Hyaluronic Acid Joint Injection

Viscosupplement injection for knee, shoulder, hip and small-joint osteoarthritis — no specialist referral required. Delivered in-clinic in a single visit.

15-minute visit
No specialist referral
Ultrasound guidance where indicated

Viscosupplementation for Joint Osteoarthritis

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a natural gel-like substance already present in your joints. In osteoarthritis, the joint's own HA thins out and loses its cushioning effect, so bone-on-bone friction increases and the joint hurts to load. A hyaluronic acid injection replaces that cushioning — it lubricates the joint surfaces, reduces inflammation and gives the cartilage a mechanical break so pain drops and function improves.

We use FDA-approved viscosupplement products including Synvisc, Durolane, Monovisc and Supartz — the same medications used at specialist and hospital settings. Product choice is matched to the joint and the OA severity at the assessment.

Conditions We Treat With HA Injection

Knee Osteoarthritis

The commonest indication. Works best in mild to moderate OA (Kellgren-Lawrence grades 1-3), where cartilage is thinning but the joint space hasn't fully collapsed. A single injection typically gives 6-12 months of pain relief.

Shoulder Osteoarthritis

Glenohumeral OA — pain reaching overhead, night pain, stiffness getting dressed. Ultrasound-guided injection into the glenohumeral joint reduces pain without the systemic effects of oral anti-inflammatories.

Hip Osteoarthritis

Groin pain, stiffness after sitting, reduced walking distance. HA injection into the hip joint (image-guided) offers a durable option for patients not ready for hip replacement.

Ankle & Small-Joint OA

Post-traumatic ankle OA, first-carpometacarpal (thumb-base) OA and other small-joint arthritis often respond well to smaller-volume HA injections.

What to Expect on the Day

  1. Assessment (10 min). A clinician reviews your knee (or affected joint), looks at any imaging you've had, and confirms HA injection is the right procedure for you. If we think you'd do better with PRP, Cingal, cortisone or a different approach, we tell you.
  2. Consent and product choice. We explain the specific viscosupplement, single-dose versus multi-dose regimens, expected outcome and the small list of side effects.
  3. Injection (5 min). Skin sterilised, joint identified anatomically (or with ultrasound guidance if needed), medication injected. Most patients describe it as a firm press, not a sharp pain.
  4. Post-injection care. Rest the joint from heavy loading for 48 hours. Light walking, gentle movement and normal daily activity are fine. Ice if sore.
  5. Follow-up. A short check-in message at 2 and 6 weeks to confirm the injection is working. If a top-up injection or a switch to Cingal is needed, we book it.

How to book

You don't need a referral. You don't need to have failed physiotherapy first. Walk in during opening hours, book online or WhatsApp us.

The assessment and the injection are usually done in the same visit.

A note from our clinicians

Hyaluronic acid works well when the diagnosis is right and the joint is the right candidate. The main mistakes we see elsewhere are (1) offering HA to someone with severe grade 4 OA who really needs a joint replacement, and (2) offering HA when the pain is actually coming from a mechanical block like a bucket-handle meniscal tear that needs a different intervention. We spend time on the assessment so you get the procedure that matches your knee — not the one that pays the clinic best.

We are also happy to say "no". If HA isn't the right answer for you, we'll tell you, and where appropriate we refer to an orthopaedic surgeon or sports-medicine physician for an opinion — that referral is worth having at the right point, not before.

Ready to book a hyaluronic acid injection?

Message us on WhatsApp, use the enquiry form, or walk in during opening hours. Most patients are seen and injected within a single visit.