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Arthritis Treatment in Leicester: Steps and Aftercare

First a doctor reviews your tests and history; then PRP and SVF cell therapy may join your arthritis care for the knee, hand, shoulder or other joints

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Knee joint: regenerative treatment without surgery
Joint treatment without surgery. Free consultation and review of your scans

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What it is

What is arthritis
and when does this treatment fit?

Arthritis means an inflamed joint. It usually shows as pain at rest and at night, stiffness in the morning lasting over half an hour, swelling, redness and a warm joint. Causes differ: autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, gout, an infection or a past injury.

  • No surgery — an injection instead of an operation
  • Own tissue — your blood and adipose tissue
  • Ultrasound guidance for every injection
Knee joint: an injection under ultrasound guidance

Who the treatment suits

Whether this treatment fits you is a doctor's decision, made after an examination and a scan review

Suitable

A doctor reviews knee X-rays with a patient
  • Pain, crunching or stiffness in a joint
  • Painkillers only help for a short time
  • Recovery after injuries and surgery
  • You need a second opinion on your scans
  • You want to avoid or postpone joint replacement
  • Early or moderate arthrosis or arthritis
  • High load on the joints — sport or physical work

Not suitable

A doctor examines a patient's knee
  • Cancer
  • Pregnancy
  • Blood clotting disorders
  • Acute infections, including infection in or near the joint
  • Flare-up of a serious chronic illness
  • Temporary contraindications: skin inflammation over the target joint, or a fever, a cold or flu

Not sure the treatment is right for you?

Leave your number — the coordinator will ask for your scans (X-ray, MRI or ultrasound), and the doctor will tell you whether treatment without surgery suits you.

Find out if it suits me

What we treat

Conditions we treat

How it works

How the procedure goes: step by step

Consultation and scan review1

Consultation and scan review

First comes an examination of the joint and a look at your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound; then the doctor decides whether the procedure fits your case. Existing scans can be sent before the visit.

Blood sample for PRP2

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.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

Under local anaesthetic, a small portion of adipose tissue (about 30 ml) is taken through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. No stitches are needed.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

The stromal vascular fraction is isolated after the sample is spun in a centrifuge and separates into layers, then mixed with the platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

The affected joint receives the prepared material by direct injection under ultrasound guidance, for precise placement.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

There are no crutches and no hospital stay. After the procedure the doctor keeps in touch and follows how the joint responds.

Book a consultation

Call or message us — our coordinator will contact you shortly and book your consultation

A doctor talks with a patient about joint treatment
Book a consultation
A doctor talks with a patient about joint treatment

Results

After the procedure

  • Doctor talking warmly with a patient after the procedure

    1 week

    The joint may ache a little more — this is an expected reaction.

  • Doctor consulting an older patient one month after treatment

    1 month

    The pain usually eases.

  • Doctor explaining progress to a patient using a knee joint model

    ~3 months

    Mobility and activity improve.

  • Doctor and patient walking together at a follow-up visit

    ~6 months

    The full effect develops.

How long it lasts differs from person to person and depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors — no one can promise a fixed result.

Comparison

Methods we use

Only your own blood and adipose tissue are used — no donor or synthetic material

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) — a blend of cells involved in repairing tissue — is isolated by processing a small sample of your adipose tissue. Mixed with your own plasma, it goes into the affected joint by injection.

A doctor explains SVF cell therapy for the knee to a patient on a tablet

In inflammatory arthritis, after the acute flare has passed, it is chosen for how it acts on local inflammation and tissue repair.

Material
Your adipose tissue and plasma
How it is given
Into the joint, under ultrasound
Duration
The whole procedure is done in one day.

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.

A doctor explains PRP therapy for joints to a patient on a monitor

For rheumatoid and other forms of inflammatory arthritis it may be suggested as one component of the overall plan of treatment.

Material
Your blood from a vein
How it is given
Into the joint, under ultrasound
Duration
The whole procedure is done in one day.

The benefits and timings shown are averaged and given for guidance: the plan and recovery depend on your joint and individual features, and the doctor confirms them at the consultation.

