Private hyaluronic acid joint injections

Prices and locations

Shepton Mallet

Shepton Mallet

Procedure	Price
Hyaluronic acid joint injections	£895

See all prices Select location See all locations

Shepton Mallet

Procedure	Price
Hyaluronic acid joint injections	£895

See all prices Select location See all locations

What is hyaluronic acid and how is it used?

Hyaluronic acid (HA) injections can provide pain reduction for osteoarthritic joints. These improvements are usually temporary (lasting a maximum of 6-9 months). Hyaluronic acid injections are generally very safe, although certain people may experience some minor side effects.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring compound within the body and is a significant element of synovial fluid, which enables smooth joint movement and shock absorption. This compound is injected into the joint to try to reduce pain by supplementing the synovial fluid. It is typically offered as an alternative to a steroid injection to try to help prevent disease progression. It is administered as a single injection. Hyaluronic acid is not a cure for arthritis but could reduce the need for pain killers due to its anti-inflammatory effect.

What are the benefits of hyaluronic acid joint injections?

The main benefits of the procedure are:

• pain reduction
• improved function of the affected joint
• long-lasting effects (up to a year) 

The effects may take some weeks to take full effect. Around three quarters of patients report a positive outcome of these injections. ls achieve some benefit from the injection.

What are the risks of hyaluronic acid joint injections?

There is a small risk of infection, bleeding, or pain in the the knee joint. In the event of infection in the knee joint, surgery may be required to wash it out.

While side-effects are rare, they can include:

• Joint and soft tissue infections
• Anaphylaxis (allergic reaction)
• Post-injection flare of pain at the injection site
• Injury or trauma to neurovascular structures during the injection procedure.

Your pain management specialist is trained to take every appropriate step to avoid injecting or traumatising any soft tissue structures, nerves, or vessels when performing the injection. However, there is always a very small risk that this could occur, particularly with injections in certain areas of the body.

Can I get referred for hyaluronic acid joint injections?

Referrals for hyaluronic acid joint injections can be made by our consultants, our GPs or our physios. The aim is to treat symptoms in your affected joint to reduce your level of pain and function. They will discuss the treatment with you and help with any concerns or worries you may have.

Preparing for hyaluronic acid joint injection

While there is no specific preparation for the injection, you must let your clinician know if you are taking any of the following medications:

• Warfarin
• Aspirin
• Clopidogrel (Plavix)
• Apixaban (Eliquis)
• Dabigatran (Pradaxa)
• Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)
• Steroids (e.g. Prednisolone – currently or in the last 6 months)
• allergies to penicillin or other antibiotics
• diabetes medication.

You may be advised to temporarily stop taking some medications prior to the injection. Your clinician will advise on this.

You will also need to let your clinician know about any of the following:

• infections anywhere in your body
• skin conditions (e.g. tendency to keloid scarring or soft tissue disorders)
• feeling unwell or are due to have any surgery in the area to be injected
• have recently had an injection in the same joint or have an implant within the joint
• pregnancy, trying to conceive, or breast feeding
• cancer or receiving treatment for cancer
• liver disease, pancreatitis, haemophilia, blood clots, high blood pressure, heart disease, metabolic disease
• have suffered recent trauma to the area to be injected.

During the procedure

Your clinician will identify the site for injection with you either lying on a couch or sitting in a chair. Your skin will then be cleaned with a sterile solution and local anaesthetic applied to the injection site (if needed). Any excess joint fluid will usually be drawn off before the injection is administered.

The whole procedure should last between 20 and 30 minutes.

After the injection

If you have a local anaesthetic, your pain may be relieved within minutes, but the effect may wear off after an hour or two. It usually takes several days for the effect to start working.

As you won’t be able to drive for up to six hours after the injection, you’ll need to arrange alternative transport to take you home.

You should avoid strenuous exercise for a few days afterwards due to potential post-injection discomfort. If you have an injection around a tendon, you may be asked to avoid heavy impact and loading activities for a few days too.

If local anaesthetic has been administered, you may not feel any pain for a few hours afterwards. Once this wears off, the area may become uncomfortable and last for a few days.