Some Sports Injuries Need More Than Adjustments

The Most Common Sports Injuries Active Adults Deal With

Sports injuries are not limited to competitive athletes. They commonly affect runners, golfers, racquet sport and CrossFit athletes, weightlifters, and active adults exercising for fitness.

The most common conditions are:

• Lower back pain
• Shoulder injuries
• Recurring hamstring strains
• Neck pain
• Hip pain
• Knee pain

Although these injuries affect different areas of the body, they often share contributing factors, including joint mobility, muscle weakness, poor movement mechanics, and repetitive loading.

According to Dr. Anthony Petrucci, my co-founder and Chiropractic Physician at MYOLAB, generalized low back pain is one of the most common conditions he treats.

"Probably the most common stuff I'll see are any forms of tension headaches or cervicogenic headaches... And generalized low back pain is a super common one."

He adds that musculoskeletal care also extends well beyond the spine.

"A chiropractor can work on headaches, neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, and hip pain."

The challenge does not arise from the location of the injury, but from identifying the reason why it continues to recur.

Why These Sports Injuries Keep Coming Back

Many active adults recover from sports injuries only to experience the same problem weeks or months later. These recurring injuries often result from incomplete recovery rather than inadequate treatment. In these cases, pain may improve temporarily, but the joint restrictions, movement, and strength deficits that contributed to the injury can still be left unaddressed.

For many patients, long-term injury prevention is as important as symptom relief. It requires restoring how the body moves and performs athletically in the most efficient way possible.

Chiropractic care can reduce pain, restore joint mobility, and improve tissue function. However, without muscle strengthening, rehabilitation, and progressive training, the injured areas will continue to have excessive stress.

For instance, low back pain can still persist if poor hip mobility and inadequate core stability are not addressed. Shoulder pain will continue to exist if rotator cuff weakness and poor scapular control remain. Hamstring strains will also return if glute weakness or running mechanics are not addressed.

Pain-free movement does not necessarily indicate full recovery. Returning to training before restoring strength and movement quality also increases the likelihood of reinjury.

Early evaluation is also an important part of recovery. At MYOLAB, we always use early evaluation as an advantage. It lets us address mobility restrictions, pain, and movement deficits before the body develops compensatory mechanisms.

What a Different Approach Looks Like at MYOLAB

At MYOLAB, chiropractic care and physical therapy are not delivered as separate services but are intentionally integrated into a single, individualized treatment approach. Every patient begins with a comprehensive one-hour evaluation that goes beyond identifying where the pain is. We also assess joint mobility, movement quality, strength, flexibility, neuromuscular control, training history, and activity demands to identify factors that contributed to the injury.

As symptoms start to improve, the treatment plan also progresses. Rather than relying on a single treatment method, MYOLAB combines chiropractic care with targeted rehabilitation.

Depending on the patient's needs and goals, treatment may include:

• Spinal and extremity adjustments
• Active Release Techniques (ART)
• Dry needling
• Cupping therapy
• Manual therapy
• Corrective exercises
• Strength and conditioning
• Movement retraining

These shared clinical tools are used collaboratively by our chiropractors and physical therapists to restore movement, reduce pain, and improve long-term function.

Recovery at MYOLAB is designed to evolve as the patient progresses. As pain subsides, treatment moves from symptom control and management toward restoring strength, mobility, movement efficiency, and resilience. This will help reduce the risk of recurrence while preparing the patient to return to sport, exercise, and activities they enjoy safely, with greater confidence.

Corrective exercises, progressive strength training, and movement retraining will be incorporated to address the deficits that contribute to the recurring injuries. This will help patients return to activity safely and with greater confidence.

Common Sports Injuries and What You Can Do About Them

Effective sports injury treatment addresses both the symptoms and the underlying cause. Hands-on care restores joint mobility and alleviates pain, while rehabilitation improves strength, coordination, and movement quality to reduce the likelihood of future injury.

The following section will be about how MYOLAB's integrated approach applies to the most common sports injuries, namely low back pain, shoulder injuries, and recurring hamstring strains.

Low Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints among active adults. It can develop after a single lifting accident or gradually from repetitive stress during running, golf, CrossFit, or strength training. Although the pain may be localized in the lower back, contributing factors almost always involve the hips, pelvis, core, and form during daily activities and exercises.

Low back pain is one of the conditions we encounter most frequently. Something like 80 to 90% of Americans have low back pain at some point in their life that affects how they function on a daily basis.

Why Low Back Pain Keeps Returning

Most common factors contributing to recurring low back pain include:

Restricted spinal or hip mobility. This can increase stress on the lower back especially during lifting or running.

Weak core and gluteal muscles. Weakness in these muscles can further reduce stability, causing tissues and muscles in the back to become overloaded repeatedly.

Many people experience temporary relief after an adjustment, massage, or a period of rest. However, without addressing both mobility and movement capacity, the underlying mechanical problem often remains.

