Joint Pain and Soft Tissue Injury

They take a different approach. Corticosteroid injections work by reducing inflammation; hyaluronic acid injections aim to supplement the joint’s lubricating environment. Both are established orthopaedic interventions with their own roles. PRP and platelet-derived exosomes are autologous biological preparations (derived from your own body) intended to work with the body’s own healing signalling. They aren’t direct substitutes for one another, and which (if any) is appropriate depends on your specific diagnosis and circumstances. Where steroid or HA injection is the right answer, that’s the right answer, and the conversation belongs with an orthopaedic or sports medicine specialist.

No. The clinic doesn’t offer corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid intra-articular injections; patients for whom these are appropriate are best treated within an orthopaedic, sports medicine, or rheumatology service. The clinic also doesn’t offer microfat, nanofat, stromal vascular fraction (SVF), or adipose-derived “stem cell” therapies for joints, and doesn’t describe its treatments as stem cell therapy. PRP and platelet-derived exosomes, both autologous biological preparations, are the regenerative options offered here for joint pain and soft tissue injury.

No. PRP is a concentrated preparation of your own platelets. Platelet-derived exosomes are signalling vesicles produced by platelets. Both are autologous biological preparations: not stem cells, and not described as such. The clinic is deliberately precise about this language, because “stem cell” terminology is heavily regulated in UK practice and is often used inaccurately elsewhere.

Yes. The clinic doesn’t offer regenerative joint treatment for undiagnosed pain. A confirmed diagnosis, from your GP, an orthopaedic, sports medicine, or rheumatology specialist, or a physiotherapist who has assessed you, is the starting point. Where a diagnosis hasn’t yet been made, your GP is the right first step.

A clinical history and examination, a review of any imaging or specialist letters you bring with you, a discussion of what the published evidence currently supports for your specific situation, a discussion of alternatives (including physiotherapy, medical management, and specialist referral), a discussion of risks, and, only if appropriate, a treatment plan. Some patients are advised against treatment; that’s part of an honest assessment, not a failure of treatment.

Where benefit is reported in the published literature, it is typically gradual rather than immediate and may take weeks to develop. Some patients experience a temporary flare in the first week after injection. Some patients experience no significant change at all; that’s part of the honest framing, and Dr Garara will discuss realistic expectations in detail at consultation.

A small blood sample is drawn from your arm, much like a routine blood test. The sample is processed, typically by centrifugation, to prepare the relevant injectate. The preparation is then injected into the target area, usually under ultrasound guidance for joint and tendon work. The session typically takes around an hour in total.

PRP for some musculoskeletal indications is offered in some NHS settings and not in others; NICE guidance varies by indication and recommends use only with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent, and audit or research. Your GP or specialist is the right route for the NHS pathway. Treatment at this clinic is private.