A dedicated physician & athlete providing care for all athletes of life.
WATCH DR. CONWAY'S STORYAs a lifelong athlete and Sports Medicine specialist at Crystal Run Healthcare, Dr. Justin Conway understands the importance of providing winning care for athletes at all levels.
“I like that sports medicine is people-centered; you're talking with people, you're forming relationships,” said Dr. Conway. “And I think my background helps me to relate with athletes and active folks.”
Dr. Conway’s love for sports started when he was a kid. He started playing basketball mid-way through high school before furthering his athletic experience as a collegiate basketball player at Princeton University. Now, Dr. Conway is an active runner and intramural soccer player in his free time.
Dr. Conway chose to focus on primary care and sports medicine to combine his interests in science and sports into his career path. He works with athletes at all levels in his clinic and as a team physician for Mount Saint Mary College Athletics, Hudson Valley Renegades, and Kingston Stockade, in addition to being a Member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Medical Pool.
When seeing patients at his office in the Crystal Run Healthcare Newburgh location, Dr. Conway says that he sees more than just athletes but also regular people dealing with pain and movement disorders. He works with people of all ages who want to be able to walk up the stairs, pick up their child, or get groceries by themselves, all of which involve using muscles and athletic movements. One piece of advice he gives to all patients, athletic or otherwise, is to be active and proactive about your health.
“Being active and staying active has so many health benefits. For many conditions, exercise is the best medicine,” said Dr. Conway. “But some patients have pain or issues that prevent them from being active, which can lead to serious injury down the road.”
“I know what it feels like to mentally and physically push yourself when you have so much riding on your future, and the insecurity that follows any injury – wondering if you’re going to recover. That’s why it was important to me to go into a medical field that allows me to help prevent injuries, not just treat them when they happen.”
– Justin Conway, MD
In the event of an injury, Crystal Run Healthcare’s Sports Medicine team uses a combination of techniques and leading-edge technology to address patient injuries using non-surgical interventions and preventative care. When patients need surgical care with an orthopedist or follow-up care with other specialists, our Sports Medicine providers can collaborate with physician colleagues across Crystal Run’s multispecialty practice to provide comprehensive injury care for athletes of all ages.
Among the non-surgical interventions to treat injuries offered by the sports medicine specialists at Crystal Run is a newly added capability, Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET).
CPET, or cardiopulmonary exercise testing, has both medical and sports performance benefits. Whether CPET is used for medical or performance evaluation, patients ages 13 and up can learn how well their body functions under physical stress and work with their doctor to develop a treatment plan tailored to their unique needs.
“CPET is kind of like testing the capacity of your engine. The information we gain from CPET testing is beneficial for our active patients and can really help us understand how their body is functioning and use that knowledge to improve their health and athletic performance.”
– Justin Conway, MD
Despite a relatively injury-free collegiate sports experience, Dr. Conway recently faced an injury that has benched many athletes: an ACL tear. After he was injured, Dr. Conway said there was no hesitation in choosing his colleagues at Crystal Run Healthcare to manage his recovery.
“I fully trust the skill and experience of our team at Crystal Run Healthcare, so much so that I am putting my own care in the hands of my colleague, Dr. Dan Tomlinson for my ACL injury,” Dr. Conway stated. “When faced with a sports injury, you want doctors who are at the top of their game and have trained at leading academic medical centers across the country; at Crystal Run Healthcare, we have that.”
Whether you are training for a marathon or walking your neighborhood after dinner, Dr. Conway and his colleagues are here for you.
“I really find a lot of joy in helping people to be more functional in their day-to-day lives, wherever they're at, whatever their goals are, whether it be on the sports field, or just being able to go about their day, independently, and with less pain,” Dr. Conway explained.
The team approach goes beyond the Sports Medicine department to the rest of Crystal Run Healthcare, as providers work together across many specialties to serve patients throughout the Hudson Valley region.
“We're invested in our communities; we all live here, our kids go to school here and at Crystal Run Healthcare, we’re proud to offer high-quality, specialized services that are close to home,” Dr. Conway concluded.
Get to know the providers behind the Primary Care Sports Medicine Team at Crystal Run Healthcare.
