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

Knee Arthritis Treatment in Murcia

SVF cell therapy and PRP for the knee, hand, shoulder and other joints, used within arthritis care once a doctor has reviewed your tests and case

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

It is a doctor who decides, after examining you and going through your scans, whether the treatment suits you

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 fever, cold or flu, or any skin inflammation over the joint planned for treatment

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

The doctor checks the joint, goes through your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound and decides if the procedure suits you. If you have scans already, feel free to send them before you come.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

The doctor draws a small amount of blood from a vein, which later becomes platelet-rich plasma with growth factors.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

With local anaesthetic, a small amount of adipose tissue — about 30 ml — is collected through a puncture on the inner thigh or abdomen, and no stitches are required.

Processing in a centrifuge4

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.

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

No crutches, no hospital stay — and after the procedure the doctor stays in touch to follow how your 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

Just your blood and your adipose tissue; donor and synthetic materials are not used

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

A small sample of your adipose tissue is processed to isolate the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) — a mix of cells involved in tissue repair. Combined with your own plasma, it is injected into the affected joint.

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

Inflammatory arthritis is one use for it, once the acute flare has settled — because 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

It helps calm inflammation and improves conditions for tissue repair: plasma rich in platelets and growth factors, separated from a small amount of your blood and injected into the joint.

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

In rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis, the doctor may recommend it as one piece 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

Any size of joint, large or small: your scans are reviewed first, then the doctor settles on the joint, the method and the number of injections

  • KneeKneeCartilage that has worn, meniscus trouble, pain after walks and on stairs
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderWear in the joint and the tendons around it, painful arm raising
  • ElbowElbowPain following overuse or sports strain, along with worn joint surfaces
  • 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

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

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

Just your blood and your adipose tissue; donor and synthetic materials are not used

No crutches

No crutches

No incisions, only punctures; local anaesthetic; no long rehabilitation

Second opinion

Second opinion

An independent assessment from a doctor, free of charge, once you send your X-rays, MRI or reports

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

Our contact does not end on the day of the injection — we stay in touch and follow 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

By messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy

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

What Murcia residents ask about arthritis

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

PRP may be given as a course of injections or together with SVF. The method and number of injections are chosen for each patient from Murcia after the examination.

Patients from Murcia can start with a free review of their tests and scans: the doctor tells you whether regenerative treatment could suit your type of arthritis and what it would cost.

Flares and the weather: what Murcia's climate data can and cannot tell you

Murcia sits at 43 m above sea level in the middle of the huerta, with the Segura crossing the city from west to east. Its climate is classed as hot semi-arid. Over 1991-2020 the average July and August maximum was 34.3 and 34.5 °C, and January was the coldest month, with an average maximum of 17.2 °C and a minimum of 5.3 °C. Annual rainfall is modest at 281.9 mm, spread over 34 days with at least 1 mm. Snow is almost absent, at 0.1 days a year. Average relative humidity is 57 %.

Many people with inflammatory arthritis say that weather changes make joints feel worse. Climate figures cannot prove or disprove this for any one person. September is the wettest month at 37.6 mm, followed by December at 32.5 mm. July is the driest, with 1.2 mm. Winter lows have reached −7.5 °C, and the summer record is 46.2 °C. If you suspect a link between weather and your joints, the useful step is to record it, not to assume it.

A joint that is red, warm and swollen, with pain at night or at rest, points to inflammation. This differs from the dry crunch and aching of cartilage wear, which is osteoarthritis. A change in weather does not tell you which of the two you have. The cause can be autoimmune (rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis), gout, infection or an old injury. That is why the first task of any consultation is to confirm the type of arthritis. Climate is a background detail and the diagnosis comes first.

Murcia has about 3,077 hours of sun a year, with 366 in July and 180 in December. Long bright days make people more active, and a sudden burst of activity after a quiet spell can leave a joint sore the next morning. Note this in your diary if it happens. Do not treat it as a rule.

A symptom diary that a rheumatologist can use

A diary is the most useful thing you can bring to an online consultation. A good one is short and made of facts, written by the same method every day. These are the entries that help most:

- **Morning stiffness.** Write down roughly how long it lasts. Stiffness of longer than half an hour is one of the typical signs of an inflamed joint.

