About

Dr. Tim Dekker, MD

Education and Training:

Undergraduate:  Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
Medical School:  Wayne State School of Medicine Detroit, MI
Residency: Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, FL
Fellowship: Hospital for Special Surgery / Cornell University New York, NY

Board Certification: Sports Medicine and Family Medicine

Dr. Dekker is originally from Shelby Township. After staying in Michigan for his education he went around the country for his training. He completed his residency training at the #1 rated medical system in the United States, the Mayo Clinic. He then went to New York City to specialize in Sports Medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery which is the #1 rated Orthopedic institute in the US. While in NY he serve as a team physician for the New York Giants and New York Mets. He has adopted the knowledge and techniques from the top physicians and professional teams in the world with the purpose of bringing the same level of elite care back to his hometown. 

A message from Dr. Dekker:

For me the key to health and happiness is to be active, which includes physical, mental and social activity. My passion in medicine is to help people who have been suffering with pain or an injury get back to their best. Whether it is a high school linebacker getting back to the field, a mother keeping her sanity by going to the gym or a grandpa trying to keep up with the little ones or lowering his handicap, we are all athletes. Most of us will eventually get an injury or a pain that limits our ability to accomplish all of our goals.

Sports Medicine does not only mean taking care of athletes, a more general term for what I do is nonoperative orthopedic medicine. This means I am not a surgeon, and because I am not a surgeon, my focus is to treat patients with less invasive ways. I use treatments such as exercise, physical therapy, nutrition, medicines and injections to get you back to your prime. I do my best to treat the underlying causes for pain and not just mask conditions with temporary pain relieving medicines or injections, but instead only use them when they help with the healing process. I do several types of injections such as corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, platelet rich plasma (PRP) and stem cells. These injections are for various conditions such as arthritis, tendonitis, nerve entrapments and other orthopedic issues. I also specialize in ultrasound guided injections for more specific injections that require imaging guidance. For more thorough lists of specific conditions that I help manage refer to the expertise section. With all of that being said about my nonoperative treatments, surgery is often indicated as the best treatment for injuries or conditions. In situations in which surgery will provide the best outcome, I will be an objective source of information and will expedite the process of getting you to see one of my surgical partners best suited for what you need.

As a practicing family doctor I noticed a pattern of pain causing people to become less active, which worsened or caused other health conditions (heart disease, diabetes, etc.), which then caused overall function and mental health to decline and an overall continued snowball effect of pain disrupting someone's life. I also saw to many cases in which an acute injury caused someone to stop the sport or hobby they love, when it could have been handled differently and they could have continued the activities they love. That is what inspired me to further specialize in Sports Medicine. I would like to catch these injuries or chronic pains before they start to affect other aspects of your life. If you would like some help getting back to your prime from an injury or chronic pain please contact either location below and schedule an appointment.