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Arthritis Treatment in Preston

As part of arthritis care, PRP and SVF cell therapy for the knee, hand, shoulder and other joints — after a doctor has first reviewed your case and tests

Consultation and review of your scansFree

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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 refers to inflammation within a joint. Typical complaints are resting and night-time pain, morning stiffness beyond half an hour, swelling, redness and warmth. It may be driven by autoimmune disease like rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, by gout, by an infection or by a former 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

After an examination and a look at your scans, a doctor decides if the treatment is right for 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 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

After examining the joint and reviewing your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound, the doctor decides whether the procedure is right for you. Scans you already have can be sent ahead of the visit.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

A small blood sample is taken from a vein. Later, platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is prepared from this blood.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

A small portion of adipose tissue (about 30 ml) is collected under local anaesthetic through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, with no stitches needed.

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 prepared material is injected directly into the affected joint under ultrasound guidance, which helps place it precisely.

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

The treatment relies only on your own blood and adipose tissue, not on donor or synthetic material

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

We take a small sample of your adipose tissue and process it to isolate the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a mix of cells that take part in tissue repair. It is then combined with your own plasma and injected into the affected joint.

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

The joint receives plasma rich in platelets and growth factors, separated from a small amount of your own blood. It helps inflammation settle and creates better conditions for the tissue to repair.

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

As a single element of the wider plan, it can be advised in rheumatoid and other 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

  • KneeKneeMeniscus issues and cartilage wear, with pain after walking or on stairs
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderWorn joint and nearby tendons, and pain when the arm is raised
  • ElbowElbowJoint surfaces that have worn, plus pain after sports strain or overuse
  • 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

Keeping your natural joint rather than having it replaced: treatment without surgery

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

The treatment relies only on your own blood and adipose tissue, not on donor or synthetic material

No crutches

No crutches

Punctures in place of incisions, under local anaesthetic, without a long rehabilitation

Second opinion

Second opinion

Send your X-rays, MRI or reports and a doctor will give an independent assessment free of charge

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

After the procedure we keep in touch and follow the result, not only the day of the injection

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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Request a free call

Price

Arthritis treatment prices

You learn the cost from the doctor after the consultation, as it depends on the joint, the method and the type of arthritis

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

Arthritis treatment in Preston: what you should know

We work with inflammatory joint conditions of the knee, hand and wrist, shoulder, elbow, hip and ankle. Patients from Preston can send their test results and scans for a free review.

An arthritic joint hurts even at rest because inflammation keeps stimulating pain receptors. For patients from Preston, treatment aimed at reducing that inflammation can ease pain at rest and at night.

Patients from Preston 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.

Reading a damp, mild climate against a joint diary

Preston sits on the north bank of the River Ribble, and its climate record is mild but wet. At Preston Moor Park, the 1971-2000 averages show a January mean maximum of 6.9 °C and minimum of 1.7 °C. July is the warmest month, with a mean maximum of 19.8 °C and a minimum of 12.2 °C. Rainfall is just under 1,000 mm a year, with more than 1 mm falling on about 150 days. October, November and December are the wettest months, and April is the driest.

Those figures describe the setting, not your joints. Some people with inflammatory arthritis feel that damp or cold days make stiffness worse, while others notice no link at all. The only way to learn which group you belong to is to record it.

A simple diary answers the question better than memory does. Each morning, note how long stiffness lasts. The service we describe treats stiffness for longer than half an hour as a typical sign of an inflamed joint, so that line deserves a number rather than "a while". Add whether the joint was swollen, red or warm, whether pain woke you at night, and what the weather was like. After a few weeks you will see whether wet days really line up with bad ones, or whether the pattern follows something else, such as a missed dose, a busy week or poor sleep.

The diary also helps tell a flare from ordinary aching. A flare usually brings swelling, warmth and redness together with rest pain and night pain. Wear-related pain tends to appear with movement and settle with rest. The doctor will ask which pattern sounds like yours. Dated notes make the answer far more reliable than a description given from memory on the day of the call.

