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PRP injections - your own biology, honestly sold.

Platelet-rich plasma for knee osteoarthritis, tennis elbow and stubborn tendinopathy - injected under ultrasound by consultant clinicians, with the evidence for your condition explained straight before you spend anything.

See indicative pricing
A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What PRP injections cost in the UK.

Indicative ranges across UK private providers.

In short

A single ultrasound-guided PRP injection: £350–£700, walk out the same visit.

Treatment Indicative range
PRP injection - single joint or tendon (ultrasound-guided) £350–£700
Course of 2–3 PRP injections £700–£1,800
PRP for knee osteoarthritis (per injection) £400–£750
PRP for tendinopathy (tennis elbow, patellar, Achilles) £350–£700
PRP for hair loss (per session, course of 3–6) £250–£600
Consultation with sports-medicine consultant £200–£350
Diagnostic ultrasound (if needed first) £150–£300

Prices vary by city, by the preparation system used and by who injects - consultant-delivered, ultrasound-guided treatment in London sits at the top of the range.

The problem

A confirmed diagnosis, a guided needle, and evidence before enthusiasm.

PRP sits in a market with real science and real hype side by side - unguided injections, no diagnosis, regeneration promises. Check all three before you book.

  • Diagnose before you inject

    PRP into the wrong structure treats nothing. Examination and imaging come first, every time - the step the sales funnels skip.

  • Guidance is not a luxury

    Trials showing PRP works used image-guided injections.

  • Ranked against the alternatives

    Steroid, hyaluronic acid, shockwave, rehab alone - PRP is recommended only when it genuinely earns its place in that line-up for your condition.

When it helps

When PRP is genuinely worth considering.

The conditions with the strongest case, ranked honestly - plus the one red flag that means urgent assessment rather than an elective injection.

  • Knee osteoarthritis (mild to moderate)

    The best-evidenced PRP indication - trials suggest meaningful pain and function gains at 6–12 months, often outlasting steroid injections.

  • Tennis and golfer’s elbow

    Chronic epicondylitis that has failed physiotherapy - PRP has reasonable evidence here, particularly beyond six months of symptoms.

  • Patellar and Achilles tendinopathy

    Stubborn jumper’s knee or Achilles pain in active people - PRP is an option alongside, never instead of, loading rehab.

  • Gluteal tendinopathy and hip pain

    Lateral hip pain that has failed conservative care - emerging evidence supports PRP over steroid for longer-lasting relief.

  • Plantar fasciitis, persistent

    Heel pain resistant to stretching, orthotics and shockwave - PRP is a reasonable next step before considering surgery.

  • Hair loss (androgenetic alopecia)

    PRP into the scalp can thicken hair in early-pattern hair loss - modest, real effects that need maintenance sessions.

  • Muscle and ligament injuries in sport

    Selected hamstring and ligament injuries in athletes - used in elite sport, though evidence for faster return to play is mixed.

  • Red flag: a hot, swollen joint or fever

    A hot, red, swollen joint with fever may be infection or crystal arthritis - that needs urgent medical assessment, never an elective injection.

Treatment options

Preparation and protocol both depend on the condition.

What each option involves - leukocyte-rich or -poor, single injection or course, and how PRP compares with steroid and hyaluronic acid.

  • Leukocyte-poor PRP

    Platelets concentrated with white cells removed - the preparation most used for joints, particularly knee osteoarthritis, where it appears best tolerated.

  • Leukocyte-rich PRP

    Platelets concentrated with white cells retained - often favoured for chronic tendinopathy, where the stronger inflammatory stimulus may help remodelling.

  • Ultrasound-guided injection

    Guidance confirms the needle sits in the joint space or the diseased tendon segment - accuracy the evidence assumes.

  • Single vs course of injections

    Knee osteoarthritis protocols often use 2–3 injections a few weeks apart; tendinopathy is usually treated with one, repeated only if partial response.

  • PRP vs steroid injection

    Steroid works faster but fades and can weaken tendon with repetition. PRP is slower to act but tends to last longer in the conditions where it works. Different tools.

  • PRP vs hyaluronic acid

    For knee osteoarthritis, head-to-head trials generally favour PRP or find parity. Some clinics combine them; the added benefit is uncertain.

  • PRP for skin and hair

    The “vampire facial” and scalp PRP sit at the aesthetic end - real but modest evidence for early hair loss, weaker for skin rejuvenation. Priced and pitched accordingly.

  • What PRP is not

    Not stem cells, not cartilage regrowth, not a cure for severe arthritis. Anyone promising regeneration of a worn joint is overselling.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

PRP is a low-risk injection of your own blood products. The things worth planning are the post-injection flare, the NSAID-free window, and realistic expectations of response.

  • Your own blood - low allergy risk

    PRP is autologous, so allergic and immune reactions are essentially absent. The risks are those of any injection: infection, bleeding, local soreness.

