Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 2, 2026 | Last Updated: March 2, 2026 If you are considering a PRP injection for knee arthritis, you may have come across the option to add hyaluronic acid (HA) to the treatment. It is a reasonable question: does combining PRP and hyaluronic acid actually produce better outcomes, or is it simply an expensive add-on with no meaningful benefit? The answer could influence your treatment

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 2, 2026 | Last Updated: March 2, 2026 Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have become one of the most widely discussed treatments in regenerative medicine, and many patients with Achilles tendon problems wonder whether PRP could help them avoid surgery and get back on their feet. PRP is frequently promoted as a cutting-edge option that can relieve pain and improve function, but doe

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 2, 2026 | Last Updated: March 2, 2026 Thumb arthritis at the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint is one of the most common and debilitating forms of hand osteoarthritis. This small but critical joint at the base of the thumb enables grasping, pinching, and fine motor tasks — and when arthritis sets in, it can significantly diminish quality of life. Many patients find that traditional treatme

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 2, 2026 | Last Updated: March 2, 2026 Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis is one of the most common and debilitating forms of hand arthritis, affecting millions of people—particularly women over the age of 50. The CMC joint sits at the base of the thumb where it meets the wrist, and it is responsible for the wide range of motion that allows you to grip, pinch, and perfor

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2026 | Last Updated: March 1, 2026 Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are increasingly marketed as a natural, regenerative treatment for sciatica and low back pain — promising to reduce inflammation, promote tissue healing, and provide lasting relief without the downsides of steroids. But does the science actually support these claims? A brand-new systematic review and meta-ana

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2026 | Last Updated: March 1, 2026 A cortisone injection for knee arthritis can feel like a miracle. The pain fades, movement returns, and for a brief moment, life feels normal again. But beneath that relief, there is a growing concern — one now backed by real evidence. What helps today may quietly be harming your knee for tomorrow. In my practice as a sports medicine physician, I

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2025 | Last Updated: March 1, 2025 If you have been dealing with persistent pain along the thumb side of your wrist — pain that flares up when you grip, lift, or twist — you may be struggling with De Quervain's tenosynovitis. It is one of the most common tendon conditions I treat in my sports medicine practice, and it is also one of the most frustrating for patients. Many people h

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2026 | Last Updated: March 1, 2026 TB-500 is one of the most talked-about peptides in the world of injury recovery. Marketed as a synthetic version of a naturally occurring protein called thymosin beta-4, it has gained attention for its purported ability to accelerate healing, reduce inflammation, and support tissue repair in muscles, tendons, and joints. For patients dealing with

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2025 | Last Updated: March 1, 2025 If you have been diagnosed with a rotator cuff tear, one of the first questions you are likely asking is whether surgery is necessary. It is a common concern, and the answer may surprise you. Depending on the type and severity of your tear, non-surgical treatments such as physical therapy and platelet-rich plasma ( PRP ) injections can be just as

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2025 | Last Updated: March 1, 2025 If you've been told you have a meniscus tear, your first thought might be that surgery is inevitable. It's one of the most common concerns I hear from patients in my sports medicine practice. But here's what many people don't realize: the majority of meniscus tears—particularly degenerative tears that develop over time—do not require surgery. Mul

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2026 | Last Updated: March 1, 2026 If you've recently had a hyaluronic acid injection for knee arthritis—or you're considering one—you're probably wondering what comes next. Questions like "Is this soreness normal?" and "When will I start feeling better?" are among the most common things I hear from patients in my clinic. In this guide, I'll walk you through everything you need to

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2026 | Last Updated: March 1, 2026 One of the most common questions I hear from patients considering platelet-rich plasma therapy is: "Do PRP injections hurt?" Most people assume it is just another quick, relatively painless shot. And while that is often true during the procedure itself, the real surprise comes a few hours later — and it can catch people completely off guard. In m

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2026 | Last Updated: March 1, 2026 Tennis elbow — medically known as lateral epicondylosis — can be one of the most frustrating conditions to deal with. It often drags on for months, sometimes even years, and many patients find that physical therapy alone does not provide lasting relief. But what if there is a treatment that goes beyond managing symptoms and actually helps repair

The meniscus has notoriously poor blood supply, and most tears — especially degenerative ones — never fully heal on their own. For years, patients with persistent meniscus tears have been told that surgery is the only viable option. But what if we could change the biology inside the knee to make healing possible? As a sports medicine physician in the San Francisco Bay Area, I regularly treat patients who come in for a second opinion after being told they need surgery for a me

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Last updated: February 28, 2026 Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common and frustrating conditions I see in my sports medicine practice. Many of my patients have already tried stretching, orthotics, night splints, and even steroid injections — only to have their heel pain return weeks or months later. The question I hear most often is whether there is a treatment that can actually heal

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: February 26, 2026 | Last Updated: February 26, 2026 If you have been told to just live with calcific tendonitis — or to keep getting cortisone shots until you are "ready for surgery" — you have probably noticed the pain always comes back. That is because most conventional treatments only mask symptoms without addressing the underlying calcium deposit. The good news is there is a

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: February 26, 2026 | Last Updated: February 26, 2026 Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have become one of the most promising non-surgical treatments for knee osteoarthritis. However, not every patient experiences the same degree of improvement. In my practice, I have treated thousands of patients with PRP, and while the majority respond well, there are clear patterns in who b

Board-certified sports medicine physician Dr. Jeffrey Peng ranks knee arthritis injections — PRP, hyaluronic acid, cortisone, and stem cells — based on the latest 2025 clinical evidence, safety data, and real-world outcomes.

Board-certified sports medicine physician Dr. Jeffrey Peng explains how ultrasound-guided percutaneous tenotomy with PRP can heal partial rotator cuff tears without surgery — and what the clinical evidence shows.

Osteoarthritis is now recognized as a metabolic disease. Learn the 3-step evidence-based protocol — metabolic health optimization, PRP injection therapy, and targeted exercise — to reduce knee arthritis pain and restore mobility.