- **Night and rest pain.** Note whether pain wakes you or appears when you are sitting still, as opposed to appearing only after movement.

- **Swelling, redness and warmth.** Record which joint, which side, and whether it changed from the day before. A photo in daylight is more reliable than a description.

- **Triggers.** Note unusual effort, a long walk, a poor night's sleep, a cold or a skin problem, and the weather, as one line among the others.

- **Medicines.** Record what you took and when, and how long the effect lasted. Painkillers that only help for a short time are worth mentioning.

Keep the diary for several weeks before the call if you can. Over that time a pattern may show itself, such as an increase after a certain activity or a flare that clears within days. Such a record also helps the doctor judge the right moment for any injection. According to the service description, the doctor does not act during a severe flare or an active joint infection, and PRP or SVF is considered only after the acute flare has calmed.

A temperature, a cold or flu, or any skin inflammation over the joint is a temporary reason to postpone treatment. Write these down too. They can change the date, so report them to the coordinator early.

Specialist access and waiting lists in Spain's public system

Arthritis needs ongoing specialist care, and in Spain much of it goes through the national health system (SNS). The Ministry of Health's waiting-list note for 31 December 2025 gives a picture of the pressure. For outpatient first consultations with a specialist, 84.42 of every 1,000 people were on a waiting list. The average wait was 102 days. Traumatology had the longest consultation wait of any specialty, at 132 days.

In the Región de Murcia the same date shows 34,197 patients in structural surgical waiting, 21.52 per 1,000 inhabitants, with an average wait of 103 days. In Traumatology there were 9,811 patients waiting for surgery, with an average of 113 days. Nationally, hip replacement had an average wait of 98 days and 13.7 % of patients exceeded the 180-day maximum. For knee replacement the average was 105 days and 15.9 % exceeded it. Those figures concern operations, not rheumatology visits, so they should not be read as the wait for an arthritis appointment. They do show how busy the joint-related services are.

What does this mean for a person with a painful joint? Waiting times are a reason to prepare well. When your public appointment arrives, a diary and a set of recent scans save time. An online second opinion does not replace your rheumatologist or your SNS care. It adds a view on your scans while you wait, and the doctor can say whether PRP or SVF could be one part of a plan. In a systemic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, these injections do not cure the disease and are never offered instead of the rheumatologist's treatment.

The national health survey for 2020 adds some context. Arthrosis was the third most commonly diagnosed chronic problem among people aged 15 and over, at 14.4 %, after high blood pressure (19.0 %) and high cholesterol (15.3 %). Low back pain stood at 13.7 %. Arthrosis is a different condition from inflammatory arthritis, but the two are often confused in daily speech, and a diagnosis helps to separate them.

What to have ready before the video call

The coordinator will ask for your scans and the doctor will review them. If you have X-rays, MRI or ultrasound, send them before the call, in the original format if possible. Reports are useful, but the images themselves matter more. Blood test results can be included as well, since they help the doctor understand whether inflammation is present and of what type.

A short folder works well:

- Scans of the affected joints, with dates.

- Recent blood tests and any letters from your rheumatologist or orthopaedic specialist.

- A list of current medicines, including any you take only occasionally.

- Your symptom diary, in a note or as photos.

- Your main questions, written down in order of importance.

During an online consultation the doctor cannot touch the joint, so describe it clearly. Be ready to show the joint on camera in good light. Show how far you can bend or turn it, and point to where it hurts. If the call is held in the evening, remember that swelling often looks different at different times of day, so photos from the morning can add information.

Tell the doctor about anything on the exclusion list: cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, an acute infection (especially in or near the joint), or a flare of a serious chronic illness. These stop the procedure or postpone it. A cold, fever or skin inflammation over the joint is a temporary reason to wait. The coordinators answer on WhatsApp and Telegram around the clock, with a reply expected within 15 minutes, so a question that comes up in the middle of the night can still be sent.

Where injections may fit, and the realistic timeline

PRP is made from a small amount of your own blood, taken from a vein. SVF is isolated from about 30 ml of your own adipose tissue, collected under local anaesthetic through a single puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, with no stitches. The prepared material is placed in the affected joint under ultrasound guidance, and the whole procedure takes one day. There are no crutches and no hospital stay.

