Heal the injury. Rebuild the strength. Stay in the game.

Hunter Powell, PA-C, leads our regenerative sports medicine program. He’s board-eligible in orthopedic and sports medicine care, and — unlike most injectors — he’s also a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer. That means the person diagnosing your knee, injecting it, and building your rehab plan is the same person who understands how load, nutrition, and recovery actually drive tissue repair. You’re not handed off between specialists.

Orthovisc and Monovisc are FDA-cleared hyaluronic acid injections that cushion and lubricate an arthritic knee — they’re mechanical support, not a healing signal. PRP uses concentrated growth factors from your own blood to support tissue repair, and is best supported for tendinopathy and mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis. Hunter determines which fits your case (or whether a combination makes sense) using an in-office ultrasound assessment, not a standard protocol applied to everyone who walks in with knee pain.

It’s an FDA-cleared option for eligible knee osteoarthritis, and many patients notice easier movement and reduced pain — but it doesn’t reverse the underlying arthritis, and effects vary by patient and severity. Hunter will walk you through realistic expectations at your evaluation and typically pairs it with a loading and strength plan, since joint support without a rehab strategy tends to be short-lived.

Cortisone calms inflammation but doesn’t rebuild tissue, and repeated use can weaken tendons over time. PRP works differently — it uses your own blood’s growth factors to support the tissue’s own repair process. Hunter uses cortisone selectively for acute flares, but for tendon injuries and appropriate joint cases, PRP is often the more tissue-directed choice. He’ll tell you plainly which situation you’re in.

It changes what happens after the needle. An injection creates the opportunity for tissue to repair — but tissue repairs in response to load. Because Hunter also programs your rehab (rather than referring you out to a generic PT), your strength plan is built by the same person who knows exactly what was injected, where, and what tissue needs to tolerate load safely as it heals.

Most protocols run one to three sessions spaced several weeks apart, though the exact number depends on your diagnosis, tissue type, and response. Hunter reassesses along the way rather than committing you to a fixed package upfront.

Candidacy is determined at your evaluation with Hunter — based on ultrasound findings, imaging history, and what tissue is actually involved. Viscosupplementation is FDA-cleared for qualifying knee osteoarthritis; PRP is best supported for tendinopathy and mild-to-moderate OA. He’ll be direct with you if you’re not a fit and what the better option looks like instead.

Most patients see measurable change within 6 to 12 weeks, and how closely you follow Hunter’s rehab plan is one of the biggest factors in that timeline. He sets expectations honestly at your first visit rather than promising a specific result.