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Non-Surgical Joint Treatment in Cardiff

Cell therapy (SVF) and PRP for the knee, hip, shoulder and other joints. A free review of your scans before any decision

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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?

In regenerative joint therapy, two materials from your own body are used — platelet-rich plasma (PRP), taken from blood, and the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), taken from a small adipose tissue sample. Once injected into the affected joint, they work to cut pain and inflammation and support the tissues there.

  • 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 decision on whether the treatment suits you is made by a doctor, after an examination and a look at 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: fever, flu or a cold, skin inflammation over 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

Your joint is examined and the doctor studies your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound to judge whether the procedure is suitable. Existing scans can be sent before the appointment.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

A small blood draw from a vein provides the material from which platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is later prepared.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

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

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

Centrifugation divides the sample into layers, so the stromal vascular fraction can be isolated and then 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

No hospital stay and no crutches. After the procedure the doctor keeps in touch and follows 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

No donor or synthetic material: only your own blood and adipose tissue are 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

Doctors tend to choose it when the joint shows more pronounced changes and a more durable effect is wanted.

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

A small amount of your blood is processed to separate plasma rich in platelets and growth factors, which is then injected into the joint. It helps settle inflammation and gives the tissues better conditions for repair.

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

It can be used on its own as a course of injections, 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

Small joints and large ones alike — your scans guide the doctor's choice of joint, method and number of injections

  • KneeKneeMeniscus problems, cartilage wear and pain on stairs or after a walk
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderArm-raising pain, with wear of the joint and the tendons around it
  • ElbowElbowAching after strain from sport or overuse, joint surface wear
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsStiffness and aching in the finger and wrist joints
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

Keeping your natural joint instead of replacing it is our goal — no surgery involved

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

No donor or synthetic material: only your own blood and adipose tissue are used

No crutches

No crutches

Done through punctures instead of incisions, under local anaesthetic, without long rehabilitation

Second opinion

Second opinion

A doctor will independently assess your X-rays, MRI or reports free of charge once you send them

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

We keep following the result and stay in touch after the procedure, not only on injection day

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

The cost is named by the doctor after the consultation, since it depends on the joint, the stage of the condition and the method

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

Choosing joint treatment without surgery in Cardiff

Joint pain does not always mean surgery. In Cardiff, 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.

Most patients from Cardiff go home the same day and return to normal daily activity within a day or two. During the first week the joint may ache a little more — this is an expected reaction. Pain usually eases over the first month.

Joint treatment in Cardiff: price at consultation, free scan review, own tissue only. Leave your name and phone number, or message us in any messenger.

Hills, stairs and the Taff Trail: what daily movement asks of a joint

Cardiff is described as a relatively flat city centre with hills to the north, east and west, and it was built on reclaimed marshland. The highest point of the local authority area, Garth Hill, reaches 307 m. For a person with a sore knee or hip, that mix matters: the centre is easy on the joints, while the districts around it add slopes that turn a short walk into repeated loading.

The river corridor adds another kind of movement. The Taff runs through the centre, and the Taff Trail walking and cycle path covers 90 km from Cardiff Bay to Brecon. Walking and cycling along it are the kind of steady activity that doctors usually want people to keep up, so pain that makes you stop is worth taking seriously rather than putting up with.

On the treatment page, knee problems are described as pain climbing stairs or after walking, cartilage wear and meniscus trouble. Hip problems are described as early osteoarthritis, groin pain and limited rotation. If those descriptions sound like your own routine of hills, steps and long walks, send your scans to the coordinator so the doctor can look at them and tell you whether treatment without surgery could suit you.

A sporting city and the load it puts on joints

In 2008/09, 61% of Cardiff residents regularly took part in sport, the highest figure among the 22 local authorities of Wales, and the city was named European City of Sport for 2009 and 2014. Every October the Cardiff Half Marathon draws over 20,000 participants. Activity on this scale is good for health, but it also means a lot of running, jumping and twisting on knees, ankles and hips.

The treatment page lists recovery after injuries, high load on the joints from sport or physical work, and meniscus pathology among the situations where the approach may be considered. It also lists ankle pain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries, and aching in the elbow after strain from sport or overuse.

Cardiff Bay offers a gentler option. The bay is freshwater, and Cardiff International Pool, opened on 12 January 2008, is there for people who prefer lower-impact exercise. Whether swimming, walking or running suits you during treatment is a question for the doctor, who gives load and exercise recommendations for the first weeks after the procedure.

Damp winters and why joints seem to complain more

Cardiff gets 1,203.5 mm of precipitation a year over 153.4 days with 1 mm or more. The wettest months are December (139.6 mm), November (130.7 mm) and October (129.1 mm), while April is the driest at 72.1 mm. Sunshine is also scarce in midwinter: December has 50.4 hours and January 53.5 hours.

