Elbow, Wrist And Hand Injections London. What Works And What Does Not
The arm has the strongest and the weakest PRP evidence side by side. For tennis elbow, a 2025 meta-analysis of 26 randomised trials found PRP clearly better than steroid beyond 6 months. For thumb-base arthritis, a 2025 placebo-controlled trial found PRP gave no meaningful short-term relief. For De Quervain’s and carpal tunnel, steroid injection or a hand surgeon is usually the right route. The skill is in matching the treatment to the diagnosis.
Key points
Tennis elbow has the strongest evidence of any tendon condition for PRP. Steroid gives better short-term pain relief, but PRP is clearly better beyond 6 months.
Golfer’s elbow behaves similarly, though direct trials are smaller.
In a 2025 double-blind trial of 90 patients in JBJS Open Access, a single PRP injection gave no meaningful short-term pain relief over placebo for thumb-base osteoarthritis.
At The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness, ultrasound-guided tendon PRP is from £595 to £995 per treatment, used only where the evidence supports it.
Elbow or wrist pain that will not settle? Message our doctors on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com.
Where is your pain?
Outer elbow
Pain on the bony point on the outside of the elbow, worse with gripping, lifting a kettle or using a mouse, is usually tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis. Most people with it do not play tennis.
Inner elbow
Pain on the inside of the elbow, worse with gripping and wrist bending, is usually golfer’s elbow. Tingling into the ring and little fingers suggests the ulnar nerve is involved.
Thumb side of the wrist
Pain on the thumb side of the wrist, worse when lifting a baby, gripping or moving the thumb, is often De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.
Base of the thumb
Aching at the base of the thumb, with weakness when pinching or opening jars, is often thumb-base osteoarthritis, common in women over 50.
Numb fingers at night
Tingling or numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often waking you at night, suggests carpal tunnel syndrome.
Our guide to wrist pain and repetitive strain is wrist pain and RSI treatment.
Tennis elbow. PRP is the strongest option
What to try first
Most tennis elbow improves within a year with load modification and a progressive strengthening programme, and many people need nothing more.
What the evidence shows
For pain that persists despite rehabilitation, a 2025 meta-analysis of 26 randomised trials found steroid better for short-term pain, though below the threshold of clinical significance, and PRP clearly better beyond 6 months. A network meta-analysis of 20 randomised trials ranked PRP first for long-term pain and function. Steroid relieves pain quickly but is associated with more recurrence later. Our full guide is PRP for tennis elbow.
Golfer’s elbow. A reasonable option
Golfer’s elbow is less common, and direct trials are smaller, but it is the same kind of tendon problem and PRP is a reasonable option when rehabilitation has not worked. Examination of the ulnar nerve matters before any injection. See golfer’s elbow.
Want to know if your elbow needs an injection? Ask our doctors on WhatsApp.
Thumb-base arthritis. PRP is not supported
The 2025 trial by Evans and colleagues randomised 90 people with painful thumb-base osteoarthritis to a single PRP injection or placebo. At 6 months, pain on loading improved by a median of 10 points with PRP and 0 with placebo on a 100-point scale, a difference that was not statistically significant, and there were no clinically relevant differences in other outcomes. An earlier network meta-analysis found PRP promising but based on only 2 small studies. We do not currently recommend PRP for thumb arthritis. A splint, hand therapy, a steroid injection for flares and, for advanced disease, a hand surgeon’s opinion are the usual options.
De Quervain’s and carpal tunnel. Usually not PRP
For De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, a splint and a steroid injection into the tendon sheath are effective for many people, with surgery for those who do not settle. For carpal tunnel syndrome, a night splint and steroid injection can help mild to moderate cases, while persistent numbness or weakness needs a hand surgeon’s assessment, because a nerve under pressure for too long may not fully recover.
Why we tell you this
A clinic that offers PRP for every elbow, wrist and hand problem is not following the evidence. We use it where trials support it, mainly tennis elbow, and recommend other routes where they do not. The full picture across conditions is in PRP success rates, and our comparison of the 2 main injections is PRP vs steroid injection.
What happens at The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness
You are assessed by a doctor who examines the elbow, wrist, hand, neck and nerves, and reviews the tendon or joint with ultrasound. Nerve tests or MRI are arranged where they will change the plan. You then receive a written recommendation, which may be rehabilitation, a splint, an injection or a referral to a hand surgeon.
If PRP is right, blood is drawn from your arm and prepared to a consistent, validated protocol, then injected into the tendon under ultrasound guidance. The elbow often aches for a few days, and improvement builds over 6 to 12 weeks alongside a strengthening programme. Our guides for other joints are shoulder injections and knee injections.
What it costs
At The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness, there are 3 ways to begin.
The diagnostic package, from £695, covers assessment, imaging and blood tests, and gives you a written diagnosis and plan whatever you decide.
Ultrasound-guided tendon PRP is from £595 to £995 per treatment, where the evidence supports it.
Most tennis elbow plans involve 1 to 2 treatments with rehabilitation, with the exact figure confirmed in writing before you commit. More detail is in joint PRP cost in London.
Ask what your plan would cost. Message us on WhatsApp.
Why people choose The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness
Every treatment is performed by a GMC-registered doctor, and no clinician treats a patient here until they have completed 100 supervised treatments. Every injection is ultrasound guided. We publish where PRP works and where it does not, we examine the nerves as well as the tendons, and we refer to a hand surgeon when that is the right answer. We also train other doctors in ultrasound-guided PRP through our Academy.
We see patients at 10 Portman Square in Marylebone and the Light Centre in Belgravia. Across our work we report an 87 percent patient success rate and more than 187 five-star reviews.
Book your assessment. Message us on WhatsApp, email team@thewellnesslondon.com, or call +44 20 3951 3429.
Frequently asked questions about elbow, wrist and hand injections
Does PRP work for tennis elbow?
Yes. A 2025 meta-analysis of 26 randomised trials found PRP clearly better than steroid beyond 6 months, although steroid gives faster short-term relief.
Does PRP work for thumb arthritis?
The best current evidence says not. A 2025 double-blind trial of 90 patients found a single PRP injection gave no meaningful short-term pain relief over placebo.
What is the best injection for De Quervain’s?
A steroid injection into the tendon sheath, usually with a splint, is effective for many people. Surgery is an option for those who do not settle.
Should I have an injection for carpal tunnel?
A steroid injection and night splint can help mild to moderate cases. Persistent numbness or weakness needs a hand surgeon’s assessment.
How much does PRP for tennis elbow cost in London?
At The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness, ultrasound-guided tendon PRP is from £595 to £995 per treatment, with a diagnostic package from £695.
How long does tennis elbow take to heal after PRP?
Improvement usually builds over 6 to 12 weeks alongside strengthening, and trials show the main benefit beyond 6 months.
This article is for information and does not replace personal medical advice. All treatments at The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness are performed by GMC-registered doctors. Reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor at The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness. Last updated October 2026.