The Injury That Keeps Coming Back
You rolled an ankle two seasons ago. Rehabbed it, felt fine, moved on. Then this pickleball season your knee on that same side started barking for no obvious reason, and stretching it, icing it, resting a few days hasn't made much difference.
That's a pattern I see constantly in active adults: an old injury doesn't just sit there once it "heals." It changes how you move, and months or years later it shows up somewhere else entirely, a hip that won't loosen up, a back that "goes out" during a golf swing, a shoulder that aches after every hockey game even though you never actually hurt your shoulder.
Finding that connection is usually the missing piece. And it's the first thing I look for.
What Counts as a Sports Injury?
Not just the obvious stuff, the sprained ankle, the pulled muscle, the tweak mid-swing. It also includes the slower kind: recurring soreness, a joint that never quite got back to 100%, or a movement pattern that's compensating for something old. Both kinds respond well to chiropractic care, but they need different plans. A fresh sprain needs a different approach than a five-year-old shoulder issue your body has been quietly working around.
How I Approach Sports Injury Care
I've been the patient trying to figure this out myself. Multiple concussions, both shoulders separated, both wrists broken, a fairly beat-up hockey and lacrosse career. When headaches, back pain, and neck pain started affecting my own play in my late teens, I turned to chiropractic care. Within a month I was able to see results and this inspired me to help others achieve the same. I'm a certified D.C. from Palmer College of Chiropractic West (Cum Laude), registered with the College of Chiropractors of BC, and a former professional lacrosse player (Buffalo Bandits, NLL).
My chiropractic treatment for sports injuries includes:
- A thorough assessment and history of your injuries
- Every visit checks the spine and extremities, feet to jaw to fingers, not just the area that hurts
- Manual, hands-on adjusting as the primary technique, not instrument-only
What to Expect
Assessment
Treatment
Staying Active
What Changes When the Real Cause Gets Found
- Fewer repeat flare-ups. Addressing the old compensation pattern, not just this week's pain, means fewer "here we go again" moments.
- Back to your sport with more confidence. Move through your golf swing, your skate stride, or your hike without bracing for it to act up.
- A plan that fits your life. Care built around staying active, not around sitting out.
Questions About Sports Injuries
Yes. Chiropractors commonly assess and treat sports-related injuries involving the spine, joints, muscles, and nervous system. Care may help improve mobility, reduce pain, and support a safe return to training and activity.
An untreated injury often changes how you move to protect the area, and that compensation pattern can put extra strain elsewhere in the body. Months or years later, that strain can show up as a "new" ache that's actually connected to the original injury.
Running injuries, throwing injuries, ankle sprains, shoulder and knee pain, neck and low back pain, and recurring issues that continue to affect training or performance, for runners, golfers, hockey and pickleball players, cyclists, and recreational athletes alike.
Not always. Complete rest isn't the right call for every injury. During your assessment, we'll discuss what's safe to keep doing and what needs to be modified temporarily.
No. Most patients I see for sports injuries are active adults, weekend warriors, and recreational players who want to keep doing the activities they enjoy without setbacks.
Ready to Stop Working Around It?
If a nagging injury has been quietly limiting your golf swing, your runs, or your game for a while, let's find out what's actually going on. I've worked with active adults and athletes across Port Moody and the Tri-Cities for over five years, and I still tailor every assessment to your specific sport and goals.
