Meet James P. Alex, MD
Dr. James Alex is a fellowship-trained sports medicine specialist who focuses exclusively on non-surgical methods, for patients of all ages. Whether he’s helping a patient return to competitive sports, work capacity, or recreational activities, Dr. Alex’s goal is to maximize your physical abilities.
His non-invasive treatment methods may include shockwave therapy and regenerative medicine – using the body’s own cells (platelet rich plasma or bone marrow-derived stem cells) to manage arthritis or partial tears of tendons and ligaments. These office-based techniques amplify the body’s normal wound healing capacity in targeted tissues to both reduce pain and improve function. They can be used to replace traditional injection therapies such as cortisone, which are less likely to be curative, or to complement initial surgical management. If a surgical solution is needed, Dr. Alex will refer to, and coordinate with, his surgical colleagues at OPA.
Dr. Alex has always been involved in athletics, from high school track through more recent pursuits in mountaineering including summiting Denali in 2022. He was inspired to pursue a career in sports medicine when working with the team physicians for the University of Connecticut basketball and football teams. Their comprehensive management of orthopedic conditions in everyone from centenarians to division one college athletes aligned with both his personal and medical interests.
Over the years, he’s published and presented on numerous sports medicine topics including altitude illness and a collaboration with NASA to validate the use of ultrasound in monitoring changes in the muscles around the knee. He has served as a physician at countless athletic events, from the Boston Marathon to the Lake Placid Ironman to the Lancer Smith Memorial Wrestling Tournament. Outside of his official duties, he enjoys mountaineering, flying planes, snowboarding, hunting, fishing and fixing up non-human entities, too, like his diesel Jeep.
Education & Training
Board Certifications & Affiliations
- American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
- August 2013-Present
- American College of Sports Medicine
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- June 2013-Present
Conditions Treated
- AC Joint Injury
- Achilles Tendon Tear
- Achilles Tendonitis
- Ankle Osteoarthritis
- Ankle Pain
- Ankle Sprain
- Arch Pain
- Back Pain
- Bursitis
- Calf Pain
- Capsulitis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Chronic Ankle Instability
- CMC Joint Arthritis
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Fallen Arches
- Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)
- Flat Feet
- Flexor & Extensor Tendon Injuries
- Foot Sprain
- Frozen Shoulder Syndrome
- Ganglion Cyst
- Hand & Wrist Arthritis
- Hand Pain
- Hand Sprain
- Heel Pain
- Hip Bursitis
- Hip Labrum Tear
- Hip Osteoarthritis
- Hip Pain
- Hip Strains
- Hip Tendonitis
- Joint Pain in the Foot
- Knee Osteoarthritis
- Knee Pain
- Knee Sprains
- MCL LCL Injury
- Meniscal Tear
- Neck Pain
- Osteoarthritis (Foot/Ankle)
- Patella Fracture
- Patella Tendon Tear
- Patellar Instability
- Patellofemoral Pain
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Quadriceps Tendon Tears
- Rotator Cuff Tear
- Sacroiliitis
- Shin Splints
- Shoulder Arthritis
- Shoulder Bursitis
- Shoulder Dislocation
- Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
- Shoulder Instability
- Shoulder Labrum Tear
- Shoulder Pain
- Shoulder Sprain
- Shoulder Tendonitis
- Sports Injuries (Foot/Ankle)
- Trigger Finger Syndrome
- Wrist Pain
- Wrist Sprain
Procedures Performed
- Regenerative therapies: PRP (platelet rich plasma) and stem cell
- Traditional injection therapies (e.g., cortisone and hyaluronic acid)
- Carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel nerve injections
- Diagnostic ultrasound evaluations
- Extracorporeal shockwave therapy
