KY Dr. Kevin YangRegenerative Joint Care

Board-Certified Physician · Educator

Understand your body.Heal without the hype.

I'm Dr. Kevin Yang, a family physician focused on non-surgical joint, tendon, and acute sports-injury care. This site explains the injection options I offer, where evidence is uncertain, and how rehabilitation and referral fit into care.

Explore Treatments → ▶ Watch on YouTube
US & CanadaBoard-certified in Family Medicine
UltrasoundPoint-of-care guided injections
Non-surgicalJoint, tendon & overuse care
Dr. Kevin Yang, MD

Beyond symptom relief. Focused on function.

My goal is to help you understand the diagnosis, weigh the evidence, and build a plan that supports meaningful activity and long-term function.

Dr. Kevin Yang, MD

About Dr. Yang

A physician who teaches as much as he treats.

Dr. Chih Kai (Kevin) Yang is a US and Canada board-certified family physician based in Vancouver, BC. His clinical focus in musculoskeletal medicine, regenerative treatments, and point-of-care ultrasound has developed through continuing medical education, independent study, and ongoing clinical practice. He completed family medicine residency training at Trinity Health in the United States, where he served as Chief Resident.

His approach pairs point-of-care musculoskeletal ultrasound, which can support real-time assessment and accurate needle placement when clinically appropriate, with honest, evidence-based conversations about what each treatment can and cannot do. Beyond the clinic, Dr. Yang teaches through his YouTube channel and Instagram, translating complex musculoskeletal medicine into something patients can understand.

Education, credentials & scholarship

Clinical focus: CCFP- and ABFM-certified family physician with a clinical practice focused on musculoskeletal conditions, regenerative treatments, and point-of-care ultrasound.

Dr. Yang has developed additional experience in musculoskeletal medicine and ultrasound-guided procedures through continuing medical education, independent study, and ongoing clinical practice.

Verify my registration and credentials: CPSBC directory (search Yang, Chih Kai), College of Family Physicians of Canada, and the American Board of Family Medicine.

Precision

Ultrasound-supported assessment and accurate needle placement when clinically appropriate.

Honesty

Clear about the evidence, including where it's limited. No overpromising.

Whole-person care

Consider the tissue, mechanics, activity, and goals—not only the symptom.

Education

You leave understanding your body and your plan.

What I Treat

Common conditions I help with

A focused practice in joint, tendon, overuse, and acute sports injuries. Suspected fractures receive initial assessment and appropriate management, with orthopedic referral when indicated; definitive fracture care is not offered.

Knee osteoarthritis

Wear-related pain, stiffness, and swelling that limits walking, stairs, and sport.

Rotator cuff & shoulder

Cuff tendinopathy, impingement, and shoulder pain with overhead activity.

Tennis & golfer's elbow

Lateral and medial epicondyle tendinopathy from repetitive load.

Achilles & patellar tendon

Chronic tendinopathy that keeps flaring with running and jumping.

Hip osteoarthritis

Groin and hip pain, stiffness, and reduced range that limits daily movement.

Trigger finger & trigger points

Selected trigger finger concerns and localized muscular trigger points. Spine conditions and chronic back pain are not treated.

Overuse & work injuries

Repetitive-strain and work-related musculoskeletal pain.

Ligament & sprain injuries

Lingering instability and pain after sprains that never fully recovered.

Regenerative & Non-Surgical Options

The treatments I use, explained honestly

These aren't magic. They're tools, each with a specific job, a specific evidence base, and specific patients they suit best. Here's how I think about them.

Orthobiologic

PRP

Platelet-Rich Plasma

What it is

A small sample of your blood is processed to concentrate platelets in plasma. Platelets are cell fragments that release growth factors; PRP is not a stem-cell treatment. The prepared product is injected into the selected joint or tendon, using ultrasound guidance for most procedures.

Where Dr. Yang offers it

  • Selected knee osteoarthritis
  • Rotator cuff, lateral or medial elbow, patellar, Achilles, and plantar fascia conditions
  • Other selected tendinopathies after diagnosis and appropriate rehabilitation

What to expect

Temporary soreness, stiffness, bruising, or swelling can occur. Improvement, if it occurs, is assessed over weeks to months. The number of injections depends on the diagnosis and response; one treatment may be sufficient for some patients, while a series may be discussed for others.

The evidence, honestly: Evidence is condition-specific. Guidelines disagree about PRP for knee osteoarthritis, and PRP preparations are not standardized. Results for tendon disorders are mixed; high-quality trials have not shown a clear benefit for Achilles tendinopathy. Rehabilitation remains central, and benefit is not guaranteed.

Important limitations and risks

PRP is not a cure and has not been proven to regrow cartilage or reliably restore a tendon. Pain flare, bleeding, bruising, infection, and injury to nearby structures are possible. Suitability depends on the diagnosis, medical history, medications, and alternatives.

Viscosupplement

HA

Hyaluronic Acid

What it is

Hyaluronic acid is a manufactured viscosupplement injected into a joint. It may provide temporary symptom relief for some people, but it does not regrow cartilage, reverse osteoarthritis, or permanently restore joint cushioning.

