Sports Chiropractic Care - Spokane, WA
Reviewed By: Stephen Byers, DC CSCS
SPORTS CHIROPRACTIC
For golfers, runners and active individuals in Spokane
Whether you're nursing a golf injury, recovering from a running strain, or dealing with the kind of persistent tightness that keeps flaring up, our sports chiropractic team in Spokane is built for you. Every plan starts with a full-body Movement Assessment — because finding why you hurt matters as much as treating where it hurts.
What is Sports Chiropractic?
Sports chiropractic is a specialty practice within chiropractic care, built around the needs of athletes and active individuals. A traditional chiropractor typically focuses on spinal adjustments to address pain. Our sports chiropractors add several layers on top of that — a full-body movement assessment, sport-specific biomechanical testing, soft-tissue therapies, and therapeutic exercise.
The goal isn't just to relieve pain. It's to figure out why the pain happened in the first place, address the underlying movement pattern, and build the mobility, strength, and coordination you need to stay in your sport. Adjustments are one tool in a broader toolkit — not the only tool.
At The Movement Clinic in Spokane, our sports chiropractors are trained to recognize the demands of golf swings, running gait, lifting patterns, racquet sports, and the everyday wear that comes with staying active over time. That specialty perspective shapes everything we do, from how we assess you to how we build your return-to-play plan.
Who is Sports Chiropractic For?
Our Spokane sports chiropractic clinic specializes in three groups:
Golfers
Golfers come to us with back pain, shoulder pain, golfer's elbow, wrist pain, or knee pain that's affecting their swing or keeping them off the course. Our Going Beyond Par recovery program pairs sports chiropractic care with golf-specific testing of your swing mechanics, mobility, strength, and power. We get our golfers moving and feeling better so they can enjoy the game they love!
Runners
Runners come to us with hip pain, IT band issues, runner's knee, shin splints, or plantar fasciitis — usually after weeks of trying to stretch or rest the problem away. Our Rock Your Run program combines sports chiropractic care with running-specific testing: breathing, power, impact control, and gait mechanics. Our goal is to get our runners moving and feeling better for many miles to come!
Athletes and Active Individuals
Lifters, racquet-sport players, jumpers, and anyone who trains hard come to us with the kind of pain that doesn't fit neatly into one sport — neck pain from training and desk work, weight-lifter's shoulder, tennis elbow, jumper's knee, sciatica, or stiffness they can't pinpoint. Our movement-first approach finds the cause and builds a plan to keep you moving.
What's Included
A complete approach to sports chiropractic care
01
MOVEMENT ASSESSMENT
Every new patient starts with a comprehensive Movement Assessment — a 30-minute evaluation of how your whole body moves, not just where it hurts. We look at mobility, stability, strength, and sport-specific mechanics. By the end, we'll explain what we found and build a personalized care plan with you.
02
CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS
Targeted adjustments restore motion to stiff joints throughout the body — not just the spine. We use traditional manual adjustments and low-force techniques (including instrument-assisted adjusting with an activator) based on what fits your case and your comfort level.
03
SOFT-TISSUE THERAPIES
We use a range of soft-tissue techniques to release tight muscles, break up restrictions, and reduce pain: pin and stretch, Graston (instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization), cupping (myofascial decompression), and assisted stretching.
04
THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE
We use corrective exercises that build the strength, mobility, and coordination needed to keep you moving well between visits — and to keep the problem from coming back. We provide video self-help tools available through our online portal so you can access your corrective exercises at your convenience.
05
HOME GUIDANCE
We provide activity and ergonomic recommendations to reinforce your progress and support lasting change once you leave the clinic.
Our sports chiropractic care is typically covered by your medical insurance. We provide cost estimates before your appointment when you book online and include your insurance details.
Conditions we treat with Sports Chiropractic
We commonly treat the following conditions at our Spokane clinic:
Golf-Related Injuries: low back pain, shoulder pain, golfer's elbow, wrist pain, and knee pain.
Running-Related Injuries: hip pain, IT band syndrome, runner's knee, shin splints, and plantar fasciitis.
Sports-Related Injuries: neck pain, tennis elbow, weight-lifter's shoulder, sciatica, SI joint pain, cervicogenic headaches
Don't see your condition? Most movement-related injuries respond to the same approach. Schedule a Movement Assessment and we'll figure out what's going on together.
