A little over a year ago, Doug Smith could barely make it to the 50-yard line on a football field thanks to pain in his knee due to arthritis.

He wasn’t alone in the struggle. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 53.2 U.S. adults have arthritis, the inflammation or swelling of one or more joints. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, but there are more than 100 types of arthritis that affect individuals of all ages.

“People tend to think of arthritis being as a disease related to wear and tear,” said Dr. Scott Walsh, orthopedic surgeon. “While that may be true in some cases, arthritis can be also be related to other risk factors, like joint injuries, infection, obesity, occupation and genetics.”

Walsh treats patients alongside Dr. Jeffrey Johnson at Saline Orthopedics & Sports Medicine at 3412A Market Place Avenue in Bryant. Walsh grew up here in Central Arkansas and attended medical school and completed his orthopedic residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. He has served as a past chair of the advisory board for Saline Memorial Hospital, where he has been performing orthopedic surgery for more than 16 years while working at Arkansas Bone and Joint.

“We are committed to caring for patients here in Saline County and the surrounding communities,” Walsh said. “Our goal is to get you into the clinic quickly, so that you do not have to wait for orthopedic care.”

Johnson worked alongside Walsh at Arkansas Bone and Joint prior to opening Saline Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in January and has performed about 3,400 surgeries at Saline Memorial Hospital. He graduated magna cum laude from medical school at Ohio State University and completed his orthopedic residency at Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio. He completed his fellowship training in sports medicine and arthroscopy in Richmond, Virginia.

“We love the culture here at Saline Clinics, where the mantra is ‘friends and family taking care of friends and family,’” Johnson said. “It aligns perfectly with our dedication to providing high-quality, patient-centered care.”

Arthritis is one of the most commonly treated conditions at Saline Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, and Johnson said they provide a range of different kinds of treatments, like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, braces, physical therapy and multiple kinds of injections.

Once nonsurgical options have been explored, surgical options, like scopes or joint replacement, may be needed.

“If you are finding that you can’t do the things that you want to do, that’s the time to contact an orthopedic surgeon,” he said. “We’ll find out what your options are and how we can help you get back to the life you want to live.” 

In Smith’s case, surgical intervention was necessary, so Johnson performed a total knee replacement using Saline Memorial Hospital’s robotic surgical assistant (ROSA) in March 2023. Smith reported that he is able to get around much better now, and he gets to do the things he loves, like geocaching and walking in the woods.

“Dr. Johnson and his team have done an exceptional job,” said Kim Smith, Doug Smith’s wife. “They take as much as you need to get your questions answered. They go over it as many times as you need. They are an exceptional team.”

Saline Health System, a part of Lifepoint Health, is made up of Saline Memorial Hospital, a 177-bed acute care facility, and Saline Clinics, a network of both primary care and specialty care clinics. The hospital is accredited through The Joint Commission for meeting quality and safety standards, the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, the MBSAQUIP as a bariatric surgery center, Optum in the Bariatric Centers of Excellence network, CARF as a rehabilitation center and the AASM as a sleep center. For more information about Saline Memorial Hospital, please call 501.776.6000 or visit SalineMemorial.org. For more information about Lifepoint Health, visit LifepointHealth.net .