Where Dr. Yang offers it

  • Mainly selected knee osteoarthritis
  • Selected shoulder or hip arthritis only after a careful discussion of the diagnosis, alternatives, and weaker or unfavourable guideline evidence

What to expect

If benefit occurs, it usually develops gradually and is temporary. Responses vary, and some patients obtain no meaningful relief. Most injections use ultrasound guidance; an occasional shoulder or knee injection may be performed without ultrasound when clinically appropriate.

The evidence, honestly: Professional guidelines differ on routine knee use. The American College of Rheumatology conditionally recommends against HA for knee osteoarthritis and strongly recommends against it for hip osteoarthritis. Shoulder evidence is less established. Treatment should therefore be individualized rather than presented as a way to delay surgery.

Important limitations and risks

Temporary pain, swelling, bruising, bleeding, infection, and an inflammatory reaction are possible. Product-specific allergies or contraindications must be reviewed. Benefit is not guaranteed.

Dextrose Injection

Prolo

Prolotherapy

What it is

Prolotherapy usually uses a hypertonic dextrose solution injected into a selected joint or around a tendon attachment or localized trigger point. Proposed biological mechanisms remain under study; it should not be described as proven tissue regeneration, tightening, or strengthening.

Where Dr. Yang offers it

  • Selected knee osteoarthritis
  • Selected chronic tendon problems after appropriate conservative care
  • Selected localized muscular trigger points when dextrose injection is clinically appropriate

What to expect

Temporary soreness, bruising, or stiffness can occur. Some protocols use a series, but the number and interval should be individualized. Progress is judged over time alongside rehabilitation.

The evidence, honestly: Some systematic reviews report possible benefit for knee osteoarthritis and selected tendon conditions, but studies are often small, inconsistent, or at risk of bias. Evidence for trigger-point use is limited. Benefit is uncertain and not guaranteed.

Important limitations and risks

Pain flare, bruising, bleeding, infection, and injury to nearby structures are possible. It is not offered for spinal conditions or chronic back pain.

Please note: every treatment on this page requires an in-person assessment. Results vary from person to person and depend on your specific diagnosis, and none of these treatments is guaranteed to work. This information is general education and does not replace individual medical advice.

Evidence & further reading

  1. OARSI (Osteoarthritis Research Society International) treatment guidelines for osteoarthritis. oarsi.org
  2. AAOS OrthoInfo, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) patient information. orthoinfo.aaos.org
  3. Cochrane Library systematic reviews on injections for osteoarthritis and tendinopathy. cochranelibrary.com

What to Expect

How a visit works

Care begins with a consultation visit. If a procedure is suitable, it is usually booked for a separate appointment rather than performed at the first visit.

01

Consultation visit

We review your history, goals, and symptoms, then perform a focused physical examination.

02

Ultrasound assessment

When appropriate, point-of-care ultrasound helps assess relevant joint or tendon structures in real time.

03

Options & honest advice

We review rehabilitation, activity guidance, imaging or referral when needed, and whether an injection is appropriate.

04

Separate procedure visit

If an injection is appropriate, it is usually scheduled for a separate visit. Same-day procedures are not the usual pathway.

Patient Education

Patient handout library

Clear musculoskeletal and sports-medicine education organized by body region. Search or browse, then read on the page or open the full PDF. Some topics extend beyond Dr. Yang's clinical treatment scope; back and spine resources are educational only.

Every handout is a printable PDF you can read on screen or take home.

Learn on YouTube

Video library

Clear, evidence-based videos about musculoskeletal pain, sports injuries, and common treatment questions—without hype or shortcuts.

@dr.kevinyang

I explain musculoskeletal conditions, sports injuries, and the evidence behind common treatment claims so you can make more informed decisions about your care.

Evidence-based musculoskeletal education
Sports injury & pain explanations
Joint-by-joint condition guides
Treatment myths & research explained
Dr. Kevin Yang explaining tendon healing and regenerative medicine Watch on YouTube

Tendon healing & regenerative medicine

Start here for an evidence-based look at tendon healing and regenerative medicine.

Visit my channel →

For Patients

Fees and insurance coverage

Coverage for medications, products, and procedure-related costs varies by insurer, employer plan, diagnosis, and product. No reimbursement is guaranteed.

Check before treatment

Ask your insurer directly whether the specific product and service are eligible, what documentation is required, and whether a deductible or annual maximum applies.

PRP and prolotherapy

These are generally not insured provincial services. Private-plan coverage varies and should not be assumed.

Hyaluronic acid and medication

Some plans may cover an eligible product. Confirm the exact product with the clinic or pharmacy and obtain an itemized receipt when appropriate.

This is general administrative information, not a promise of insurance coverage. Current fees will be published when independent-practice details are confirmed.

Questions

Frequently asked

Practice Updates

Be notified when independent practice details are available.

Request one email when Dr. Yang's independent practice contact or booking information is confirmed. Until then, follow his educational channels for evidence-based joint and tendon information.

Current clinical affiliation

Dr. Yang provides clinical services as an independent contractor at One Medical Clinic, 901 Lougheed Hwy, Unit 205, Coquitlam, BC V3K 0J3. The clinic is not owned or operated by Dr. Yang.

604-937-2520 · General One Medical Clinic enquiries only