At the consultation the doctor will review your scans and suggest a treatment plan

Free consultation

Book a consultation

Joints

Joints we treat

We treat large and small joints; the joint, the method and the injection count are set by the doctor after a review of your scans

  • KneeKneeMeniscus issues and cartilage wear, with pain after walking or on stairs
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderRaising the arm hurts; the joint and the tendons around it are worn
  • ElbowElbowJoint surfaces that have worn, plus pain after sports strain or overuse
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsPain and stiffness affecting the small joints of the fingers and wrist
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

Treatment without surgery that sets out to keep your own joint instead of replacing it

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

Only your own blood and adipose tissue are used — no donor or synthetic material

No crutches

No crutches

No long rehabilitation — just punctures instead of incisions and local anaesthetic

Second opinion

Second opinion

Send us your X-rays, MRI or medical reports for a free, independent assessment by a doctor

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

We remain in contact after the procedure and follow the result, well beyond the injection day

About the clinic

A clinic where you can feel at ease

Modern equipment, comfortable rooms and care for every patient

A doctor and a patient at the clinic

Contact us the way that suits you

We will answer your questions and find a convenient time for a consultation

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Price

Arthritis treatment prices

The doctor names the cost after the consultation, because it depends on the joint, the type of arthritis and the method

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

What Leicester residents ask about arthritis

Without treatment, rheumatoid arthritis can lead to permanent joint deformity, loss of function and damage to internal organs. Timely treatment matters for every patient in Leicester.

Most patients in Leicester go home the same day and return to normal daily activity within a day or two. During the first week the joint may ache a little more — this is an expected reaction.

The cost of arthritis treatment depends on the joint, the type of arthritis and the method, so the price is set at the consultation. For patients from Leicester, the first consultation and review of your scans are free. Leave your name and phone number to book.

Damp winters and stiff mornings in Leicester

The weather figures for Leicester are modest rather than extreme. At the Newtown Linford station, about 5 miles north-west of the centre, the 1971–2000 normals show January as the coldest month, with an average daytime maximum of 6.7 °C and a night minimum of 0.5 °C. July is the warmest month, with a mean maximum of 21.6 °C and a minimum of 10.8 °C. The annual mean is 9.4 °C. The climate is maritime, with low sunshine and rain spread through the year rather than concentrated in a single season.

Rainfall adds up to 684.4 mm over 120.8 days. December is the wettest month (68.8 mm over 11.7 days), followed closely by January (61.7 mm), and July is the driest (46.1 mm over 7.8 days). Many people with joint disease say that cold, damp spells make their joints feel worse. The weather data cannot prove that link for any individual, and the doctor will not treat it as a rule. It is better treated as a hypothesis to test in your own records, which is where a diary helps.

Heat also deserves a note. On average the area has about 11.3 days a year at 25.1 °C or above, and past summers have gone well beyond that: 34.5 °C was recorded at Newtown Linford in August 1990, and 35.1 °C at Leicester University in August 2003. Hot spells change how much people move and drink, and they can change sleep. All of these can alter how a swollen joint feels from one day to the next.

The practical point is that an inflamed joint has its own rhythm. Pain at night or at rest, morning stiffness lasting longer than half an hour, swelling, and a joint that is red and warm all point towards inflammation rather than simple wear. If you notice that such episodes cluster in the wet months, write it down with dates. Do not assume it is the cause. Your notes become useful evidence for the doctor during the online consultation.

Keeping a symptom diary that a doctor can use

A flare is a period when an inflammatory joint gets noticeably worse, and the procedures described on our site are not done during a severe flare or an active joint infection. For that reason the timing of your flares matters as much as their severity. A diary lets the doctor see when the joint is calm enough to consider PRP or SVF injections as one part of the plan, and when it is better to wait.

Keep the diary short enough that you will actually fill it in. A line each evening is plenty, and these are the points that help most:

- Which joints hurt, and whether the pain woke you at night or was present at rest.

- How long the morning stiffness lasted. The threshold doctors listen for is longer than 30 minutes, so note whether yours passed it.

- Whether there was visible swelling, redness or warmth over the joint.

- Any fever, cold, flu or skin inflammation over the joint. These are temporary reasons to postpone treatment, so the doctor needs to know about them.

- What you took for the pain and how long the relief lasted. Painkillers that help only briefly are one of the signs that a second opinion is worth having.

- Your activity that day, such as a long walk, a day on your feet or a match on the sofa. A note on the weather is optional and can sit beside it.