Arthritis in numbers: the UK and the North West

Arthritis is common, and you are not unusual for having it. Arthritis UK, in the 2026 edition of its State of Musculoskeletal Health report, says more than 10 million adults, young people and children in the UK live with arthritis. The NHS describes osteoarthritis as the most common type in the UK. Its risk rises with age and is higher in women than in men, and also in people with obesity or a previous joint injury. A GP may suspect it in people aged 45 or older.

Preston is the administrative centre of Lancashire in North West England. The city itself had 147,835 residents at the 2021 census, and the wider built-up area had 313,322. A large population means many people are looking for answers about joint pain at any one time, and many of them are in work.

Region matters for one risk factor too. The Health Survey for England 2022 found that 29% of adults lived with obesity. Regionally the figure ranged from 39% in the North East to 21% in London, and the North West sits within that spread. Body weight loads the knee and hip, and our service text lists weight among the things that influence how long a result lasts. The doctor may therefore raise it, as one practical factor among several and not as criticism.

Inflammatory arthritis is a different condition from wear-related arthritis, and the two are often confused. The NHS states that there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment is long-term medicine that relieves symptoms and slows progress, plus physiotherapy or occupational therapy. Surgery can fix joint problems that develop. Our approach sits beside that care. PRP and SVF are described as a support for the joint, never a replacement for your rheumatologist.

Specialist access and waiting lists: where an online opinion fits

Specialist access across the UK is shaped by national waiting lists, and Preston is no exception. NHS England reported that at the end of July 2026 there were 7.3 million referral-to-treatment pathways waiting to start treatment, around 6.2 million unique patients. Of those, 111,379 had waited more than 52 weeks. Those numbers cover all specialities, not only rheumatology, but they explain why many people look for an additional view while they wait.

An online consultation does not move you up any NHS queue, and we do not claim it does. It offers something narrower. A doctor reviews your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound and tells you whether regenerative treatment could suit your type of arthritis. The second opinion on scans is free, with no obligation to book anything. If the doctor decides the joint is not a candidate, you can take that assessment to your GP or rheumatology team.

Joint replacement is a useful comparison. The NHS says a hip replacement may be considered when hip pain and stiffness have a big effect on daily life and other treatments have not worked. It names osteoarthritis as the most common cause, with rheumatoid arthritis and hip injury also on the list. Our service text is candid about this boundary. For early hip osteoarthritis, injections combined with exercise therapy and physiotherapy may reduce pain and improve movement. If the joint is already badly damaged, replacement may be the more realistic option, and the doctor says so after seeing the scans.

Keep your existing medicines and appointments going while you get this opinion. Injections of PRP or SVF do not replace what a rheumatologist prescribes for a systemic disease. They are considered only once an acute flare has settled.

Preparing for the call: scans, notes and a medication list

The coordinators answer round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram, and the first reply usually comes within 15 minutes. You can send material before the doctor joins the call, and that makes the consultation more productive. The most useful items are:

- Your scans, whether X-ray, MRI or ultrasound, as image files or as the written report. Both are helpful if you have them.

- Recent blood test results and any letters from your rheumatologist or GP, including the diagnosis as it was written.

- A list of current medicines, including anything taken for pain, with what you take and how often.

- Your symptom diary, with morning stiffness, swelling, night pain and flare dates marked.

- A note of previous joint injuries or operations, and which joint is troubling you most.

Be ready to say whether you currently have a fever, a cold or flu, or any skin inflammation over the joint. These are temporary reasons to postpone treatment. Also mention a pregnancy, a clotting disorder, a cancer diagnosis or any infection in or near the joint, because those mean the procedure is not done.

Do not worry if the picture looks incomplete. The doctor will tell you what is missing and what is worth requesting from your GP surgery. Some people bring only one old X-ray and a few weeks of notes, and that is still enough to begin a sensible conversation.

