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PRP Therapy for Arthritis in Minna

A doctor looks at your case and tests first, then PRP and SVF cell therapy can become part of arthritis care for the knee, hand, shoulder or other joints

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?

With arthritis, a joint is inflamed. Signs to watch for: pain while resting and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than half an hour, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint. There are several causes — autoimmune conditions (rheumatoid, psoriatic arthritis), gout, infection or an injury from the past.

  • 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 the treatment suits you is decided by a doctor after an examination and a review of your scans

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 joint to be treated, 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

Examination of the joint and a review of X-rays, MRI or ultrasound let the doctor decide whether the procedure is suitable for you; scans you already have can be sent beforehand.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

A little blood is drawn from a vein, and from it platelet-rich plasma containing growth factors is later prepared.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

About 30 ml of adipose tissue is taken through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, under local anaesthetic; the puncture needs no stitches.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

A centrifuge spins the sample until it forms layers. The stromal vascular fraction is isolated from them and mixed with platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

Under ultrasound guidance, which helps with precise placement, the prepared material is injected straight into the affected joint.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

No crutches and no hospital stay. The doctor stays in touch after the procedure 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 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

After the acute flare settles, inflammatory arthritis can be treated with it for its action on tissue repair and local inflammation.

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

Separated from a small volume of your blood, plasma rich in platelets and growth factors is injected into the joint to help calm inflammation and create better conditions for tissue repair.

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

It may form one part of the overall treatment plan in rheumatoid and other types of inflammatory arthritis.

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

Both large and small joints — after reviewing your scans, the doctor decides on the joint, the method and how many injections you need

  • KneeKneePain climbing stairs and after walking, plus cartilage wear and meniscus problems
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderRaising the arm hurts; the joint and the tendons around it are worn
  • ElbowElbowPain brought on by overuse or sporting strain, with wear of the joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsStiff, painful small joints in the fingers and wrist
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

Preserving your own joint, not replacing it, is the goal of our treatment without surgery

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

Free of charge, a doctor gives an independent assessment of the X-rays, MRI or reports you send

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

After the injection day we stay in touch and keep following the result

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

Request a free call

Price

Arthritis treatment prices

The cost depends on the joint, the type of arthritis and the method, so 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

Arthritis in Minna: from diagnosis to follow-up

Regenerative injections are not done during an active joint infection or a severe flare. In Minna, the doctor chooses the right moment, usually once the acute inflammation has settled.

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 Minna, it is done in one day.

The price depends on how many joints are treated and on the method. For patients from Minna, the doctor explains the plan and the cost at a free consultation.

Minna and the question of joint pain

Minna is the capital of Niger State, in the North Central part of Nigeria. Its original major ethnic groups are the Gbagyi, Nupe and Hausa peoples, and the city has about 425,000 inhabitants. A city of this size has a very mixed daily life: office workers, traders, farmers who come in from the surrounding area, students, craftsmen and families who gather often for celebrations. Many of them start to notice joint complaints at some point, and many put up with them for a long time because work and family come first.

When people in Minna talk about arthritis, they usually mean a knee that hurts on the stairs, hands that are stiff in the morning, a hip that complains after a long day, or a swollen joint that does not settle. These are exactly the situations in which it is worth understanding what is going on before deciding on any treatment. This text is written for residents of Minna who want a calm, practical picture of arthritis treatment and of how planning it fits into the rhythm of their own city.

The City Medical Centre works with patients from Minna through a free online consultation. You do not need to rearrange your week around an appointment somewhere else. Coordinators are available around the clock (24/7) on Telegram and Telegram, so you can send your questions and documents when it suits you, including in the evening after work or after the market closes.

What arthritis actually is and how to recognise it

With arthritis, the joints are affected by inflammation. That is the central point, and it separates arthritis from ordinary wear or a pulled muscle. Typical signs are pain even at rest and at night, stiffness on waking that lasts more than 30 minutes, swelling, redness and a warm joint. If a joint is hot to the touch and swollen, this is not simply tiredness after a busy day.

Possible causes include autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, infections, gout and psoriasis. The cause matters a great deal, because the treatment plan for gout is not the same as for an autoimmune condition, and an infected joint is a different matter altogether. For this reason the first step is never to choose a procedure but to find out the type of arthritis and the stage of the joint.

For someone in Minna, a useful habit is to keep a short diary for a couple of weeks: which joint, at what time of day it hurts, how long the morning stiffness lasts, whether the pain wakes you at night, and what makes it better or worse. Add notes about heavy work, long hours of sitting or standing, and any skin problems or earlier infections. This diary is very helpful during an online consultation and often says more than a single description given from memory.

