Sports Injury Care

Chiropractic Care for Athletes and Active Individuals

Athletes push their bodies to the edge of performance — and sometimes beyond it. Whether you are a competitive runner, a weekend warrior, a youth sports participant, or a fitness enthusiast, sports injuries are an unfortunate reality of an active lifestyle. How you address those injuries determines not only how quickly you return to your sport but also whether the underlying problem is truly resolved or just waiting to recur.

At Lakeside Spine and Wellness, Dr. Andrew Winger provides sports injury care that treats the immediate problem while also addressing the structural and biomechanical factors that made the injury possible. This approach helps athletes recover more completely and return to activity with greater confidence and resilience.

Common Sports Injuries We Treat

Our Renton office sees athletes with a wide variety of injuries, including:

• Sprains and strains — ligament and muscle injuries from sudden force or overuse
• Back pain — from impact, repetitive loading, or poor movement mechanics
• Neck injuries — from contact sports, falls, or whiplash-type mechanisms
• Shoulder injuries — rotator cuff strains, impingement, and instability
• Knee injuries — runner’s knee, IT band syndrome, and ligament sprains
• Ankle sprains — one of the most common sports injuries, with high recurrence rates
• Hip and groin strains — from explosive movements, cutting, and sprinting
• Overuse injuries — tendinitis, stress reactions, and repetitive strain injuries
• Disc injuries — herniations and bulges from high-impact or rotational forces

Many of these injuries are treated effectively with a combination of chiropractic adjustments, extremity joint corrections, rehabilitative exercises, and other therapies. For injuries that require co-management with other providers such as orthopedic surgeons or physical therapists, Dr. Winger coordinates care appropriately.

The Structural Approach to Sports Injuries

What makes sports injury care at Lakeside Spine and Wellness different is our focus on structure. Most sports medicine approaches treat the site of injury — the painful knee, the sore shoulder, the aching back. While this is important, it often misses the bigger question: why did this particular structure fail?

In many cases, the answer lies in biomechanical dysfunction somewhere else in the body. A runner with knee pain may have a pelvic misalignment that alters leg mechanics. A tennis player with elbow problems may have restricted shoulder mobility that forces the elbow to compensate. A soccer player with recurring ankle sprains may have hip instability that affects the entire kinetic chain.

Dr. Winger evaluates the whole body — not just the injured area — to identify these contributing factors. By correcting spinal alignment, restoring proper joint mechanics throughout the extremities, and retraining movement patterns, we address both the injury and the vulnerability that caused it.

Treatment and Recovery

Sports injury treatment at our office follows a phased approach:

Phase 1: Acute Care — The immediate priority is reducing pain, controlling inflammation, and protecting the injured tissue. This may include gentle adjustments, soft tissue work, therapeutic modalities, and activity modification. The goal is to create the conditions for healing without losing more fitness than necessary.

Phase 2: Rehabilitation — As the acute inflammation subsides, the focus shifts to restoring range of motion, rebuilding strength, and retraining movement patterns. Dr. Winger designs sport-specific rehabilitation programs that prepare you for the demands of your activity. Exercises progress from basic stability work to dynamic, functional movements that simulate the requirements of your sport.

Phase 3: Return to Activity — Before you return to full activity, Dr. Winger evaluates your readiness through functional testing. This ensures that the injury has healed sufficiently, your strength and mobility are adequate, and the biomechanical factors that contributed to the injury have been addressed. Returning to sport before you are ready is one of the most common causes of re-injury.

Phase 4: Performance and Prevention — Once you are back in action, ongoing care can help you stay healthy and perform at your best. Regular maintenance adjustments, continued exercise programs, and periodic structural assessments keep your body functioning optimally and reduce the risk of future injuries.

Performance Benefits of Corrective Care

Many athletes who come to Lakeside Spine and Wellness for injury recovery discover that corrective chiropractic care also improves their performance. This makes sense when you consider what happens when the spine is properly aligned:

• More efficient nerve communication between the brain and muscles, improving coordination and reaction time
• Better joint mechanics throughout the kinetic chain, allowing for more powerful and efficient movement
• Improved range of motion that translates to greater flexibility and reach during athletic activity
• Enhanced recovery between training sessions due to better nervous system function and circulation
• Greater resilience to the physical demands of sport, reducing the likelihood of injury

These benefits are not limited to elite athletes. Recreational athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and active individuals at every level notice improvements in how they feel and perform when their spine is functioning optimally.

For Athletes of All Ages and Levels

Whether you are a high school athlete dealing with your first serious injury, a recreational runner trying to stay on the road, or a master’s-level competitor looking for every edge, Lakeside Spine and Wellness offers the specialized care you need.

Dr. Winger understands the athlete’s mindset — the desire to get back to activity as quickly as possible without risking re-injury. He balances that drive with evidence-based treatment decisions that protect your long-term health while getting you back to what you love.

Get Back to Your Sport

If a sports injury is keeping you on the sideline, or if you want to optimize your body for better performance, the sports injury care at Lakeside Spine and Wellness can help. Dr. Winger will evaluate your injury, identify the structural factors involved, and create a plan to get you back in the game.

Call (425) 276-8044 or Request Appointment to schedule your sports injury evaluation at our Renton office.