For inflammatory arthritis the aim is modest and specific: to help calm local inflammation and pain and to support the tissue in the joint, alongside the treatment your rheumatologist prescribes. It is applied after the acute flare has settled, and never during a severe one. It is not a cure for psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis, which are chronic diseases where the goal is long remission and keeping the joint from deforming.

After the procedure, the joint may ache a little more during the first week. This is an expected reaction. By about a month the pain usually eases, around three months mobility and activity tend to improve, and by roughly six months the full effect develops. These are averages. How long the effect lasts depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors, and no one can promise a fixed result.

If you live in Murcia, think about the calendar when you choose a date. The city's spring festivals fall in the week after Easter Sunday, and the September Feria in the first half of September is the busiest celebration of the year. Many people also take part in local festivals in the outlying districts, mainly in June and September. These periods bring crowds and long days on your feet. If you expect to be very active then, it is sensible to mention it to the doctor, who will tell you how to time the procedure around the first days when the joint may ache more.

Body weight is also part of the picture. The 2020 survey found obesity in 16.0 % of adults in Spain and overweight in 37.6 %. Extra weight adds load to the knee and hip, and the doctor takes it into account when explaining what to expect. Moving by bicycle, for example with the public MuyBici system that has operated in the city since April 2015, is a low-impact way to stay active, but ask the doctor which activities suit your joint at the current stage.

Does it make sense to keep a diary if my flares seem to follow the weather in Murcia?

Yes, and it is the best way to test that impression. Murcia has a hot semi-arid climate, with wide differences between the summer maxima of about 34 °C and the winter lows, and with rain concentrated in September and December. Write the date, the joint, the stiffness, the swelling and the weather in one line. After a few weeks you and the rheumatologist can see whether a pattern really exists or whether it is something else, such as a change in activity or medicine.

How do I tell an inflammatory flare from ordinary wear in a joint?

Signs that point to inflammation are pain at night or at rest, morning stiffness that lasts longer than 30 minutes, swelling, and a joint that is red and warm. Osteoarthritis is cartilage wear and is usually felt as a dry crunch and aching pain when the joint moves. Only a doctor can confirm which one you have, usually after examination, scans and blood tests, so describe your symptoms in detail and send your results.

Can an online consultation replace my appointments with the public health system in Spain?

No. The online consultation is an additional step. A systemic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis is treated by a rheumatologist, and injections do not cure it. The doctor reviews your scans, tells you whether PRP or SVF may suit your case once any acute flare has settled, and the injections are then considered as a supplement to your existing treatment.

Public waiting times in the Región de Murcia look long. Does that affect when I should ask for a second opinion?

It can. On 31 December 2025 the average wait for a first specialist consultation in the national system was 102 days, and in Murcia's Traumatology the average surgical wait was 113 days. Those figures concern different services and individual cases vary. If your joint is troubling you while you wait, you can send your scans for review now and arrive at your public appointment better prepared.

What should I send before the call if I have only old scans?

Send what you have, with the dates, together with any recent reports and blood tests. The doctor will tell you whether the old images are enough for a first opinion or whether newer X-ray, MRI or ultrasound would help. Do not repeat tests only because the coordinator asks for a complete set. Start with what is in your folder.

Should I postpone the procedure if I am planning to take part in the September festivities?

Mention it at the consultation. The joint can ache a little more in the first week after the procedure, which is an expected reaction. The doctor will help you plan the date so that a busy period does not fall in that week. Crowds and long periods on your feet are best avoided while the joint settles.

Will extra body weight change the advice about my knee or hip?

It can influence the picture, because the stage of the condition, body weight and activity all affect how long an effect lasts. The doctor considers these along with your scans. It is not a reason to be refused a consultation, and an honest discussion of realistic expectations is part of it.

What if I feel feverish or develop a skin problem near the joint just before the date?

Tell the coordinator straight away. A fever, cold or flu, or any skin inflammation over the joint is a temporary contraindication, and an infection in or near the joint rules the procedure out until it clears. The doctor will move the date and tell you when it is reasonable to continue.