City Medical Centre · multi-specialty surgery clinicOpen 24/7
EN
Message us on Telegram

Treatment of Inflammatory Joint Conditions in Liverpool

PRP and SVF cell therapy as part of arthritis care for the knee, hand, shoulder and other joints. A doctor reviews your case and tests first

Consultation and review of your scansFree

Message us on WhatsApp

Free online consultation · Reply within 15 minutes

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

Message our coordinator

Free online consultation · Reply within 15 minutes

Message us on Telegram

By messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy

What it is

What is arthritis
and when does this treatment fit?

In arthritis the joint is inflamed. People typically notice pain even at rest or at night, stiffness on waking that goes on for more than half an hour, swelling, and a red, warm joint. Behind it may be an autoimmune condition such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, gout, an infection or old trauma.

  • 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

The treatment is only offered once a doctor has examined you and reviewed your scans and found it suitable

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: a cold or flu, a fever, or inflamed skin over the joint that is to be treated

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

Blood is taken from a vein in a small amount, later to be turned into platelet-rich plasma with growth factors.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

Through a puncture on the inner thigh or abdomen, and under local anaesthetic, about 30 ml of adipose tissue is taken. Stitches are not needed.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

Spinning in a centrifuge divides the sample into layers; the stromal vascular fraction is isolated and blended with the platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

Ultrasound guidance helps position it precisely as the prepared material is injected directly into the affected joint.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

The doctor follows how the joint responds and stays in touch after the procedure — and you need no crutches or hospital stay.

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

Your own adipose tissue and blood are the only materials used, never donor or synthetic ones

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

The affected joint receives an injection of the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) — a set of cells involved in tissue repair, isolated from a small sample of your adipose tissue — combined with your own plasma.

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

Plasma rich in platelets and growth factors is taken from a small amount of your blood and injected into the joint, where it helps calm inflammation and improves the conditions for tissue repair.

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

It may be recommended for rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis as one part of the overall treatment plan.

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

Large and small joints — the doctor chooses the joint, the method and the number of injections after reviewing your scans

  • KneeKneeCartilage wear, meniscus problems, pain on stairs and after walking
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain on lifting the arm and wear of the joint and nearby tendons
  • ElbowElbowPain after overuse or sports strain, wear of the joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsPain and stiffness in the small joints of the wrist and fingers
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

Your own joint stays: we work on keeping it rather than replacing it — treatment without surgery

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

Your own adipose tissue and blood are the only materials used, never donor or synthetic ones

No crutches

No crutches

Local anaesthetic, punctures rather than incisions, and no long rehabilitation

Second opinion

Second opinion

A doctor independently assesses the X-rays, MRI or reports you send — free of charge

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

The result matters to us beyond injection day, so we stay in touch after the procedure

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

By messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy

Request a free call

Price

Arthritis treatment prices

Because the joint, the type of arthritis and the method all affect the cost, the doctor names it after the consultation

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

Everything about joint inflammation treatment in Liverpool

PRP and SVF can help reduce inflammation and pain and support the tissues inside the joint. For patients from Liverpool with systemic disease, they complement, but do not replace, care from a rheumatologist.

Treatment starts with a consultation and a review of your scans and tests. Then blood and a small adipose tissue sample are taken, processed in a centrifuge and injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. For patients from Liverpool, it is done in one day.

Send your X-rays, MRI, ultrasound or blood test results. Patients from Liverpool receive a free assessment and a clear answer on suitable treatment and its price.

An inflamed joint: telling arthritis apart from simple wear

The word arthritis covers a family of conditions, and what they share is inflammation in a joint. The signs that point that way are pain at night or at rest, morning stiffness that lasts longer than half an hour, swelling, and a joint that looks red and feels warm. Wear of the cartilage, which is osteoarthritis, tends to behave differently, so it matters to know which one you are dealing with before choosing any treatment.

The causes differ. Arthritis can be autoimmune, as in rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, it can be gout, it can follow an infection, or it can be a late result of an old injury. The NHS explains that in rheumatoid arthritis the immune system, which normally fights infection, attacks the cells that line the joints by mistake, and that over time the inflamed joints can be damaged along with the cartilage and nearby bone. It says there is no cure, but that early treatment can allow months or even years between flares.

That is why our doctor does not begin with an injection. The first step is to confirm the type of arthritis, to look at your scans and to ask what care you already receive. If you have a systemic disease, the injections are a support for the joint, never a substitute for the rheumatologist who looks after the whole condition.

The NHS notes that rheumatoid arthritis is usually first felt in the small joints of the hands and feet and is often diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 60, while osteoarthritis usually starts in the late 40s. Those are broad patterns, not rules, and a stiff hand in your thirties deserves the same attention as one in your fifties. If several joints on both sides of the body are affected at once, tell the coordinator, as this pattern is useful to the doctor.

Timing is everything: why the doctor waits for a quiet phase

Arthritis comes in waves. A joint can be fiery for a fortnight and calm for months, and the right moment for an injection is not the worst day. The doctor chooses the moment, and never acts during a severe flare or during an active infection of the joint. A raised temperature, a cold, flu or inflamed skin above the joint are also temporary reasons to wait.

