DOC News

Achieving orthopaedic health in 2022 Year after year, the most common new year’s resolutions involve improving overall health and exercising more. Both are worthwhile aspirations, but for some people, arthritis or other orthopaedic issues can make them a bit challenging… but not impossible. By refining your resolution to focus on your orthopaedic health, you may […]

How to achieve your fitness goals in 2022 Whether you’ve set aside your fitness goals during the holidays or during the pandemic, you may see the advent of 2022 as a chance to start again. Before you dive in headfirst, it’s important to consider your downtime, reset your starting point, and start slowly. This will […]

May your holidays be joyful… and safe. For most of us, the holidays tend to be a time for more… More decorations, more traditions, more food, more family, more parties, more fun. And with all those joyous family gatherings, festive decorations and elaborate dinners, it’s important to be extra careful while enjoying the most wonderful […]

Resolve to Be Good to Your Shoulders This Holiday Season: Don’t Let Those Ho Ho Hos Turn Into Oh Oh Ohs The holidays can be a magical time filled with family gatherings, traditions, and fun. After all, there’s much to celebrate from Turkey Day to Christmas and then the ringing in of the long-awaited new […]

Treating Basketball Injuries without Surgery It’s that time of year again: As football season winds down, basketball season is just getting started. Student athletes and amateurs alike are taking refuge in the gym to escape cooling temperatures. And while basketball may offer advantages over outdoor sports in the winter – temperature control, artificial light, a […]

Protecting and Treating Our Hands When our hands are healthy and pain-free, we are able to quickly and effortlessly perform countless tasks, from tying shoes to signing our names, swinging a tennis racket or steering a vehicle, texting a loved one to painting a fence. But because our hands are made up of a network […]

How bunions can affect your overall health What is a bunion? A bunion is bone deformity. The bones in the foot begin to drift out of place over time making a large bump by the big toe. A bunion is not a growth, rather it is a malalignment of bones. Who gets bunions? Anyone can […]

Is it time for an ankle replacement? If you suffer from consistent ankle pain, you already know how disruptive it can be to your daily activities. Reduced mobility can make it difficult to do relatively simple things like climb stairs or walk even short distances, much less participate in more demanding activities. Here are just […]

Repetitive Motion and Shoulder Injuries Your shoulder is a complex joint that gives you a versatile range of motion, letting you throw a ball, wash your hair, and hug your loved ones. But that same joint versatility also increases your risk for developing chronic shoulder pain, particularly if you have a job that requires you […]

Football Shoulder Injuries When it’s fall in the South, that can mean only one thing: football. And with football comes Friday night lights, Saturday afternoon tailgates, and, occasionally, injuries. While the most common football injuries tend to be knee injuries, shoulders are susceptible, too. Like the knee, the shoulder is a complete joint that allows […]

Back to school doesn’t have to mean backpack shoulder pain Depending on where you live, your kids may have been attending virtual school for all or part of the last semester. So this August may mark their first return to “normal” school in months. And going back to the classroom means a return to that […]

A physician’s perspective on youth sports As the parent of a young athlete, it can be difficult to balance the desire to support your child’s desire for success and the need to protect their physical wellness. Dr. Russell Ellis, who works with DOC Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Decatur and specializes in sports medicine, shared […]

The link between weight and joint pain By now, most of us are aware that targeting and maintaining a healthy weight can have a positive impact on nearly every aspect of our physical health, from cardiac and circulatory health to mental wellness. So, it’s no surprise that a healthy weight is also beneficial for your […]

How to deal with hip tightness Hip tightness is one of the few physical ailments that impact both athletes and desk jockeys alike. That familiar tightness across the hips is usually caused by tension in the hip flexors, a group of muscles that connect your upper leg to your hip that let you bend at […]

Summer Hydration and Bone Health Everybody needs water to live. In fact, it is among the first and most important things your body needs to function. There is simply no system, organ, or body part that does not need to be hydrated in order to function. Even your bones need adequate hydration to stay healthy. […]

Swimmer’s Shoulder Summertime in the South can bring intense heat, breathtaking humidity, and blistering sun, all of which make it difficult to find a pleasant outdoor activity for regular exercise. Swimming is a rare exception when it comes to a surefire way to get some summery fun sans heat! It’s fun, it’s refreshing, it doesn’t […]

DOC Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine , now offers robotic technology for joint replacement patients. Dr. Scott Sharp, orothopaedic surgeon with DOC, performed the first robotic arm assisted surgery in August of 2020 and DOC has performed over 100 robotic-assisted surgeries to date. Dr. Sharp states that the new technology has been a great option to […]