Climate in Minna: dry harmattan and humid rains

Minna has a typical Middle Belt tropical savanna climate with two seasons. The dry season runs from November to April and is arid, dusty and dominated by the harmattan. The wet season runs from May to October, brought by monsoonal air masses, and is humid and oppressive. Temperatures are hot to sweltering throughout the year, except at the height of the rains, when the air is merely very warm but the humidity can make it just as uncomfortable as the hotter dry season.

This matters for anyone who lives with arthritis. Many people report that joints feel different with changes in weather, and while this is personal and varies, the practical side is clear. In the dry harmattan months, dust and dry air irritate skin and airways, and it is easy to forget to drink enough. In the wet months, damp conditions, sweating and skin that stays moist call for extra attention to hygiene at the small puncture area used in the procedure.

Heat also affects how comfortable it is to wear supportive garments or bandages over a joint. In sweltering weather, choose breathable cotton layers, change them regularly, and follow the surgeon's specific instructions on any support. Do not improvise with tight wraps because they feel reassuring; poor circulation and swelling are not helped by them. Ask the team which kind of support, if any, suits your joint and your climate.

What SVF therapy involves and where it fits

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. This is the first step of the SVF approach, and the small size of the puncture is one reason many people find the idea manageable alongside a busy working life in Minna.

At early stages (1–2), SVF therapy may be considered to support blood supply to the femoral head and delay the need for joint replacement. At later stages surgery is usually required. We say this plainly because honesty about stages is more useful than optimism. If your imaging shows an advanced joint, the surgeon will tell you that a different route is needed, and a good consultation should be willing to say so.

This is also why the consultation begins with documents rather than with a decision. Scans, blood test results, earlier reports from a local health clinic and a description of your symptoms allow the doctor to judge the stage. In Minna, where primary health clinics are numerous, collecting such records is usually possible without much difficulty, and your coordinator can tell you which documents are most useful to photograph or scan.

Planning around work, markets and farming seasons

The economy of Minna is practical and physical. Cotton, guinea corn, maize and ginger are the main agricultural products, yam is widely cultivated, and the city also supports cattle trading, brewing, shea nut processing and gold mining. There are also consumer goods companies, and traditional crafts such as leather work and metalworking. Many of these occupations load the hands, knees, hips and back, and joint complaints are naturally part of the conversation about work.

If you work in a trade that needs lifting, kneeling or hours of standing, tell the team exactly what your day looks like. The question to bring to the surgeon is not only whether the treatment is suitable but how soon you can reasonably return to your usual tasks and which activities to postpone. The answer depends on the joint, the stage and your general health, and no general promise will replace a personal assessment.

Farmers and traders who depend on seasonal peaks should consider timing. Planning the procedure for a quieter period, when you can rest the joint and delegate heavy tasks, tends to be more comfortable than scheduling it in the middle of a busy harvest or a trading rush. Office workers and teachers have more flexibility but should still plan the first days so that they are not forced into long hours of sitting without moving.

Best season for treatment in Minna

There is no single correct month, but the two seasons of Minna offer different advantages. The dry season from November to April has less humidity, which may make it easier to keep a fresh wound clean and dry. Its disadvantage is dust and the harmattan, which call for covering the puncture area properly and avoiding dusty work in the first days after the procedure.

The wet season from May to October brings humid air and frequent sweating. Moisture on the skin is not ideal for any small wound, and slippery ground during rains is an extra hazard for a person with a painful knee or hip. If you choose this season, plan how you will move around safely and keep the dressing dry.

Whichever season you prefer, weigh it against your own calendar: school terms, family celebrations, farming cycles and work deadlines. Think also about heat in the hottest weeks, when rest in a cooler room and plenty of fluids make a real difference. The coordinators can help you compare options and choose a period when you are not under pressure to do heavy tasks immediately.

Food, family events and everyday habits

Food culture in Minna is built on local produce: sorghum, maize, yam and ginger are everyday ingredients, and family gatherings are usually shared meals. Food matters for arthritis in two ways. First, in gout, certain eating patterns can bring on attacks, so it is worth asking the doctor what applies to your type of arthritis. Second, body weight puts load on the hips and knees, and excess weight is a known concern for joints.

Weight is a sensitive subject, so keep the approach practical. The World Health Organization describes overweight and obesity as a major health issue, and carrying less load on weight-bearing joints is a reasonable goal for many patients. Do not try crash diets before the procedure; ask the team for general guidance appropriate to your health.

Family events such as weddings, naming ceremonies and religious festivals involve long periods of sitting, standing, dancing and carrying. If one of these is near, discuss it openly with the surgeon. It may be wiser to schedule the procedure after the event, or to plan so that you are not asked to do much on your feet in the days that follow. Relatives can help with cooking and carrying, and it is perfectly reasonable to ask them to do so.