Because of this, honesty in your first message is valuable. Say whether the joint is in a flare at the moment, when it began, and what your rheumatologist or GP has changed in your treatment recently. Mention every medicine you take, including those that reduce the activity of the immune system, since the doctor needs the whole picture before planning anything.

If your coordinator tells you to wait, that is not a refusal. It is the plan. The team can keep the conversation open, ask you for an update on the joint in a few weeks and move your consultation or injection date as needed. You do not have to start again each time.

A joint diary is worth starting now. A line each morning is enough: the joint, the stiffness in minutes, swelling yes or no, pain from one to ten. In a calm phase the entries will be short; in a flare they will tell the doctor and your rheumatologist exactly what happened and for how long.

What PRP and SVF can and cannot do for an inflamed joint

The clinic uses material prepared from your own tissue. A sample of blood gives platelet-rich plasma with growth factors. About 30 ml of adipose tissue is collected under local anaesthetic through one puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, with no stitches, and the stromal vascular fraction is isolated in a centrifuge and combined with the plasma. The doctor injects the material into the joint under ultrasound guidance. The role of the injection is to help reduce inflammation and pain and to support tissue inside the joint.

There is no hospital stay and no crutches. In the first week the joint may ache a little more, which is expected. After about a month the pain usually eases, after about three months mobility and activity improve, and after about six months the full effect develops. Duration differs from person to person and depends on the type and stage of the condition, your weight, your activity and other factors, and no one can promise a fixed result.

Who is the treatment not for? People with cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infections including infection in or near the joint, and a flare-up of a serious chronic illness. The doctor will tell you at the consultation if your situation falls into one of these groups.

The doctor will also ask about the joint that is not the obvious one. A hip may be sore because of a knee, and a shoulder because of the neck, so the review of scans covers the neighbouring joints too. If you have had injections or operations before, describe them and, if you can, send the discharge letters.

Keeping a rheumatology plan and a treatment plan in step

The NHS lists the main ways of managing arthritis: physiotherapy and occupational therapy, medicines for pain, swelling and inflammation or to reduce immune system activity, equipment for mobility and daily living, complementary therapies such as acupuncture, and surgery if symptoms are severe and other treatments have not helped. Our injections are a further option, used alongside these, not instead of them.

It helps to tell the people who look after you. Let your GP or rheumatologist know that you are having a second opinion, and ask them for a copy of your latest blood tests, your clinic letters and the dates of recent flares. Send them to the coordinator along with your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound. The more complete the file, the more precise the doctor's advice.

Keep your appointments in order. If you have a rheumatology review in three weeks, mention it, and ask the coordinator whether the injection should come before or after. Do not change or stop any prescribed medicine on your own because of the injections; any adjustment is a matter for the doctor who prescribes it.

Rehabilitation after injuries and operations is within the range of conditions the clinic reviews, and so are inflammatory joint conditions, avascular necrosis and meniscus problems. If your case is one of these, name it in the first message and attach what you have.

Starting an online conversation from Liverpool

Liverpool is a city of about 486,100 people according to the 2021 census published by the Office for National Statistics, and a Liverpool patient who writes to us does not need to go anywhere to begin. A message to the coordinator in WhatsApp or Telegram is enough. The team replies around the clock, so you can write on a bad night as easily as in a quiet afternoon.

Send your scans and a few lines about the joint: which one, how long, what makes it worse, how long the morning stiffness lasts, whether it is swollen or warm now. A doctor then gives a free assessment of your reports. Tell us if you want only a second opinion, and the team will answer that and nothing more.

Whatever the doctor advises, you take the plan home and think it over. The price is named after the consultation, fixed in the contract, and nothing is booked until you confirm the dates.

How do I know whether my problem is arthritis or osteoarthritis?

Pain at night or rest, morning stiffness longer than half an hour, swelling, redness and warmth point to inflammation. The doctor confirms the type from your history and scans, so send both.

Can I have an injection during a flare?

The doctor never treats during a severe flare or an active infection of the joint. You may be asked to wait for a calmer phase and then arrange the date.

Do I stop my rheumatology medicines?

No. Do not change or stop prescribed medicines on your own. The injections are meant to work alongside, not instead of, your rheumatologist's care.

What does the NHS offer for arthritis?

The NHS lists physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medicines, equipment, complementary therapies and surgery for severe symptoms. Ask your GP what is available to you.

Which documents help the doctor most?

Your latest X-ray, MRI or ultrasound, recent blood tests, letters from your rheumatologist and a list of medicines. Photographs of swollen joints are useful too.

Is rheumatoid arthritis curable?

The NHS says there is no cure, but that early treatment can allow months or even years between flares. Our injections do not claim to cure it.

Can I send my information in the evening?

Yes. Coordinators reply around the clock in WhatsApp and Telegram. The doctor's review follows once your documents are in.

What if I have a cold or fever?

A fever, a cold or flu, or inflamed skin above the joint are temporary reasons to postpone. Tell the coordinator and the date will be moved.