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, 2025 | Last Updated: March 1, 2025 Most people who struggle with joint pain are focused on the wrong things. They wait for the pain to go away on its own. They rest for weeks—sometimes months—hoping time will fix the problem. They stretch when they should be strengthening. And they treat the symptoms without ever addressing the underlying system. In my practice, I see these patter

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2025 | Last Updated: March 1, 2025 Shoulder pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints I encounter in my sports medicine practice, and it is also one of the most misunderstood. Most shoulder problems do not develop from a single dramatic injury. Instead, they build gradually over time from tight muscles, poor movement habits, and the cumulative effects of everyday w

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2025 | Last Updated: March 1, 2025 Maintaining strength, mobility, and independence as you age is not only possible — it is well within reach for most people. Whether you are in your 60s, 70s, or beyond, the same foundational principles apply: move consistently, train with intention, and prioritize recovery. In my practice, I work with patients every day who are proving that age i

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 1, 2025 | Last Updated: March 1, 2025 Movement is medicine — but most people with arthritis do the exact opposite. When joint pain flares, the instinct is to stop moving: skip the walk, avoid the stairs, rest as much as possible. The problem is that avoidance does not protect your joints. In my practice, I see this pattern regularly — patients who stop moving in an effort to manage t

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 Shoulder pain is one of the most common complaints I see in my sports medicine practice, and certain patterns consistently stand out as early warnings of a more serious underlying problem. In my experience, patients who recognize these signals early and seek evaluation tend to have significantly better outcomes than those who wait until the pain

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, 2025 | Last Updated: March 1, 2025 Visceral fat is something most people have never heard of, but it may be one of the most important factors in long-term joint health. Unlike the fat you can pinch under your skin, visceral fat hides deep inside your abdomen, surrounding your organs. It does not simply sit there quietly — it actively drives systemic inflammation, fuels metabolic s

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

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

Shoulder pain is not random. The location of your pain and the way your symptoms behave can serve as important diagnostic clues to the underlying problem. By understanding the source of your symptoms, you can take the appropriate steps toward getting an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. As a sports medicine physician in the San Francisco Bay Area, I have treated thousands of patients with shoulder pain, and the same patterns come up again and again. Certain types of

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 Last updated: February 28, 2026 Red light therapy has become one of the most talked-about recovery tools among athletes and fitness enthusiasts. From professional sports teams to home LED panels, the technology is everywhere — but does the science actually support the hype? As a sports medicine physician who has treated thousands of athletes in the San Francisco Bay Area, I get asked about