Royce Hinson: Finding Relief and a New Lease on Life at Southern Joint Replacement Institute
When Royce Hinson moved from Florida to McEwen, Tennessee 13 years ago, he embraced the rural lifestyle he loved — working on his farm and staying active as a former powerlifter. But after the devastating Humphreys County flood, everything changed. Both of Royce’s shoulders were severely damaged, and what followed was a long, painful journey.
Over the next year, he underwent several shoulder procedures in hopes of restoring his mobility. Despite those efforts, he continued to experience significant pain and limited range of motion. His active lifestyle came to a standstill. “I lost 40 pounds because I couldn’t work out. I was sick of wearing a sling and being in pain.”
One day, a friend named Ray stopped by to hunt on Royce’s property. Seeing Royce struggle, Ray offered to help around the farm and suggested he check out Dr. Willis at Southern Joint Replacement Institute (SJRI). “Ray’s wife worked for SJRI, and he told me people had great experiences there,” Royce says.
After doing his own research, Royce called SJRI and learned that Dr. Willis treats complex shoulder issues, so the nurse asked him to bring his images to the evaluation. “Within a few minutes, they knew I qualified for a replacement,” Royce says. Dr. Willis recommended a reverse shoulder replacement, and Royce was scheduled right away.
The results were life changing. “I had little to no pain within two weeks and didn’t even need the pain medication they prescribed,” Royce says. Within six weeks, he was back to light workouts. Today, Royce is out on the farm cutting trails for the season.
“What Dr. Willis did for me was life-changing,” Royce says. “After a year of pain, I was down because I didn’t know what to do. All I wanted was to work out again and get back to living my life.”
Royce also praises the convenience of SJRI’s Dickson facility. “It was fantastic because I didn’t have to go into a hospital.”
For Royce, SJRI didn’t just fix his shoulder — it gave him back his life.