  • Expect a flare, by design

    PRP deliberately provokes an inflammatory healing response. Soreness for 2–7 days after injection is normal and usually a good sign - plan the diary around it.

  • Infection is rare but real

    Joint or soft-tissue infection occurs in well under 1 in 1,000 with sterile technique. A joint that becomes hot, very painful or feverish needs same-day review.

  • Stop anti-inflammatories around treatment

    NSAIDs blunt the platelet response - stop them about a week before and for 2–4 weeks after, using paracetamol for the flare instead. Confirm the timing with your clinician when booking.

  • Results take weeks, not days

    Benefit typically builds over 6–12 weeks as tissue remodels. Judging PRP at a fortnight is judging it too early - the review is scheduled accordingly.

  • Response varies honestly

    A substantial minority get little benefit even in well-evidenced indications. No reputable clinician guarantees a result.

  • Rehab is not optional

    For tendinopathy especially, PRP supports a loading programme - it does not replace one. Skipping rehab is the most common reason PRP “fails”.

  • Who should avoid PRP

    Active infection, platelet disorders, some blood-thinning medication, active cancer at the site, and pregnancy (for elective indications) are the usual exclusions. Screening covers them.

  • Red flags after injection

    A joint that becomes hot and exquisitely painful, fever, spreading redness, or new numbness or weakness needs same-day medical review or A&E - not the routine review.

Reading your procedure note

Your procedure note in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whichever clinic treats you, the note the clinician sends afterwards keeps to the same shape.

A UK consultant reviewing a patient’s PRP procedure notes

A quiet reminder

Preparation jargon - spins, concentrations, leukocytes - can read opaquely. Ask your care team to explain anything that is unclear.

If you would like the procedure note and the rehab plan talked through before your review, just ask your care team.

  1. 01 Header

    Diagnosis, target and rationale

    The confirmed diagnosis, the structure injected, and why PRP was chosen over the alternatives for your particular problem.

  2. 02 Technique

    Preparation and delivery

    Blood volume drawn, the system used, leukocyte-rich or -poor preparation, the volume injected, and confirmation of ultrasound guidance.

  3. 03 Findings

    Imaging findings at injection

    What the ultrasound showed - the state of the joint or tendon, effusions, tears - recorded as your baseline for judging response.

  4. 04 Impression

    Rehab plan and review criteria

    Read this first: the loading programme, the NSAID-avoidance window, the 6–12 week review date, and what response would justify (or rule out) a further injection.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Insurer cover for PRP varies - some fund it for specific indications, many class it as unproven and decline. The consultation and imaging are usually covered regardless.

Frequently asked

Common questions about PRP.

Quick answers on evidence, cost, recovery, steroid comparisons and the NHS.

  • What is PRP and how does it work?

    Platelet-rich plasma is made from your own blood: a sample is spun in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, which are then injected into a painful joint or tendon. Platelets release growth factors that stimulate a healing and remodelling response in tissue that has poor blood supply. It is a regenerative-style treatment in mechanism, but it does not regrow cartilage - its realistic goals are less pain and better function.

  • Does PRP actually work?

    For some conditions, the evidence is respectable: mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis and chronic tennis elbow show meaningful benefit in multiple trials, often outlasting steroid injections. For others - plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, muscle tears, skin rejuvenation - the evidence is mixed or thin. A substantial minority of patients get little benefit even in the best indications. It is worth asking which category your problem falls into before you book, not after.

  • How much do PRP injections cost in the UK?

    A single ultrasound-guided musculoskeletal PRP injection typically costs £350–£700, with knee osteoarthritis courses of two to three injections running £700–£1,800. Scalp PRP for hair loss costs £250–£600 per session over a course of three to six. Consultation (£200–£350) and any diagnostic imaging are usually separate.

  • Is PRP painful, and what is recovery like?

    The injection itself is comparable to any joint or tendon injection - brief discomfort, eased by local anaesthetic in the skin. The distinctive part is the flare afterwards: 2–7 days of aching as the intended inflammatory response gets going, managed with paracetamol and ice rather than ibuprofen. Most people work the next day, and graded rehab restarts within days. Benefit then builds over 6–12 weeks.

  • PRP or a steroid injection - which should I have?

    They do different jobs. Steroid settles inflammation fast - useful for a flare you need controlled quickly - but the effect fades within weeks to months and repeated doses can weaken tendon and cartilage. PRP is slower, kinder to tissue, and in conditions like knee osteoarthritis and tennis elbow tends to last longer. Age, diagnosis, timescale and what you have already tried all feed the decision, which is exactly what the consultation is for.

  • Is PRP available on the NHS?

    Rarely. NICE guidance treats PRP for osteoarthritis and most tendinopathies as an option only with special arrangements for consent and audit, because the evidence base is still maturing - so routine NHS commissioning is uncommon and varies by trust. In practice, almost all PRP in the UK is delivered privately, which makes independent advice on whether it is worth your money all the more important.

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