Kroner Chiropractic treats sports injuries in Yakima, Washington for athletes of all ages, from youth and high school players to weekend competitors. Care addresses the injury itself and the movement patterns or imbalances that produced it, so the same problem does not recur when you return to play.
Getting back is only half the goal
Every athlete asks the same first question: how soon can I play again. It is the right question, and it is incomplete.
Most sports injuries are not random. They happen where a limitation already existed: a hip that does not rotate, a shoulder blade that does not track, a core that cannot stabilize under load. Treat only the injured tissue and send the athlete back into the same mechanics, and the injury tends to return.
We treat the injury and address what set it up.
Injuries we treat
- Sprains and strains from a specific incident
- Overuse injuries from repetitive training
- Back and neck injuries from contact sports
- Shoulder injuries from throwing and overhead sports
- Knee and hip pain
- Ankle sprains
- Post-injury stiffness and lost range of motion
We see high school athletes, youth players, adult recreational competitors, and people who simply want to keep running or lifting without pain.
How we treat athletes
Assessment covers the injury and the mechanics around it: how you move, where motion is restricted, and which muscles are not contributing.
- Adjustments to restore joint motion
- Soft tissue therapy for injured and compensating muscle
- Therapeutic modalities during the acute phase
- Progressive rehabilitation built toward the demands of your sport
- Movement retraining to address what caused the injury
- On-site digital imaging when indicated
Rehabilitation is sport-specific. A thrower and a runner with similar-sounding pain need different programs, because the loads their sports impose are different.
Returning to play
Coming back too early is the most common reason an injury becomes a recurring one. Feeling ready and being ready are not the same thing.
We use functional criteria rather than a calendar: full pain-free range of motion, strength that matches the other side, and the ability to perform the movements your sport demands without compensating. We would rather have a conversation about waiting another week than treat the same injury again in a month.
For youth athletes, we talk with parents about training load and rest, since a growing body has different limits than an adult one.
Common Questions
How soon can I get back to my sport after an injury?
It depends on the injury and the sport. Rather than guessing at a date, we use functional criteria: full pain-free motion, strength matching the uninjured side, and the ability to perform sport-specific movements without compensating.
Can chiropractic care help prevent sports injuries?
Addressing joint restrictions and movement imbalances before they cause a problem is a reasonable preventative approach, and many athletes use periodic care for that purpose. We would frame it as reducing risk rather than eliminating it.
Do you treat youth and high school athletes?
Yes. Care is adapted for a growing body, using appropriate technique and force. For younger athletes we also talk with parents about training volume and recovery, which matters more at that age than most people realize.
Should I keep training through an injury?
It depends on the injury. Some allow modified training that maintains fitness while the tissue heals, others require rest from the aggravating activity. Training through pain without knowing what is wrong is how minor injuries become long-term ones.
What is the difference between an acute injury and an overuse injury?
An acute injury happens in a moment: a sprain, a strain, a specific incident. An overuse injury develops gradually from repetitive load without adequate recovery. Overuse injuries usually need training changes as well as treatment.
Do I need imaging for a sports injury?
Not always. We image when the examination indicates a reason, such as ruling out a fracture or clarifying a structural question before treatment begins. When it is needed, we take it on site during your visit.
Request an appointment, or call (509) 972-4000.