How an Integrated Sports Injury Treatment Approach Helps with Low Back Pain

Sports chiropractic care focuses on restoring normal joint motion, effectively reducing pain during the early stages of recovery. Depending on the patient's presentation, treatment may include:

• Spinal or joint adjustment
• Dry needling
• Soft tissue therapy
• Joint mobilization
• Movement assessment

Improving the joint mobility first will make everyday activities and exercises more comfortable. Hence, a better foundation for rehabilitation. As symptoms improve, sports physical therapy shifts the focus toward restoring the body's ability to tolerate greater physical demands. This rehabilitation process may include:

• Core stabilization exercises
• Hip and glute strengthening
• Functional movement retraining
• Lifting mechanics
• Progressive loading based on the patient's goals

Rehabilitation addresses the muscles and movement patterns that support the entire movement.

Although pain relief and being symptom-free are important, it should not be the only basis for recovery. Returning to lifting, running, or other sports before returning to strength training can increase the risk of another injury.

Our integrated approach at MYOLAB combines early symptom management with progressive rehabilitation. This way, patients are prepared not only to feel better but also to return safely to sports and other activities they enjoy.

Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder pain is common among swimmers, tennis and baseball players, weightlifters, CrossFit athletes, and anyone who repetitively performs overhead movements. The most common conditions, such as rotator cuff irritation, shoulder impingement, and tendinopathy, often develop gradually through repetitive loading, rather than a single traumatic event.

While rest can provide temporary relief for shoulder pain, it does not necessarily address the mechanical factors that contributed to the injury.

Why Shoulder Pain Often Becomes Chronic

The shoulder depends on coordinated movement between the shoulder joint, the shoulder blade, the upper back, the rib cage, and their respective muscles. When one part of this chain loses mobility or stability, other structures compensate for it.

For example, limited thoracic spine mobility may increase stress on the shoulder during overhead pressing. Weakness of the rotator cuff muscles controlling the shoulder blades can further alter movement, which leads to irritation that persists even after pain decreases.

How Chiropractic Care and Physical Therapy Work Together in Treating Shoulder Pain

Early treatment often focuses on improving mobility and reducing pain through chiropractic care. Depending on the patient's needs, a sports chiropractor or physical therapist may use:

• Joint mobilization or manipulation
• Dry needling
• Soft tissue therapy
• Assisted stretching
• Movement assessment

These techniques help improve shoulder motion, decrease muscle guarding, and make it more comfortable for the patient before rehabilitation exercises. As pain improves, rehabilitation progresses to restoring strength and movement quality. Sports physical therapy commonly includes:

• Rotator cuff strengthening
• Scapular stabilization
• Overhead movement retraining
• Progressive resistance exercises
• Sport-specific strengthening

These exercises will help patients regain the strength and control needed for throwing, swimming, serving, lifting, and other overhead activities.

In addition, recovering from shoulder injuries requires close follow-up and adjustments to the rehabilitation program. At MYOLAB, patients work with the same clinician throughout, which provides continuity and allows treatment to evolve based on the patient's improvements. This avoids redundancy with a different provider and going through the evaluation process all over again.

Recurring Hamstring Strains

Hamstring strains are among the most frustrating injuries for runners, field sports athletes, and recreational competitors because they frequently recur after returning to activity. In most cases, hamstring strains or injuries reflect movement deficits elsewhere in the body.

Common contributing factors include:

• Limited hip mobility
• Poor pelvic control
• Glute weakness
• Inadequate trunk stability
• Faulty running/sprint mechanics

Treating the hamstring alone may alleviate the pain, but the underlying issue can still put excessive strain on the hamstring, especially during acceleration and high-speed running.

Early evaluation also allows us to determine whether the injury involves a simple muscle strain or additional movement deficits requiring rehabilitation. If you pull your hamstring on a Saturday, we can see you Monday afternoon. The sooner you get in, the sooner you get better.

As symptoms improve, rehabilitation progresses toward rebuilding the hamstring's ability to tolerate higher loads. A comprehensive program to restore movement and build capacity includes:

• Progressive hamstring strengthening
• Glute strengthening
• Single-leg stability training
• Running and sprint mechanics
• Plyometric progression

Progression will be based on measurable improvements in strength, movement quality, and functional performance.

Why Maintenance Care Is Part of the Recovery Plan

Being pain-free does not automatically guarantee being ready to train or compete at full intensity. Returning to sport too early may increase the risk of another strain.

At MYOLAB, chiropractors, physical therapists, and strength professionals communicate throughout rehabilitation so that treatment can progress from pain relief to performance without overlooking safety and unnecessary gaps in care.

Each appointment will not be treated as an isolated visit. Patients will have a rehabilitation program that builds toward their personalized goal and the goal to return to activity with the strength, mobility, and confidence needed to stay injury-free.

What Should You Do Next?

If you are still unsure of the next step, here's what you can do:

1. Recognize your recurring symptoms early. Early recognition of that recurring back pain, shoulder pain, or hamstring pain would mean earlier treatment and an earlier return to sport and activity.
2. Get a professional evaluation. A comprehensive assessment will identify factors contributing to your symptoms, which will help determine the most effective treatment plan for your goals.
3. Work with our professionals. Long-term and maintenance care is as important as relieving the pain for a safer and injury-free journey. Join the waitlist today.

This article is for general information and isn't a substitute for individualized medical advice.