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Joint Pain Treatment in Bydgoszcz

Regenerative SVF and PRP injections for knees, hips, shoulders and other joints, with your scans checked free beforehand

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 regenerative
joint treatment?

Regenerative treatment of the joints relies on material taken from your own body: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) prepared from blood, and the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) obtained from a small sample of adipose tissue. This material is injected into the problem joint to ease pain and inflammation and to support the tissues within it.

  • 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

Only after an examination and a review of your scans does the doctor decide 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 cold, flu or fever, skin inflammation above the joint being 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: the doctor checks the joint and your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound images and decides whether the procedure fits. If you have scans already, send them in advance.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

The nurse takes a small amount of venous blood; platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is prepared from it afterwards.

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

After centrifuging, the sample forms separate layers; the stromal vascular fraction is taken from them and combined with the platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

The doctor injects the prepared material directly into the affected joint, using ultrasound to place it precisely.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

You go without crutches and without a hospital stay; the doctor keeps in contact after the procedure and follows your joint's progress.

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 blood and adipose tissue are the only materials — nothing donor-derived or synthetic

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

From a small sample of your adipose tissue, the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is isolated — cells that are involved in tissue repair. This fraction, combined with your plasma, is injected into the affected joint.

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

When the joint has more noticeable changes and you want the effect to last longer, this is the usual choice.

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 an injection of plasma rich in platelets and growth factors, separated from a small amount of your blood. It helps soothe inflammation and creates better conditions for the tissues to repair.

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

Used by itself as an injection course, or together with SVF.

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 — which joint, which method and how many injections is decided by the doctor after a scan review

  • KneeKneeMeniscus problems, cartilage wear and pain on stairs or after a walk
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain when raising the arm, wear of the joint and surrounding tendons
  • ElbowElbowPain after overload or sports strain, worn surfaces of the joint
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsStiffness and pain in the small joints of the hand and wrist
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

Treatment without surgery, aimed at keeping your own joint instead of replacing it

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

Your own blood and adipose tissue are the only materials — nothing donor-derived or synthetic

No crutches

No crutches

Small punctures in place of incisions, local anaesthetic, no long recovery programme

Second opinion

Second opinion

Forward your X-rays, MRI or reports to get a free, independent assessment from a doctor

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

Contact continues after the procedure — we track the result, not just the injection itself

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

Joint treatment prices

Because the joint, the stage of the condition and the method all affect the cost, the doctor states it after the consultation

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

Everything about regenerative joint treatment in Bydgoszcz

Joint pain does not always mean surgery. In Bydgoszcz, many people with early or moderate changes in the knee, hip or shoulder first try to preserve their own joint. SVF and PRP injections aim to reduce pain and inflammation and to slow further wear of the cartilage.

Follow-up visits help the doctor see how the joint responds and adjust the plan. In Bydgoszcz, you receive recommendations on load and exercise for the first weeks, and the doctor stays in touch after the procedure.

Leave a request, and a coordinator will contact you to arrange a free consultation and scan review. The price of joint treatment in Bydgoszcz is set individually and explained before any procedure.

When the cold and damp arrive

Bydgoszcz sits in a humid continental climate (Dfb in the 1991-2020 normals). The winter figures matter for anyone with a sore knee or hip. January has a mean maximum of 1.1 °C and a mean minimum of -3.7 °C. February runs from 2.7 °C by day to -3.0 °C at night, and December from 2.0 °C to -2.4 °C. In those months the temperature hardly rises above freezing, even at midday.

Humidity adds to the picture. Relative humidity averages 80.3% over the year. It peaks in November at 90.5% and in December at 89.3%, and is lowest in May at 69.7%. Annual precipitation is 532.3 mm, falling on 158.4 days with at least 0.1 mm. The wettest month is July at 83.4 mm, and the driest are February at 26.3 mm and April at 28.2 mm.

These numbers do not prove that weather causes joint disease, and we do not claim that. Many people with joint pain say stiffness is more noticeable in cold, damp weather. It is therefore useful to keep a short note over several weeks: which joint hurts, at what time of day, and after which activity. A note like that gives the doctor concrete material at the online consultation, alongside your scans.

The description of the condition matters too. Aching pain on movement, crunching and stiffness after rest point towards osteoarthritis, which is wear of the cartilage. Pain at rest and at night, swelling, redness, warmth over the joint, and morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes point towards arthritis, an inflammatory disease. The approach differs, so the diagnosis comes first. Your notes about when the pain is worst help the doctor tell the two apart.

