Knees. Backs. Shoulders. Not every answer is the OR.
I'm Dr. Ethan Kellum. I see patients who've tried pills, shots, and surgery, and still don't have an answer.
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- Tennessee Titans team physician
- USA Basketball team physician
- Previously, Boston Celtics
- Sports medicine fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon
- Greater Nashville
Conditions
What I treat.
Knee
Pain that PT and cortisone haven't held. A clear next step before the OR.
Arthritis
Joint pain that's outlasted the basics. A read on what's actually treatable.
Neuropathy
Numbness, burning, tingling. Not every case is permanent.
Shoulder
Tears, impingement, stiffness. A second opinion before you commit to surgery.
Back
Pain that limits what you can do. An honest read on what's next.
The approach
Most of the patients who walk into my office have already been told the same thing. Pills first. Then shots. Then surgery.
Surgery is not the only option.
I still operate, and I still take patients to the OR when the joint needs it. But for many of the people who come to me, the OR isn't the right first step. There's a body of advanced non-surgical orthopedic care worth trying before we get there. Care meant to help the joint heal, calm the pain, and get you back to what you want to do.
It's not magic. It's physiology.
For some patients it works. For some it doesn't. When it doesn't, we move to the next option, surgery included, if that's what you need. No promises and no miracle language. A clear read, a clear plan, and the step you're a candidate for next.