Winters are mild rather than severe. In January the mean maximum is 8.6 °C and the mean minimum 2.5 °C, according to Met Office 1991-2020 normals for Bute Park. Summer is warmer, with July at 21.8 °C mean maximum. Many people notice stiffness on grey, wet days, but weather does not cause joint wear. It can make existing symptoms easier to notice, and the diagnosis still comes first.

That distinction matters. The service text separates osteoarthritis, which is gradual wear of cartilage with pain on movement, crunching and stiffness after rest, from arthritis, which is inflammation with pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, swelling, redness and warmth. The approach to treatment differs, so your scans are reviewed before any plan is suggested.

Ageing, arthritis and what the numbers say nationally

Cardiff is the largest city in Wales, with a population of 381,516 in 2025. The 2021 census recorded 362,400 residents, up 4.7% from 346,100 in 2011, and the wider Cardiff Capital Region is home to about 1.5 million people. A growing population means a growing number of people who will meet joint problems at some point.

The NHS says osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in the UK. Risk increases with age and is higher in women than in men, and also in people with obesity or a joint injury. A GP may suspect it in people aged 45 or older. Arthritis UK reports that over 10 million adults, young people and children in the UK live with arthritis.

For the hip, the NHS says replacement may be considered when pain and stiffness have a big effect on life and other treatments have not worked, with osteoarthritis named as the leading cause. For rheumatoid arthritis, the NHS says there is no cure, and treatment is long-term medicine plus physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Regenerative injections are a different route for people who want to try to keep their own joint at early or moderate stages, and the doctor will tell you honestly if replacement looks more realistic.

Doing it online from Cardiff: scans, coordinators and timing

The first stage is a consultation online, with a coordinator available round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram. You send existing X-rays, MRI or ultrasound, and a doctor reviews them free of charge to say whether the procedure could suit you. Many people in Cardiff find it easier to start this way, as it lets them get an opinion before deciding anything.

If treatment goes ahead, the procedure itself is done in one day. The service text describes a blood sample for PRP, roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue taken under local anaesthetic for SVF, processing in a centrifuge, and an injection into the joint under ultrasound guidance. There is no hospital stay and no crutches.

Expected timing is given as an average. After 1 week the joint may ache a little more, which is an expected reaction. After 1 month pain usually eases, at about 3 months mobility and activity improve, and at about 6 months the full effect develops. How long it lasts differs from person to person, and no one can promise a fixed result.

Do Cardiff's hills make joint problems worse?

The centre is relatively flat, but there are hills to the north, east and west, and Garth Hill reaches 307 m. Repeated slopes and stairs load the knee and hip more, which can make existing pain easier to notice. Hills do not cause arthrosis themselves, and the doctor works out the cause from your scans.

Is damp weather in Cardiff a reason for joint pain?

Cardiff has 1,203.5 mm of rain a year and its wettest months are October to December. Many people feel stiffer in such weather, but weather does not wear out cartilage. If you have pain at rest or at night, swelling or warmth, the doctor needs to check for inflammatory arthritis first.

Does the NHS in Wales cover joint treatment?

The NHS says hip replacement may be considered when pain and stiffness greatly affect life and other treatments have not worked. The regenerative PRP and SVF procedure here is a separate option, and the doctor states its cost after the consultation. Your GP remains the route for NHS care.

At what age should I check my joints?

The NHS says a GP may suspect osteoarthritis in people aged 45 or older, and risk rises with age. Pain, crunching or stiffness at any age is worth a check, particularly after an injury. Sending scans for a free review is a simple first step.

Can I keep running or cycling the Taff Trail while having treatment?

The doctor gives load and exercise recommendations for the first weeks after the procedure, and you can usually return to normal life within a day or two. The pace of returning to running or cycling depends on your joint, so ask at the consultation.

Which scans should I send from Cardiff?

X-rays, MRI, CT or medical reports are all accepted, and for the procedure X-ray, MRI or ultrasound are the usual ones. The coordinator will ask for them on WhatsApp or Telegram, and the doctor reviews them free of charge. If you do not have any recent ones, say so and the coordinator will advise.

Are bank holidays a problem for booking?

Coordinators answer 24/7, so a bank holiday does not stop you from sending scans or asking questions. England and Wales have 8 bank holidays in 2026, including Good Friday on 3 April and Easter Monday on 6 April. Your consultation time is agreed with the coordinator.

Can I ask about hip pain if I have had an old injury?

Yes. The NHS lists hip injury among causes of hip problems, and the service text covers recovery after injuries and surgery. The doctor reviews your scans first and says whether injections are reasonable or whether another approach is more realistic.