Sports Injury Evaluation - Spokane, WA
Reviewed By: Stephen Byers, DC CSCS
MOVEMENT ASSESSMENT
Find Out Why You're Injured--Not Just Where It Hurts
The Movement Assessment is the starting point for every patient at our Spokane clinic — a comprehensive evaluation built around one question: what's actually driving your pain or limitation, and how do we fix it?
What is a Movement Assessment?
An assessment that goes beyond what hurts.
The Movement Assessment is a comprehensive, 30-minute evaluation of how your whole body moves — not just the area that hurts. It's the starting point for every new patient at The Movement Clinic, and it's what makes our care different from a typical chiropractic visit.
Most injury care begins with the symptom: where does it hurt, and how do we make that spot feel better? The Movement Assessment begins one step earlier. Before we treat anything, we diagnose everything — we look at your mobility, stability, strength, and coordination across your entire body to find the movement patterns actually driving your pain or holding back your performance.
By the end of your first visit, you'll know what's going on, why it's happening, and exactly what the plan is to fix it. No guessing.
What Happens During a Movement Assessment
This isn't a quick intake exam. It's a thorough evaluation that connects how you move to why you hurt. Here's what your first visit includes:
01
HISTORY AND CONVERSATION
We start by understanding what brought you in — what hurts, what's not working, what you've already tried, and what you want to get back to.
02
FULL-BODY MOVEMENT-BASED EVALUATION
We assess how you move across your entire body — not just the area that hurts. Mobility, stability, strength, and coordination all get evaluated, and we identify the painful or inefficient patterns driving your problem.
03
A CLEAR EXPLANATION
Our chiropractors are trained to educate you in plain language about the nature of your complaint, why it is affecting your life and what needs to be done to get you back to doing what you love to do.
04
TREATMENT, WHEN APPROPRIATE
When safe to do so, your first visit includes initial sports chiropractic treatment based on what we find during the assessment. We don't just assess and send you home with a pamphlet.
05
A PERSONALIZED CARE PLAN
You leave your first visit with clarity on what's going on and a clear plan for what comes next — including specialized biomechanics testing as part of our Going Beyond Par or Rock Your Run Recovery Care programs or imaging if it's appropriate for your case.
Total Investment: The Movement Assessment is $160. Most patients have medical insurance that covers some or all of the assessment and the sports chiropractic care that follows. We provide cost estimates before your appointment when you book with insurance details.
Who the Movement Assessment is For
The Movement Assessment is the starting point for golfers, runners, athletes, and active individuals in Spokane dealing with:
Golf injuries — low back pain, shoulder pain, golfer's elbow, wrist pain, and knee pain
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Running injuries — hip pain, IT band syndrome, runner's knee, shin splints, and plantar fasciitis
Sports and training injuries — neck pain, tennis elbow, weight-lifter's shoulder, sciatica, SI joint pain, and cervicogenic headaches
General sprains and strains from sport or daily activity
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Persistent tightness or stiffness that keeps coming back no matter what you try
Performance limitations you can't explain or work around
If you're not sure whether we can help with what you're dealing with, the Movement Assessment is exactly how we find out — together.
What Makes it Different
Most injury care starts with the symptom. We start with the movement — because that's usually where the answer is.
A painful shoulder might trace back to limited hip rotation. A runner's knee pain might come from how the foot is landing. A golfer's low back pain might be driven by a restricted thoracic spine. A tennis player's elbow pain might come from the forearm muscles doing the wrong job. These connections aren't obvious if you only look at the spot that hurts — and they're the difference between feeling better for a day and actually solving the problem.
The Movement Assessment finds those connections. That's why every care plan at The Movement Clinic starts here, and why we reassess throughout your care to make sure we're still on the right track.
What You'll Leave With
By the end of your assessment you'll have:
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A clear understanding of what's going on — the actual cause, explained in plain language
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A personalized care plan built around your body, your goals, and your sport
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Initial treatment when it's appropriate to begin that day
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A realistic timeline — most patients notice meaningful improvement within the first 6 visits, and we'll give you a clear estimate of what your care plan looks like
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A direction — whether that's sports chiropractic care, one of our recovery programs (Going Beyond Par for golfers, Rock Your Run for runners), sports massage therapy, or a referral if your needs fall outside our scope
How to Get Started
Getting started is simple:
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Schedule a New Patient — Movement Assessment online or by calling our Spokane clinic. No referral is needed.
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Wear comfortable clothing you can move in — athletic wear, loose pants, or whatever you'd wear to the gym. Movement is part of the evaluation, and exercise is often part of your first treatment.
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Come a few minutes early for your first visit so we can get your history and paperwork squared away before your assessment time.
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Your first visit includes the full assessment and initial treatment when appropriate. Plan for about 30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions patients ask us about the Movement Assessment
Q: How long does a Movement Assessment take?
A: Plan for about 30 minutes for your first visit. This includes your history intake, the full movement evaluation, and initial treatment when appropriate.
Q: Will I receive treatment on my first visit?
A: Yes — when safe to do so. We don't just assess and send you home with a pamphlet. Your first visit includes treatment based on what we find during the assessment.
Q: Do I need a referral?
A: You don't need a referral to book with one of our sports chiropractors. If you'd like to be seen by one of our sports massage therapists and plan to use insurance, you'll need a note from a referring provider which includes a diagnosis, or the problem they need to treat. Our sports chiropractors can create a referral during your initial Movement Assessment. You can book online or give us a call to schedule.
Q: Does insurance cover the Movement Assessment?
A: We accept several major insurance plans for chiropractic care, and we offer self-pay options that often provide more flexibility in your care plan. Visit our Ways to Pay page for the current list, or include your insurance details when you book and our team will work to get you a cost estimate before your appointment.
Q: What should I wear?
A: Wear comfortable clothing you can move in — athletic wear, loose pants, or whatever you'd wear to the gym. We need to be able to see and assess how you actually move.
Q: Do you work with teen and youth athletes?
A: Yes. The Movement Assessment works as well for younger athletes as it does for adults. Parents are welcome to be present for the assessment and any treatment.
Q: Is this the same as a physical therapy evaluation?
A: It's similar in some ways, but our care plans include chiropractic adjustments and manual therapy alongside rehabilitation exercise. The Movement Assessment also looks at your whole body and, when relevant, your sport-specific mechanics — not just the injured area.
Q: What if my pain isn't from sports?
A: We work with active individuals dealing with all kinds of pain and movement limitations — not just sports injuries. If you're not sure whether your situation is a fit, the Movement Assessment is the right starting point. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help.