By Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD · Published March 4, 2026 · 7 min read Watch the Full Video Platelet-rich plasma ( PRP ) injections have become one of the most effective nonsurgical treatments for knee osteoarthritis. However, what many patients and even physicians do not realize is that not all PRP injections are created equal. The number of platelets delivered during treatment — known as platelet dosing — plays a critical role in determining whether PRP will actually work. In this

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common conditions I treat in my sports medicine practice, and it is also one of the most misunderstood. Patients frequently arrive with beliefs about their diagnosis that are not only inaccurate but are actively preventing them from getting better. Misinformation about osteoarthritis can lead to unnecessary fear of movement, delayed treatment, and a l

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 3, 2026 | Last Updated: March 3, 2026 Patients with severe knee osteoarthritis often face a difficult crossroads: exhausted conservative options, reluctance to pursue surgery, and uncertainty about whether emerging treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can still offer meaningful relief at an advanced stage of disease. In my sports medicine practice, I frequently see patients wit

Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 3, 2026 | Last Updated: March 3, 2026 In my practice, one of the most common questions I hear from patients with knee arthritis is whether exercise is safe — and more specifically, whether strength training will make their joints worse. The evidence is clear: not only is strength training safe for most people with knee osteoarthritis, it is among the most effective interventions we have for red

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 4, 2026 | Last Updated: March 4, 2026 Knee cartilage lesions — including chondromalacia and osteochondral defects — have long been considered irreversible. Once cartilage wears down or detaches, the conventional wisdom has been that it simply cannot regenerate on its own. However, emerging evidence suggests that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections may not only reduce pain and impr

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 4, 2026 | Last Updated: March 4, 2026 Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common conditions I treat in my sports medicine practice, and one of the most important conversations I have with patients is about exercise. Many people with knee pain assume they should avoid physical activity altogether, but the evidence tells a very different story. Among all forms of aerobic exercise, c

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 3, 2026 | Last Updated: March 3, 2026 If you have been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, you are likely wondering what you can do to keep it from getting worse — and whether surgery is inevitable. In my practice as a sports medicine physician, I meet patients every day who are anxious about their diagnosis and overwhelmed by conflicting advice. The good news is that there are three

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 3, 2025 | Last Updated: March 3, 2025 Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have become one of the most discussed treatments for knee osteoarthritis, yet misinformation remains widespread. Some orthopedic surgeons continue to dismiss PRP as unproven, while certain providers in regenerative medicine make exaggerated claims about regrowing an entirely new knee. The truth, as the latest

Research shows vitamin K intake may reduce knee arthritis pain and protect cartilage. Learn about the two forms of vitamin K, the best food sources, and how this nutrient fits into a comprehensive approach to managing osteoarthritis.

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 3, 2026 | Last Updated: March 3, 2026 Knee cracking, popping, and grinding are among the most common concerns I hear from patients in my sports medicine clinic. These sounds — collectively known as knee crepitus — can be alarming, especially when they seem to appear out of nowhere. The good news is that in most cases, noisy knees are completely harmless. However, understanding when c

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 If you or someone you know struggles with knee pain from arthritis, the possibility that a widely used diabetes medication could provide relief may change how you think about treatment options. Metformin, prescribed to more than 150 million people worldwide for type 2 diabetes, has recently drawn significant attention from researchers exploring i

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 2, 2026 | Last Updated: March 2, 2026 Obesity is the single most powerful modifiable risk factor for developing knee osteoarthritis — and it could be quietly damaging your joints every single day. While many patients assume arthritis is simply an inevitable part of aging, research consistently shows that excess body weight plays a far larger role than most people realize. The good ne

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 2, 2026 | Last Updated: March 2, 2026 Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of joint pain in adults, affecting mobility, independence, and overall quality of life. Exercise remains one of the most effective non-pharmacological treatments for managing symptoms—but patients frequently ask which type of exercise is best. Strength training has long been considered the gold

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, 2026 | Last Updated: March 1, 2026 Knee arthritis is one of the most common conditions I treat in my sports medicine practice, and one of the most frustrating things patients experience is how unpredictable it can be. Two patients with nearly identical X-rays can have completely different levels of pain, function, and long-term outcomes. For years, we've treated osteoarthritis wit

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

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2026 | Last Updated: March 1, 2026 Knee pain is one of the most common complaints I see in my sports medicine practice. While occasional soreness after exercise is usually nothing to worry about, there are certain warning signs that should prompt you to seek evaluation sooner rather than later. After treating thousands of patients with knee pain, I've identified three c

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