Biography
AJ Pinney, D.O., is a family medicine physician with specialized fellowship training in non-surgical sports medicine. Dr. Pinney provides both non-surgical musculoskeletal care and sports injury evaluation and treatment through MyMichigan Health’s WellSport Program.
“Growing up in Midland, I remember shadowing Dr. John Murphy in the operating room as he was fixing a clavicle fracture,” said Pinney. “I also remember spraining my ankle playing cornerback for H.H. Dow High School my junior year. With the help of the team physician, I was able to get back to playing high caliber football in a matter of weeks. My goal was to become the type of sports medicine physician that my father is. Now, I am proud to call my father, J. T Pinney, a coworker here at WellSport.”
Philosophy of Care
Dr. Pinney believes that every person is capable of being an athlete, whether their game is a state championship or to achieve a goal of walking 10,000 steps a day. “My goal as a sports medicine physician is to identify the source of the problem or injury, utilize nuance diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, and allow the body’s natural healing process to function in high gear,” he said. “My mission is to reduce complications associated with long-term anti-inflammatory use and discover activities that patients may engage in to stay active based on their limitations.”
Dr. Pinney strives to maximize all available non-surgical treatments to manage acute injuries, osteoarthritis, chronic shoulder instability, and chronic tendinopathies. He believes the most satisfying aspect of his work is the ability to interact with patients and see them improve throughout their treatment process. “By accurately identifying the problem at hand, I am able to better treat each and every patient, utilizing goal directed physical therapy, injections, orthotics, or minimally invasive ultrasound guided procedures,” he said.
Special Interests and Procedures
Using nuance technology like diagnostic ultrasound, he is able to limit the amount of unnecessary imaging like X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans ordered. “I am able to direct care immediately using portable handheld ultrasound machines on the sidelines of sporting events and in the clinic,” he said. “Furthermore, I believe that being a specialist in ultrasound allows me to perform needle guidance with increased precision and decreased patient discomfort during injection procedures.”
Dr. Pinney is also trained in alternative medicines, and the new popular field of restorative medicine, utilizing blood plasma.
His special interests include diagnostic ultrasound, non-operative fracture care, osteoarthritis and gout management, concussion management, ultrasound-guided steroid injections, PRP injections, nerve hydrodissections for carpal tunnel and radial tunnel, visual gait analysis, custom orthotic construction, hypermobility management (including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), and exercise-induced bronchospasm.
In his free time, he enjoys hiking with his fiancé and two German Shorthaired Pointers. He also enjoys traveling to exotic places, boating in Northern Michigan, and cooking like a Masterchef.