After four to six weeks, patterns often become visible: a joint that always swells after a particular activity, or stiffness that is worse after poor sleep. You do not need to interpret anything. Send the diary together with your scans (X-ray, MRI or ultrasound) and your recent blood test reports if you have them. The coordinator will pass everything to the doctor, who reviews it before the call.

It also helps to note which type of arthritis you have been told you have. The causes range from autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, to gout, infection and an old injury. The approach differs for each, and regenerative injections never replace the care of a rheumatologist when the disease is systemic.

Specialist access and waiting times across England

Arthritis is common across the United Kingdom. Arthritis UK, in the 2026 edition of its State of Musculoskeletal Health report, says that over 10 million adults, young people and children live with it. Osteoarthritis is the most common type in the UK according to the NHS. Risk rises with age, is higher in women than in men, and is higher in people with obesity or a previous joint injury. A GP may suspect it in someone aged 45 or older.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a different kind of problem. The NHS states that there is no cure. Treatment is long-term medicine to relieve symptoms and slow progression, together with physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and surgery can correct joint problems that develop. This matches the position we take. PRP and SVF do not cure rheumatoid arthritis, and once an acute flare has settled the doctor can assess whether injections might ease local symptoms. They are an addition to your rheumatologist's plan, not a substitute for it.

Waiting is a real consideration. NHS England's statistical press notice of 10 September 2026 reported 7.3 million referral-to-treatment pathways waiting to start treatment at the end of July 2026, relating to around 6.2 million unique patients, and 111,379 of those had waited more than 52 weeks. These figures cover all specialities, not arthritis alone, so they cannot tell you how long a rheumatology or orthopaedic appointment would take. They do explain why some people look for an independent assessment of their scans while they wait.

An online consultation does not move you in or out of the NHS pathway, and you should keep your existing appointments and medicines. What it can offer is a second reading of your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound and an honest view on whether treatment without surgery could suit you. Where the joint is already badly damaged, the doctor will say so. The NHS itself describes hip replacement as something to consider when pain and stiffness have a big effect on life and other treatments have not worked, and sometimes that is the more realistic route.

Weight, age and an active city

Leicester's population was 383,116 in 2025 within a city area of 73 km², and the wider urban area had 559,017 people at the 2021 count. The city is home to two universities, the University of Leicester and De Montfort University, so its age profile includes many young adults alongside older residents. Arthritis is not only a condition of later life, and inflammatory forms can begin early. Pain, swelling and stiffness at 25 deserve the same attention as at 65.

Sport is part of the city's identity. Leicester City FC, Leicester Tigers, Leicester Riders basketball and Leicestershire County Cricket Club are all based here, and the city was named UK's Greatest Sporting City in 2016 and European City of Sport in 2008. National Cycle Network Route 6 runs through Leicestershire, and the Leicester Bike Park sits in Town Hall Square. For people who play or cycle regularly, joints take repeated load, which is why the treatment criteria list high load on the joints, such as sport or physical work, among the situations where regenerative injections may be relevant. The doctor will also ask about old injuries. The list of joints we treat includes the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist, and ankle, and an ankle that has never felt right since a sprain is a common reason for contact.

Body weight deserves a calm mention. In the Health Survey for England 2022, NHS Digital reported that 29% of adults were living with obesity and 64% were overweight or living with obesity. The regional spread was wide: obesity ranged from 39% in the North East to 21% in London. Extra weight raises the load on knees and hips and is one of the risk factors the NHS names for osteoarthritis. The same NHS guidance on weight loss surgery lists arthritis among the conditions that might improve with weight loss. Our service text also names body weight as one of the factors that influence how long an effect lasts, so the doctor may talk about it openly. This is part of planning, not criticism.

Getting the most from the online consultation

Coordinators answer round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram, so you can send material at any hour and it will be waiting for the doctor. Before the call, gather what makes the review fast and useful:

- Imaging: the X-ray, MRI or ultrasound files, or the written reports if you do not have the images. Reports alone help, but the images are better.

- Your diary, with the joints affected and the morning stiffness noted.

- A list of current medicines, including those prescribed by a rheumatologist, so the doctor knows what the injections would sit alongside.

- Information on conditions that make injections unsuitable: cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infections including in or near the joint, a flare-up of a serious chronic illness, or a fever, cold or flu on the day.

