Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee is proud to welcome John D. Dockery, MD, board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), to its growing team of specialists. With more than 20 years of experience in physiatry and musculoskeletal medicine, Dr. Dockery brings advanced expertise in non-surgical spine care, interventional spine and physical medicine and rehabilitation.
A Tennessee native, Dr. Dockery earned his undergraduate degree from University of Tennessee, Knoxville and his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he received advanced training in musculoskeletal and rehabilitation medicine.
His addition strengthens the organization’s commitment to delivering comprehensive, patient-centered orthopaedic and spine care across Middle Tennessee, including expanded access to physiatry and advanced interventional spine services in Spring Hill.
Non-Surgical Spine Care and Physiatry Treatment Approach
Physiatrists specialize in diagnosing and treating conditions that affect movement, function, and quality of life, with a strong emphasis on restoring mobility and improving function without surgery. At Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee, Dr. Dockery provides personalized, evidence-based treatment plans designed around each patient’s functional goals, lifestyle, and long-term recovery.
Care may include a combination of diagnostic evaluation, therapeutic exercise guidance, non-surgical treatment options, and advanced interventional procedures. This integrated approach ensures treatment is focused not only on restoring movement and function, but also on improving strength, mobility, and overall quality of life.
Dr. Dockery is highly trained in advanced image-guided spine and musculoskeletal procedures, including kyphoplasty and basivertebral nerve ablation using the Intracept procedure, allowing for precise identification and treatment of underlying spine conditions. These minimally invasive techniques improve diagnostic accuracy and support targeted care for conditions such as degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, vertebral compression fractures, chronic vertebrogenic low back pain, and nerve-related pain including sciatica.
His procedural expertise includes:
- Kyphoplasty for vertebral compression fractures
- Intracept procedure for vertebrogenic low back pain
- Epidural steroid injections
- Facet joint injections
- Medial branch blocks
- Radiofrequency ablation
These minimally invasive treatments are designed to improve mobility, restore function, and support long-term recovery.
Dr. Dockery has performed an exceptional volume of kyphoplasty and Intracept procedures in recent years, placing him among a very small number of physicians nationally with this level of procedural experience. His expertise significantly expands access to advanced, minimally invasive spine procedures within Middle Tennessee and surrounding communities.
By combining conservative treatment strategies with advanced interventional options, patients benefit from a comprehensive, non-surgical approach to spine and musculoskeletal care that prioritizes long-term outcomes and quality of life.
Expanded Interventional Spine and Non-Surgical Spine Services in Spring Hill
In response to increasing regional demand for spine and physiatry services, Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee Spring Hill location is expanding and renovating its Spring Hill location. This investment includes a dedicated interventional spine suite equipped with fluoroscopy (C-arm) technology, allowing for precise, image-guided spine injections and advanced interventional procedures to be performed on-site.
These enhancements improve procedural accuracy, enhance patient safety, and streamline care delivery by enabling patients to receive advanced spine injections and specialized procedures such as kyphoplasty and basivertebral nerve ablation closer to home.
This expansion significantly improves access to non-surgical spine care, physiatry, and interventional spine services for patients in Spring Hill and surrounding Middle Tennessee communities, while supporting more efficient coordination of care among orthopaedic surgeons, physiatrists, and rehabilitation specialists.
Collaborative Spine and Rehabilitation Care
Dr. Dockery will play a key role in advancing the institute’s interventional physiatry and spine care program by expanding access to highly specialized procedures not widely available throughout the region, including kyphoplasty and the Intracept procedure.
He will collaborate closely with orthopaedic surgeons, rehabilitation specialists, and clinical teams to ensure coordinated, multidisciplinary care that supports optimal patient outcomes.
He will treat a wide range of conditions, including:
- Chronic neck and back pain
- Herniated discs
- Spinal stenosis
- Sciatica
- Vertebral compression fractures
- Degenerative spine conditions
- Vertebrogenic low back pain
To learn more about services at the Spring Hill location or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Dockery, visit: https://boneandjointtn.org/spring-hill/.
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