Rivers, canal and a very large park

The geography of Bydgoszcz shapes a lot of everyday walking. The Brda flows about 28 km through the city before joining the Vistula at Brdyujscie. The Bydgoszcz Canal crosses the western part for about 6.5 km. Mill Island (Wyspa Mlynska) in the centre exists because the Brda was dammed there, with the Mlynowka river running around it. The city stands at an elevation of 60 m. The sources we have give no description of steep slopes, so we make no claim about hills.

The city park, Myslecinek, covers 830 ha and is described as the largest city park in Poland. A park of that size offers long routes on level ground and on paths, which suits gentle, regular exercise. Whether walking, cycling or strolling by the water is the right load for your joint depends on the diagnosis.

For the consultation, describe what you actually do and what hurts. The doctor will ask whether the knee complains on stairs or after a long walk, whether the groin hurts when you turn the leg, and whether raising the arm is painful. The service covers the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist joints, and the ankle. Typical complaints include:

- Knee: pain climbing stairs or after walking, cartilage wear, meniscus trouble.

- Hip: early osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation.

- Ankle: pain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries.

Anyone doing sport or physical work puts a high load on the joints. That is one of the situations where the treatment may suit you, as long as the examination and the scans support it.

Body weight and the load on the knees and hips

Body weight is one of the factors that, according to the information we work from, affects how long the result lasts. The doctor weighs it together with the stage of the condition and your activity. It is worth looking at the national figures, because they explain why joint care and weight so often come up together in Poland.

In 2019, 58.2% of Polish adults over 18 had overweight or obesity. The EU average is about 53%. Obesity measured by BMI was 18%. A consensus report cited by the health technology agency AOTM in 2026 puts BMI above 40 at about 300 thousand people and above 35 at over 1.5 million.

The state audit office NIK gives 2022 data. Nationally, 9,185 thousand adults live with obesity, or 29.8% of the population. For Kujawsko-Pomorskie, the voivodeship to which Bydgoszcz belongs, the NIK table shows 433 thousand adults and 26.4%. NIK's own chart is titled as a share of patients with overweight and obesity, so that measure is not identical to prevalence. NIK's text says overweight and obesity affect about 60-70% of residents depending on the voivodeship.

What does this mean for a person with a painful knee? A regenerative injection does not replace work on body weight, and the doctor will tell you honestly if weight is likely to limit the result. The injected material is your own: platelet-rich plasma from your blood, and in cell therapy the stromal vascular fraction from a small sample of adipose tissue. The treatment aims to reduce pain and inflammation and to support the tissues of the joint. It is not a weight-loss method, and nobody can promise a fixed outcome.

Public funding, waiting lists and where this consultation fits

Most people in Poland meet joint care first through the public system, run by the National Health Fund (NFZ). Its patient information states that services not listed in the catalogues of funded services are not financed by NFZ. Within the funded range, treatment is in most cases without charge to the insured patient. Contributions are 9% of personal income, of which 7.75% is deducted from tax and 1.25% is paid directly to NFZ. Uninsured patients pay the full cost of services.

The NFZ also has a waiting-list rule. For a given service a patient may be entered on a list with only one provider, and the original referral must be delivered within 14 working days of entering the list. If you are already waiting for an orthopaedic appointment, check what your list entry requires before you change anything.

Waiting times for joint replacement are known from a Ministry of Health reply of 5 August 2025 to a parliamentary question about orthopaedics. The reply focused on the Warmian-Masurian voivodeship, and it does not state clearly whether the figures are national. It gives the average wait for hip replacement as falling from 195 days in 2022 to 172 days in 2024. For knee replacement it fell from 242 to 214 days. These are averages, and your own case may differ.

Our online consultation does not compete with the public system and does not require you to leave it. It is a free review of your scans and a free second opinion. A doctor independently assesses your X-rays, MRI, CT or reports once you send them. You hear whether the procedure could suit you and what else may be needed. There is no obligation to book anything.

Some patients use the waiting period to find out whether early or moderate changes could be treated without surgery. Replacement is major surgery with long rehabilitation, risks such as infection, and implants that may eventually need to be redone. At early stages the doctor may suggest trying to preserve the joint first. If the joint is already badly damaged, the doctor will say that replacement may be the more realistic option.

