Who tends to be a good candidate
Most people who do well with regenerative medicine have pain coming from soft tissue or a joint — a nagging rotator cuff, tennis or golfer's elbow, a stubborn Achilles or plantar fascia, an aching knee or hip, neck, low back or SI joint pain, or a sports and overuse injury that hasn't fully healed. If the trouble is a loose or worn ligament, an irritated tendon, or mild-to-moderate arthritis, there's a reasonable chance one of our three treatments can help support your body's own healing.
Timing matters too. These treatments usually make the most sense once you've given rest, activity changes, and basic care a fair try but the problem keeps returning. Being in reasonably good general health helps, since PRP and prolotherapy work by prompting your own tissue to repair rather than by masking symptoms.
When it's less likely to help
We think it's just as important to be clear about the limits. PRP and prolotherapy do not regrow cartilage or reverse advanced, bone-on-bone arthritis, and they can't reconnect a tendon or ligament that is fully torn — those situations usually call for a different plan, sometimes a surgical opinion. Results vary from person to person, and no honest clinic can guarantee an outcome.
There are also times Dr. Hric may advise waiting or holding off — for instance with an active infection, certain blood or clotting conditions, or a problem that simply isn't the right fit for these tools. If regenerative medicine isn't likely to help you, he'll say so plainly, and point you toward what might actually be worth your time instead.
The only reliable way to find out
You can't really settle candidacy from a web page. The dependable way to know is an exam: Dr. Hric reviews your history, examines the area, and — when it adds accuracy — uses ultrasound to see what's actually going on. Drawing on more than 40 years of medical experience, he performs every treatment himself, so the physician evaluating you is the same one who would treat you.
Consistent with our Conservative First approach, he recommends the least invasive option that has real evidence behind it — sometimes PRP, sometimes prolotherapy, sometimes focal sound wave therapy, and sometimes none of the above. Because these treatments generally aren't covered by insurance, Great Physician is direct-pay, with clear pricing up front and no referral needed. The honest next step is simply a consultation.
Reviewed by Dr. Jerry Hric, Great Physician Regenerative Medicine · Updated July 15, 2026. Educational information, not a substitute for an in-person evaluation.