What Makes it Different
Why this isn't just a typical chiropractic visit
It's diagnostic, not just therapeutic. Most chiropractic care treats what hurts. We focus on understanding why it hurts — by looking at how your whole body moves, not just the area you came in for. That's why every care plan starts with a Movement Assessment and gets reassessed throughout your care.
Each visit is 30 minutes — not five. Many chiropractic offices run a high-volume model: a quick adjustment and you're back out the door. Our visits are 30 minutes long, which is what it actually takes to deliver care that moves the needle. You get hands-on time with your provider, not a stopwatch.
Every visit combines multiple modalities. A typical visit includes soft-tissue work, chiropractic adjustments, therapeutic exercise, and lifestyle or movement recommendations — all in the same appointment. You're not paying separately for what should be part of the same care plan, and you're not getting only one piece of the picture.
Each visit builds on the last. Care plans aren't a series of identical appointments. We track what's changing visit to visit, layer in new exercises and progressions as your body responds, and adjust the plan based on what we're seeing. Visit three is different from visit one, because by visit three we know more about how your body responds and what it needs next.
We're part of a team. Our sports chiropractors work alongside our massage therapists to deliver coordinated care focused on recovery and performance — not just symptom relief. Every plan is built around your goals, your sport, and your body, with regular reassessments so we know we're on the right track.
What to Expect
From your first visit through ongoing care
YOUR FIRST VISIT
Clarity and a Plan
Your first visit at our Spokane clinic begins with the Movement Assessment. We'll review your history, listen to what you're dealing with, and put your body through a series of movement-based assessments to find the patterns underneath your pain. We'll explain what we found in plain language, build a care plan with you, and — when appropriate — begin initial treatment in that first visit.
FOLLOW-UP VISITS
Progressive Treatment
Follow-up visits run about 30 minutes and combine chiropractic adjustments, soft-tissue work, and therapeutic exercise. As you progress, the focus shifts: less hands-on care, more strength and mobility work, more sport-specific reconditioning. Most patients notice meaningful improvement within the first 6 visits.
ONGOING CARE
Understanding Your Needs
Most patients move through three phases: a Recovery phase where we address the pain and underlying movement issue, a Stabilization phase where we lock in the gains, and an As-Needed phase where you graduate from active care or come in occasionally in the case of flare-ups. The path looks different for every patient, and we reassess regularly to make sure you're moving forward — not just coming back.
Most care plans run 1-2 visits per week initially. We'll give you a clear estimate at the end of your Movement Assessment. We aim for measurable change to your condition within the first 6 visits.
Our Spokane Sports Chiropractic Team
Working together to help you get back to what you love to do
The Movement Clinic's sports chiropractic team includes Stephen Byers, DC CSCS (TPI Medical Level 3, TPI Power Level 3, SFMA Level 2, ART Full Body, FMS Level 2, FCS) and Bailey Nachtigal, DC CCSP (ART Spine). Both bring extensive credentials in sports-specific assessment and rehabilitation, with backgrounds in treating golfers, runners, and competitive athletics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions patients ask us about sports chiropractic
Q: How is sports chiropractic different from regular chiropractic?
A: Sports chiropractic goes beyond the adjustment. Our care plans include soft-tissue therapy, therapeutic exercise, and movement coaching tailored to your sport or activity. The goal isn't just to feel better — it's to move better and stay that way.
Q: How is this different from physical therapy?
A: We sit somewhere between traditional chiropractic and physical therapy — and we borrow what works from each. A physical therapist typically focuses on rehab exercises with limited use of manual therapy. At The Movement Clinic, every care plan includes chiropractic adjustments, soft-tissue work, and therapeutic exercise — layered on top of a full Movement Assessment and any relevant sport-specific biomechanical testing.
Q: Does medical insurance cover sports chiropractic care?
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: Do I need a referral?
A: No referral is needed. Schedule a New Patient – Movement Assessment to get started. Our team will review your history, assess your movement, and begin treatment in your first visit when appropriate.
Q: Should I rest or keep playing?
A: Most of the time, complete rest isn't necessary. We'll assess your situation and give you specific guidance on what to modify during your recovery. Many patients are able to continue playing or training with adjustments to volume, warm-up, and cool-down routines.
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. Exercise is typically part of your treatment.
Q: How long until I feel better?
A: Most patients notice meaningful improvement within the first 6 visits. More involved cases — chronic injuries, performance plateaus, or complex movement issues — can take several weeks to several months. Your care plan timeline is shaped by what we find during your initial Movement Assessment and periodic reassessments.