Our services
Sports Injury Treatment
Chiropractic and rehabilitative care for athletes recovering from strains, sprains, and overuse injuries. Focuses on restoring performance and preventing re-injury.
How we treat sports injuries
Care for strains, sprains, and overuse injuries combines chiropractic adjustment, traction, physiotherapy, and Class IV laser where appropriate, built around getting you back to training, not just resting until it stops hurting.
Strains, sprains, and overuse injuries aren't the same
A strain involves a muscle or tendon, a sprain involves a ligament, and an overuse injury develops gradually from repeated stress rather than a single moment, like a pitcher's shoulder or a runner's knee. Each responds differently to treatment, which is why an accurate diagnosis matters before jumping into a rehab plan.
Sprains and strains are also graded by severity, from a Grade I, mostly mild stretching with little instability, up to a Grade III, a more complete tear with noticeable instability. That grade affects both the timeline and how aggressive the early treatment can safely be.
How soft tissue actually heals
Injured tissue moves through a few overlapping stages: an inflammatory stage in the first several days where swelling and pain peak as the body clears damaged tissue, a proliferative stage over the following weeks where new tissue is laid down, and a longer remodeling stage, sometimes lasting months, where that new tissue strengthens and reorganizes to handle real load again.
Treatment that ignores those stages, either by pushing too hard too early or resting well past when movement should have restarted, tends to slow the whole process down. Part of building a sports injury plan is matching what we do to the stage the tissue is actually in.
Dr. Johns' background with athletes
Dr. Johns was a collegiate athlete himself, in football, weightlifting, and track, before a personal injury recovery led him into chiropractic care. He has since worked clinically with professional athletes across the NFL, NHL, MLB, ATP, and AMA.
Common sports injuries we see
- Muscle strains and ligament sprains
- Overuse injuries from repetitive training
- Old injuries that never fully corrected
- Alignment issues affecting performance
- Post-competition recovery and maintenance
Why North River
Every plan is built around getting back to training safely and preventing re-injury, using imaging and postural analysis to catch what's actually driving the problem.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do you treat weekend athletes, not just competitive ones?+
Yes. We treat patients across every level of activity, from recreational to professional.
Can chiropractic care help prevent re-injury?+
Correcting the alignment issue behind an injury, not just resting until pain fades, is a big part of preventing it from recurring.
Will treatment interrupt my training schedule?+
We build plans around getting you back to training safely, and we'll talk through timing with you directly.
Has Dr. Johns worked with athletes before?+
Yes, he has clinical experience with professional athletes across the NFL, NHL, MLB, ATP, and AMA, in addition to his own background as a collegiate athlete.
When can I return to my sport after an injury?+
That depends on the injury, its grade, and how you're progressing through healing, not a fixed calendar date. We build return-to-play decisions around what your body is actually ready for.
Next step
Ready to talk about sports injury treatment?
We'll walk through what's going on and whether this is the right fit for you.
Request an Appointment