Flip flops are the unofficial shoe of summer. When the warm weather starts, we see them on everyone from small children to grown men and women. At the beach, at the ball field, at the grocery store, this easy-on footwear is practically everywhere. And while they’re certainly convenient, when it comes to overall foot health, […]

Tips for strong healthy bones It’s a fact of aging that we lose bone density as we get older. Our bones simply don’t grow or repair themselves as quickly as they used to. In fact, nearly 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, which weakens bones and increases risk for fractures. Women are especially prone to osteoporosis […]

Hip pain can be a real pain in the butt Hip pain can be excruciating, and unfortunately those large ball-and-socket joints can impact almost everything we do. Sore hips change how we stand, how we sit, how we walk, sleep, and exercise. Because long-term hip pain – or even temporary or occasional pain – can […]

What do I (k)need? Symptoms and solution for your knee pain. We ask a lot from our knees. Whether we’re walking, running, squatting, jumping, or just sitting, that hinge in the middle of our legs is in almost constant use. And if you’ve had a knee injury or repeated knee stress, that constant use can […]

Getting Your Swing Back After a Golf Injury We typically think of golf as one of the more relaxing sporting pastimes—you can take things at a leisurely pace, enjoy the fresh air and views of rolling greens, and even hop on the trusty golf cart if you don’t feel like walking the whole course. Assuming […]

Stop shouldering the pain The human shoulder is an amazing yet delicate mechanism. It’s made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) along with the associated muscles, ligaments, and tendons. It’s mobile enough for wide ranging arm and hand motions, but still stable enough for […]

Throwing and swinging sports can be a great way to build up musculoskeletal strength in your shoulders, and maybe more engaging than a routine gym workout. However, excessive high-impact, shoulder-centric athletic activity like tennis can make your shoulder susceptible to overuse injuries. If you are a tennis player, a coach, or the parent of an […]

Couch to 5K Injuries to Be Aware Of The current pandemic has many of us going a bit stir crazy and turning to exercise for relief –either to improve mental and physical health or to get rid of a few extra pounds. If you’re planning to start running, or if you already have, it’s important […]

Common Breaks to Be Aware Of Did you know that your body contains more than 200 bones? Each one serves a unique and specific purpose, and each one is unfortunately breakable. You might break a femur in a dramatic skiing accident or a collarbone clumsy tumble down the stairs. You might even break a couple […]

Work-From-Home Woes If you’re like many office workers, you may have found yourself suddenly working from home on a semi-permanent basis, completely unprepared for the long-term ramifications. Unlike most corporate offices, your home arrangements may not include an ergonomic chair, separate keyboard tray, or even a desk in the traditional sense. If you’ve spent all […]

Winter Sports Injuries Let’s face it: Those of us who live in the Deep South don’t have many opportunities to hone our winter sports skills. When we do have the chance to ski, snowboard, ice skate, or just hang out in the snow and ice, we take advantage of the opportunity. Of course, being less […]

Not your father’s joint replacements Sixty may be the new 40, but hips and knees frequently feel their age. To ensure that those later years are more comfortable and more active, Americans are more frequently opting for joint replacement surgeries that can improve both pain and mobility. Right now, more than 7 million Americans are […]

Esports Injuries When you hear the phrase “sports injuries,” you may immediately think of football, basketball and baseball injuries players sustain while competing or training. These injuries impact professionals to weekend warriors. You may not include esports injuries in your list of ones to be aware of, but you should. People who regularly participate in […]

Fall and winter in Alabama mean more than just shorter days and cooler nights—these seasons also signify a return to organized sports of all shapes and sizes. From Pop Warner football to those Friday night lights, basketball, volleyball and soccer, the colder months can bring with them an onslaught of sports injuries.  While many sports […]

If you’re facing a diagnosis that may require surgery, you probably already have a short list of considerations to worry about: How soon will you need surgery? Where will you have it done? How long will your recovery be?  Perhaps the most important decision you’ll make will be the surgeon you select. In fact, choosing […]

It’s football season at last. But along with those crisp fall nights, bright field lights, and the cheers from the stands, football season can sometimes also mean football injuries. For most players, a few bumps and bruises come with the territory. In some cases, though, those injuries can be more serious and may even require […]

The big toe joint holds up 100% of your weight every time you step.1 That pressure can cause the cartilage in the joint to wear down, leading to painful big toe arthritis. The good news? There are treatment options that can help you move again. what is CARTIVA® SCI synthetic cartilage implant (SCI)? CARTIVA® SCI […]