.
How the procedure goes: step by step
Consultation and scan review
If you already have scans, send them before the visit: the doctor examines the joint, reviews your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound and decides whether the procedure suits you.
Blood sample for PRP
A small amount of blood is taken from a vein. Platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is later prepared from it.
The doctor tells you in advance which tests are needed.
Adipose tissue sample
The doctor numbs the area with local anaesthetic and takes about 30 ml of adipose tissue through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh; stitches are not needed.
Processing in a centrifuge
The sample is spun in a centrifuge and separates into layers. The stromal vascular fraction is isolated and mixed with the platelet-rich plasma.
The whole procedure is done in one day.
Injection into the joint
The affected joint receives the prepared material by direct injection under ultrasound guidance, for precise placement.
Follow-up
No hospital stay and no crutches. Once the procedure is done, the doctor remains in touch and tracks how your joint responds.
Consultation and scan review
If you already have scans, send them before the visit: the doctor examines the joint, reviews your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound and decides whether the procedure suits you.
Blood sample for PRP
A small amount of blood is taken from a vein. Platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is later prepared from it.
The doctor tells you in advance which tests are needed.
Adipose tissue sample
The doctor numbs the area with local anaesthetic and takes about 30 ml of adipose tissue through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh; stitches are not needed.
Processing in a centrifuge
The sample is spun in a centrifuge and separates into layers. The stromal vascular fraction is isolated and mixed with the platelet-rich plasma.
The whole procedure is done in one day.
Injection into the joint
The affected joint receives the prepared material by direct injection under ultrasound guidance, for precise placement.
Follow-up
No hospital stay and no crutches. Once the procedure is done, the doctor remains in touch and tracks how your joint responds.
Follow-up visits
Pain usually eases over the first month, mobility improves over about three months and the full effect develops over around six months; follow-up visits let the doctor see the joint's response and adjust the plan.
Conditions we treat
Whether this treatment fits you is a doctor's decision, made after an examination and a scan review
What we work with
Arthritis
Arthrosis
Avascular necrosis
Osteoarthritis
Gonarthrosis (knee osteoarthritis)
Coxarthrosis (hip osteoarthritis)
Meniscus pathology and injury
Rehabilitation after injuries and surgery
Inflammatory joint conditions
Contraindications
Cancer
Pregnancy
Blood clotting disorders
Acute infections, including infection in or near the joint
Flare-up of a serious chronic illness
Cancer
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Serious heart, kidney or liver disease
Temporary contraindications: a cold, flu or fever, or skin inflammation over the joint to be treated
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
After the procedure
Most patients go home on the same day and are back to normal daily activity within a day or two; small dressings cover the puncture sites. In the first week the joint may ache slightly more — an expected reaction. Pain usually eases over the first month, mobility and activity improve over about three months, and the full effect develops over around six months. How long it lasts varies from person to person, depending on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors — nobody can promise a fixed result. If a rheumatologist is treating you, do not stop your prescribed medication without talking to them.
Why patients choose City Medical Centre
Our focus is saving your own joint, not replacing it, through treatment without surgery
Your own tissue
No donor material and nothing synthetic: just your own blood and adipose tissue
No crutches
Instead of incisions we use punctures, with local anaesthetic and no long rehabilitation
Second opinion
For a free, independent doctor's assessment, send us your X-rays, MRI or reports
Support after the procedure
Our contact does not end on the day of the injection — we stay in touch and follow the result
Arthritis treatment prices
Because the joint, the type of arthritis and the method all affect the cost, the doctor names it after the consultation
Service
Price
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
Joint treatment: frequently asked questions
What is arthritis and what are its symptoms?
With arthritis, the joints are affected by inflammation. Typical are pain even at rest and at night, stiffness on waking that lasts more than 30 minutes, swelling, redness and a warm joint. Possible causes: autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, infections, gout and psoriasis.
Can PRP help with rheumatoid arthritis?
PRP can play a part in rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis by helping reduce local inflammation, swelling and pain. Platelets release growth factors that influence tissue repair and the immune response. It works alongside your rheumatologist's prescribed treatment, not instead of it.
Can psoriatic arthritis be cured?
As a chronic disease, psoriatic arthritis cannot yet be cured completely; treatment works towards long remission, controlled inflammation and prevention of joint deformity. Regenerative injections can be part of that plan.
How does SVF work in autoimmune arthritis?
SVF brings cells able to modulate the immune response in the joint and to support repair of damaged tissue. This is an area of ongoing research, so expect the doctor to discuss realistic outcomes for your type of arthritis.
When is the treatment not suitable?
It is not done during an active joint infection, a severe flare, pregnancy, cancer or blood clotting disorders. In these cases the doctor postpones the procedure or suggests another option.
How is knee arthritis different from osteoarthritis?
In knee arthritis the inflammation comes from an autoimmune reaction, infection or gout: the knee is red, warm, markedly swollen and tender to touch. Osteoarthritis, by contrast, is cartilage wear, usually felt as a dry crunch and aching pain when moving.
Why does an arthritic joint hurt even at rest?
PRP, SVF and other treatment aimed at reducing inflammation can ease this pain, because inflammation keeps stimulating the joint's pain receptors all the time — at rest, on movement and at night.
Can joint injections be done during pregnancy?
No. Joint injections, among them PRP and SVF, are contraindicated in pregnancy. Arthritis care during pregnancy is decided only together with an obstetrician and a rheumatologist.
Can I get a second opinion on my tests and scans?
Yes. A free review by a doctor of your X-rays, MRI, ultrasound or blood test results will show whether regenerative treatment could suit your type of arthritis — send them to us.
What happens if rheumatoid arthritis is not treated?
Without treatment the condition can leave the joint permanently deformed, cause loss of function and osteoporosis, and damage internal organs like the heart, lungs and kidneys; timely treatment prevents these complications.
City Medical Centre licences
Other services at our clinic
Arthritis in Chicago: from diagnosis to follow-up
Growth factors released by platelets influence the immune response and tissue repair. For patients from Chicago with rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis, PRP may be one part of the overall plan.
Pain usually eases over the first month, and mobility improves over about three months. For patients from Chicago, the full effect develops over around six months, and its duration differs from person to person.
A consultation is the first step for every patient from Chicago. It is free, and after it you know whether the treatment fits, the method and the cost.
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