Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 4, 2026 | Last Updated: March 4, 2026 Back pain is one of the most common complaints I encounter in my sports medicine practice — and one of the most misunderstood. Patients arrive convinced they have a serious spinal problem, that their MRI findings explain their symptoms, or that rest is the only safe path forward. These beliefs are not only unsupported by current evidence; they ac

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 3, 2025 | Last Updated: March 3, 2025 Selecting the right physician for your platelet-rich plasma injection is one of the most consequential decisions you can make about your treatment. In my practice, I consistently see patients who have had suboptimal outcomes not because PRP failed them, but because the procedure was performed incorrectly — wrong technique, insufficient platelet d

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 3, 2026 | Last Updated: March 3, 2026 One of the most common and overlooked causes of low back pain is not actually in the low back at all — it is in the gluteus medius muscle. In my practice, I frequently see patients who have been treated for lumbar spine problems for months or even years, only to discover that the true source of their pain is myofascial trigger points in the glute

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 3, 2026 | Last Updated: March 3, 2026 Creatine monohydrate is one of the most extensively studied and effective supplements in the health and fitness world. As a sports medicine physician, I have seen firsthand how powerful creatine can be — not just for young athletes, but also for weekend warriors, senior athletes, and anyone looking to lead a healthier lifestyle. What makes creati

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

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 3, 2026 | Last Updated: March 3, 2026 If you have been told that surgery is the only way to fix your rotator cuff tear, you may not have the full picture. While surgical repair is necessary in some cases, the majority of rotator cuff tears can be successfully managed without an operation — provided you take the right steps to support your recovery. As a sports medicine physician, I h

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 3, 2026 | Last Updated: March 3, 2026 If you are considering a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection for knee pain, arthritis, or a tendon injury, there is one critical factor that will determine whether your treatment succeeds or fails—and most clinics never mention it. The effectiveness of PRP depends heavily on platelet dosing. Research now shows that injections with too few plate

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 3, 2026 | Last Updated: March 3, 2026 Push-ups are one of the most basic exercises in fitness, but they may reveal far more about your health than you realize. In my practice as a sports medicine physician, I frequently see how muscular strength — or the lack of it — directly impacts long-term health outcomes. A landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Associat

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 2, 2026 | Last Updated: March 2, 2026 Shoulder cracking and popping sounds can be unsettling, especially when they seem to come out of nowhere. Many patients walk into my clinic concerned that a click or pop in their shoulder means something is seriously wrong — perhaps a rotator cuff tear or the beginning of arthritis. The good news is that in the vast majority of cases, these mecha

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 2, 2026 | Last Updated: March 2, 2026 If you have ever been told that an MRI holds the key to understanding your joint pain, you may be surprised to learn that it might not be telling you the full story. In my practice, I frequently see patients who come in with MRI reports showing tears, arthritis, or degenerative changes — fully expecting these findings to explain their pain. But i

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 2, 2026 | Last Updated: March 2, 2026 If you live with arthritis, you may have been told — or simply assumed — that pain is a sign of ongoing joint damage. This belief is not only inaccurate in many cases, but it can actually make your arthritis worse. The fear of pain leads to avoidance of movement, which sets off a cycle of weakness, stiffness, and accelerated joint decline. In my

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 2, 2026 | Last Updated: March 2, 2026 Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy has gained significant attention in recent years as a non-invasive treatment option for chronic pain and musculoskeletal conditions. Many of my patients ask about PEMF, and it is one of the most common questions I receive in my video comments. In my practice as a sports medicine physician in the San Fra

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 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 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