Preparing your scans before the online consultation

The coordinators answer round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram, and Poland's 14 public non-working days do not change that. The days include 1 January, 6 January, Easter Sunday and Monday, 1 May, 3 May, Pentecost Sunday, Corpus Christi, 15 August, 1 November, 11 November, 24 December, and 25 and 26 December. A message sent on a public holiday is answered the same way as on any other day.

What helps most is to gather the following before you write:

- Existing X-rays, MRI or ultrasound images of the joint, or the written reports.

- A short note of which joint hurts, since when, and what makes it worse.

- A list of any earlier injuries or operations on that joint.

- A list of chronic illnesses you live with, because a flare-up of a serious chronic illness is a reason for the doctor to delay.

The doctor decides after the examination and scan review. The treatment is not suitable in cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, or acute infections, including infection in or near the joint. Temporary reasons to wait are skin inflammation over the joint, a fever, a cold or flu.

If the doctor decides to go ahead, the procedure follows this sequence. A small amount of blood is taken from a vein for PRP. Under local anaesthetic the doctor takes roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue through a small puncture in the abdomen or inner thigh, and stitches are not needed. The sample is spun in a centrifuge and the stromal vascular fraction is mixed with platelet-rich plasma. The material is then injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. The whole procedure is done in one day, with no hospital stay and no crutches.

After the injection, the expected course is:

- 1 week: the joint may ache a little more, which is an expected reaction.

- 1 month: the pain usually eases.

- About 3 months: mobility and activity improve.

- About 6 months: the full effect develops.

These timings are averaged. How long the effect lasts differs from person to person.

Does the cold season in Bydgoszcz change how I should plan the procedure?

The doctor decides the timing, and the main issues are your general health and the joint itself. In January the mean maximum is 1.1 °C and the mean minimum is -3.7 °C, so winter is cold. Colds and flu are temporary reasons to postpone, and so is a fever. Skin inflammation over the joint is another. If you catch a cold in the damp months, tell the coordinator, because the doctor will reschedule until you have recovered.

Can I send scans that were made through the public health system?

Yes. X-rays, MRI, CT or written reports can be sent to the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram, and a doctor reviews them free of charge. This does not affect your place on any NFZ waiting list. The NFZ rule only says that you can be entered on a waiting list with one provider for a given service. A second opinion is not a list entry.

Is this treatment financed by NFZ?

According to NFZ's patient information, services that are not in the catalogues of funded services are not financed by it. We do not state which catalogue items apply to your case. Ask your insurer or your referring doctor. The price of PRP or SVF is stated by the doctor after the consultation, so nothing is decided before you hear the plan.

I am waiting for a hip or knee replacement. Should I wait for it before asking about injections?

You do not have to choose in advance. A Ministry of Health reply of 5 August 2025 gives average waits of 172 days for hip replacement and 214 days for knee replacement in 2024. The reply focused on one voivodeship, so your own wait may differ. Send your scans and the doctor will tell you whether early or moderate changes could be treated without surgery. For a badly damaged joint, the doctor will tell you honestly that replacement may be more realistic.

Does being overweight rule out the treatment?

No, it does not automatically rule you out, but it matters. Body weight is one of the factors on which the duration of the effect depends, along with the stage of the condition and your activity. Overweight is common nationally, with 58.2% of Polish adults over 18 affected in 2019, so the doctor sees it often. The doctor will discuss your weight at the consultation and will not make promises about the result.

How do I describe my pain if walks by the river or in the park make it worse?

Be specific. Write which joint hurts, whether pain comes during or after the walk, and whether stairs are harder than flat ground. Also write whether stiffness appears after rest, and whether there is pain at night or swelling. Aching pain on movement with crunching points towards osteoarthritis. Pain at rest, night pain, redness and warmth point towards arthritis. These notes help the doctor decide what to ask for next.

How quickly can I return to normal life after the injection?

Normally within a day or two. You will not need crutches or long rehabilitation. The doctor gives you load and exercise recommendations for the first weeks. Do not expect an instant result, because the joint may ache a little more in the first week, and the effect develops over about 6 months.

Will anyone answer me on a public holiday?

Yes. The coordinators reply round the clock, including on Poland's public non-working days such as 1 November, 11 November and 24-26 December. You can send scans and questions by WhatsApp or Telegram at any time.