- A list of questions. Ask what the doctor expects for your type of arthritis, how many injections might be needed and which joint comes first.

When treatment is considered, the plan is fairly short. A small blood sample is taken to prepare PRP. For SVF, roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue is taken under local anaesthetic through a single puncture on the abdomen or the inner thigh, with no stitches. The sample is spun in a centrifuge, the stromal vascular fraction is isolated and added to the platelet-rich plasma, and the material is injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. The whole procedure is done in one day, and there are no crutches and no hospital stay. Afterwards the doctor keeps in touch.

Expect a gradual course. In the first week the joint may ache a little more, which is an expected reaction. By about a month the pain usually eases, around 3 months mobility and activity improve, and around 6 months the full effect develops. These are averages for guidance, and nobody can promise a fixed result. The pace depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors.

Calendar, holidays and planning around a flare

Leicester's year is busy. The Caribbean Carnival and parade is the largest in the UK outside London, Diwali celebrations centred on Belgrave Road Golden Mile are the largest outside India, and the city also hosts the Comedy Festival, Pride and, usually in early November, the International Short Film Festival. Crowds, long days on your feet and disturbed routines can all affect a joint, so it is worth marking such dates in your diary.

Bank holidays matter for a different reason. GOV.UK lists 8 in England and Wales for 2026, and the late-year ones, Christmas Day on 25 December and the substitute Boxing Day on 28 December, fall in a period when NHS routine services slow down. If you are in a flare over that time, do not wait for services to resume. Contact the NHS as you normally would for urgent symptoms. Our coordinators remain reachable on messaging apps throughout.

A flare also changes the timetable for treatment. Because the procedure is never done during a severe flare or active infection, a plan may be moved by a few weeks, and that is a normal decision, not a failure. The doctor can use your notes to suggest a time when the joint is quieter.

Does Leicester's damp, mild weather make arthritis worse?

The climate figures show rain throughout the year, with December the wettest month at 68.8 mm and January the coldest, with an average daytime maximum of 6.7 °C. Many patients report more stiffness in such conditions, but the weather data cannot prove a cause for any one person. Note the weather in your diary beside your symptoms and let the doctor look for a pattern in your own records.

How do I describe morning stiffness to the doctor?

Note how long it takes for the joint to loosen after you get up, and say whether it goes beyond 30 minutes. Stiffness lasting longer than that, together with night pain, swelling, redness or warmth, points towards inflammation rather than simple wear. Record it for a few weeks, then send the diary with your scans.

I am already waiting for an NHS appointment. Can I still ask for a review?

Yes. Keep your existing appointments and medicines. NHS England reported 7.3 million waiting pathways at the end of July 2026 across all specialities, so an independent reading of your scans can be useful while you wait. The review does not replace your rheumatologist's care. It tells you whether treatment without surgery might fit.

Does the hospital hip replacement route rule out PRP or SVF?

Not automatically. The NHS describes hip replacement as an option when pain and stiffness affect life heavily and other treatments have not worked. At early stages of hip osteoarthritis, injections combined with exercise therapy and physiotherapy may reduce pain and improve movement. If the joint is badly damaged, replacement may be the more realistic option, and the doctor will say so after seeing your scans.

Do age and body weight affect whether the treatment is considered?

They affect how the plan is shaped rather than whether you can ask. The NHS notes that osteoarthritis risk rises with age and is higher with obesity or joint injury, and our service text names body weight among the factors behind how long an effect lasts. The doctor will discuss this at the consultation as part of realistic expectations.

I play sport in Leicester. Should I mention this to the doctor?

Yes, and mention old injuries too. High load on the joints, from sport or physical work, is one of the situations in which treatment may be considered, and the doctor selects the joint, the method and the number of injections after reviewing your scans. Tell the doctor how often you train and which joint complains.

What if I have a fever or a cold when the date arrives?

Tell the coordinator before the day. A fever, cold, flu or skin inflammation over the joint is a temporary reason to postpone treatment, and the same applies to an active joint infection or a severe flare. The doctor will move the date until the joint and your general health are settled.

Will I keep seeing my rheumatologist if I have this treatment?

Yes. PRP and SVF are used alongside, not instead of, a rheumatologist's care for a systemic disease such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis. Neither is a cure. The aim is to ease local inflammation and pain and to support tissue in the joint, while your existing medicines continue as prescribed.