Sport, study and returning to normal life

Students and young people in Minna often play football and run, and older residents may walk daily or farm. Arthritis in a young person is usually a different story from arthritis in later life, and autoimmune conditions in particular need a proper diagnosis. Do not assume that pain after sport is only a sports injury if the joint is swollen, warm and stiff in the morning.

After any procedure, increase activity gradually. The surgeon will give personal recommendations about walking, light exercise and when to resume sport, and these depend on the joint and stage. Ask directly: which movements are allowed in the first days, what should I avoid, and which signs mean I must contact the team straight away. Be wary of anyone who offers a single standard timetable for everybody.

Students can usually return to lessons sooner than those whose work is physical, but long sitting on hard benches can stiffen a painful joint, so changing position regularly helps. If you study or work in Abuja, about 150 km away, and spend long hours on the road, ask about sitting for long periods and how to protect the joint during that time.

Who is a suitable candidate and who is not

In general terms, the best candidates are people whose arthritis has been properly diagnosed, whose joint is at an early stage, and who are in good general health. Where the issue is the femoral head and its blood supply, early stages (1–2) are the ones where SVF therapy may be considered. At later stages surgery is usually required, and the honest answer may be that this procedure is not the right choice.

Some situations call for caution or for postponing treatment: an active infection, uncontrolled chronic illness, skin problems where tissue would be taken, or a diagnosis that has not been clarified. People who take regular medicines, including those for autoimmune conditions or blood thinning, must tell the doctor in detail. The final decision always belongs to the doctor after reviewing your documents.

Pregnancy, serious heart or blood conditions and a current flare of gout or psoriasis are also topics to raise at the start. A thorough consultation is not a formality; it is the stage at which unsuitable plans are filtered out, and a decision not to proceed is a legitimate and sometimes the best outcome.

How the remote consultation works from Minna

The consultation is free and fully online. You write to the coordinators on Telegram or Telegram, available 24/7, and describe your complaint. You then send documents: scans, test results, earlier reports and a few clear photographs if there is visible swelling. You can do this from home or from work, with no need to arrange anything locally.

The doctor reviews the material, may ask follow-up questions, and then explains whether the case looks suitable, what stage the joint appears to be at, and what the options are. You can ask for the reasoning in plain language. If more tests are needed, you can usually arrange them with a primary health clinic in Minna and send the results.

Keep a written list of questions before the conversation. Good ones include: what type of arthritis do I appear to have, what stage is my joint, is SVF therapy relevant at this stage, what happens during the procedure, what are the possible reactions, when should I expect to feel a difference, and what follow-up will I have once I am back home in Minna. Take notes, and do not feel pressured to decide on the same day.

Is the online consultation really free?

Yes. The first consultation from Minna is free and takes place online. You write to the coordinators on Telegram or Telegram, send your documents and receive an opinion on whether the case looks suitable. You are under no obligation to continue afterwards.

How do I know if my joint pain is arthritis?

Arthritis involves inflammation of the joint. Typical signs are pain even at rest and at night, stiffness on waking that lasts more than 30 minutes, swelling, redness and a warm joint. Only a doctor can confirm the diagnosis, so describe your symptoms and send any scans or test results.

What can cause arthritis?

Possible causes include autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, infections, gout and psoriasis. Because the causes differ, the cause must be clarified before any procedure is considered.

How much tissue is taken in the procedure?

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.

Is SVF therapy suitable for every stage of arthritis?

No. At early stages (1–2), SVF therapy may be considered to support blood supply to the femoral head and delay the need for joint replacement. At later stages surgery is usually required. The doctor will judge the stage from your documents.

Does the climate of Minna affect healing?

General advice only: in the dusty harmattan season from November to April, protect the puncture area from dust and drink enough fluids. In the humid rainy season from May to October, keep the skin and dressing dry and take care on slippery ground. Follow the specific instructions you receive from the surgeon.

Can I plan the procedure around work or farming?

Yes, and it is wise to do so. Choose a period when you can rest the joint and delegate heavy tasks. Tell the team what your work involves so they can advise on returning to it. Family events and harvest peaks are worth considering in advance.

What should I ask the surgeon?

Ask about the type and stage of arthritis, whether SVF therapy is relevant, what the procedure involves, what reactions are possible, which activities to avoid at first, when sport and heavy work can resume, and what follow-up is available once you are back in Minna.

Who should not have this procedure?

Caution is needed with active infection, uncontrolled chronic illness, skin problems where tissue would be taken, an unclear diagnosis and advanced joint damage where surgery is usually required. Tell the doctor about all your medicines and conditions during the consultation.