Timing a plan around flares and the calendar

For inflammatory arthritis, timing is part of the treatment plan. The service text states that the doctor waits for the right moment and never acts during a severe flare or an active joint infection. Both PRP and SVF are applied after the acute flare has calmed. That is why the symptom diary matters: it shows when a quieter phase has genuinely begun, instead of leaving you to guess.

Once the doctor confirms the plan, the procedure itself is done in one day. Blood is taken from a vein for PRP. For SVF, about 30 ml of adipose tissue is taken under local anaesthetic through a single puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. The material is processed in a centrifuge and injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. There are no crutches and no hospital stay.

After that, our figures are averages. 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 three months mobility and activity improve, and by about six months the full effect develops. Nobody can promise a fixed result, and it varies with the stage of the condition, body weight and activity.

Calendar planning is practical. In 2026, England has bank holidays on Christmas Day, 25 December, and a substitute Boxing Day on 28 December. Our coordinators work through them, but your GP surgery and many NHS departments may be closed. If you want to gather reports or repeat prescriptions, do it before those dates.

Preston also has people who put real load on their joints. The University of Lancashire runs a 64-acre outdoor sports site, and many residents work physically demanding jobs. High load on the joints is listed among the reasons someone may suit this treatment. Tell the doctor honestly about your sport or work so the plan can fit.

Does Preston's wet weather make arthritis flares more likely?

We can only describe the local climate, not promise an effect on your joints. Preston Moor Park averages just under 1,000 mm of rain a year, with over 1 mm on about 150 days, and October to December are the wettest months. Some people feel stiffer in damp conditions and others notice nothing. A dated diary of stiffness, swelling and weather will show whether there is a pattern for you.

How do I record morning stiffness so that the doctor can use it?

Write down each morning how long the stiffness lasts and which joints are affected. The service we describe treats stiffness lasting longer than half an hour as a typical sign of inflammation, so a measured time is more useful than "it was bad". Add swelling, warmth or redness, night pain and any change in medicines. Bring or send the notes before the call.

I am waiting for an NHS specialist appointment. Can I still use an online opinion?

Yes. NHS England reported 7.3 million waiting pathways at the end of July 2026, so waits are common. An online opinion does not replace or shorten your NHS pathway, but a doctor can review your scans for free and tell you whether regenerative treatment might suit your arthritis. Keep your existing appointments and medicines.

Will PRP or SVF replace my rheumatoid arthritis medicines?

No. The NHS says there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis and that treatment is long-term medicine, often with physiotherapy or occupational therapy. PRP and SVF are considered only as support for the joint, after an acute flare has calmed, alongside the care your rheumatologist prescribes. Do not stop or change any medicine because of this consultation.

Does body weight matter for the treatment of a knee or hip in Preston?

It can matter. The Health Survey for England 2022 found that 29% of adults lived with obesity, and the NHS links obesity with a higher risk of osteoarthritis. The service text lists body weight among the factors that affect how long a result lasts. The doctor may discuss it as part of the overall plan, without judgement.

When might joint replacement be the more realistic option than injections?

The NHS says a hip replacement may be considered when pain and stiffness have a big effect on life and other treatments have not worked. Our doctor says the same about badly damaged joints: injections combined with exercise therapy may help early hip osteoarthritis, but advanced damage may call for replacement. The doctor tells you honestly after seeing your scans.

What should I send to the coordinator before the consultation?

Send your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound images or their reports, recent blood test results, letters about your diagnosis, a list of current medicines and your symptom diary. Say whether you have a fever, a cold or any skin inflammation over the joint. Incomplete material is acceptable, and the doctor will say what else would help.

Do bank holidays affect my plan?

Our coordinators answer round the clock, including on bank holidays such as 25 and 28 December 2026. Your GP surgery and other services may be closed, though. If you need reports or prescriptions before the procedure, request them in good time. The procedure itself is done in one day once the doctor confirms the plan.