Non-surgical and surgical
Care for injuries from sport, work, and everyday activity — with or without surgery.
Advanced non-operative care treats the injuries that come from moving — playing a sport, working a physical job, or simply doing more than your body was ready for. You do not have to be an athlete, and you do not have to work out whether you need therapy, an injection, or an operation before you come in. A sports medicine evaluation at Sport Ortho starts by finding out what is actually wrong, then connects you to the treatment that fits it, inside the same practice.
The same injuries turn up in weekend runners, people whose jobs are physical, students, and anyone who has started something new. Sports medicine describes the kind of injury and how it is treated — not who you are.
Dr. Zachary Hood is a non-operative sports medicine physician, fellowship-trained in sports medicine at Meharry Medical College and board-certified in family medicine with a CAQ in sports medicine. Some patients specifically want an expert opinion from someone whose practice is non-surgical treatment. That is a first-class path here, not a waiting room before surgery.
If your injury does need an operation, Sport Ortho surgeons are in the same practice. Dr. Nicholas Dantzker completed fellowship training in shoulder, elbow, and sports medicine at Columbia University and treats sports injuries both operatively and non-operatively.
Evaluation, imaging, physical therapy, and surgical specialists are all Sport Ortho. Sports medicine is where they meet, so the plan for getting you back to activity is one plan rather than four appointments at four practices.
No. Sports medicine covers injuries to muscles, bones, tendons, and joints, however they happened — sport, work, a fall, or ordinary activity. If an injury is keeping you from doing something you want to do, it is the right kind of visit.
No referral is needed. You can walk into any Sport Ortho clinic or schedule an orthopedic appointment at the location nearest you. Physical therapy is also available without a referral.
Many sports injuries are treated without surgery, and that is often where a plan starts. When surgery is the better option for your diagnosis, our orthopedic surgeons are part of the same practice, so you get a clear recommendation rather than a referral elsewhere.
A non-operative sports medicine physician diagnoses and treats musculoskeletal injuries without performing surgery. An orthopedic surgeon does both — treating many patients non-surgically, and operating when it is warranted. Sport Ortho has both, and you can start with either.
Sport Ortho has 12 clinics across Middle Tennessee. Find the clinic nearest you to see its hours, phone number, and scheduling options. Which providers hold clinic at a given location varies — each location page and each provider page lists the clinics they serve.
You do not need to choose one to be seen — walking into a clinic or booking an orthopedic appointment gets you evaluated either way. This is for when you already know who you want.
Same-day and walk-in orthopedic care across Middle Tennessee.
