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Jordan Loewenstein, D.C. | La Jolla Chiropractor

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UTC San Diego · Runners

Chiropractor for runners in San Diego

Hip flexors, IT band, hamstrings, low back, feet: the places running breaks down. I am an ART certified chiropractor in UTC with evening and Sunday hours so you can get treated without missing a workout or a workday.

Book a runner’s visit →Call or text (858) 558-3111

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Quick answer

Dr. Jordan Loewenstein, D.C. is a chiropractor for runners in San Diego, located at 5151 Shoreham Place, Suite 175 in UTC near La Jolla and UCSD. He treats running injuries including IT band syndrome, hip flexor and hamstring strains, low back pain, piriformis and sciatic pain, shin and foot pain with Active Release Technique soft tissue work, chiropractic adjustment and a few targeted home exercises. The first visit is 45 minutes and includes the exam and treatment. Same day appointments are available most days, with hours until 7 PM Monday to Friday and Sundays 10 AM to 4 PM. He is in network with most major plans; without insurance the first visit is $100 and follow-ups are $75.

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What running does to a body

Running is thousands of single leg landings in a row. Anything that is tight, weak or not moving well gets found by mile three, and it usually shows up in the same handful of places. Most of what walks into my office from the UCSD cross country crowd, the Mission Bay loop regulars and the Rock n Roll Marathon trainees is one of these.

  • Hip flexor and front-of-hip tightness: the desk-job runner pattern. Hours of sitting shorten the hip flexors; the stride gets shorter and the low back takes over.
  • IT band and outside-of-knee pain: usually a glute medius that is not firing and a hip that drops on landing, not a band that needs to be rolled harder.
  • Hamstring tightness that never resolves: often sciatic nerve tension or a pelvis that is rotated, which is why stretching it has not worked.
  • Low back pain after long runs: stiff lumbar facets and SI joints, a pelvis sitting unevenly, and glutes that have handed the job to the spine.
  • Piriformis and deep buttock pain: sciatica without the disc. Responds well to soft tissue work and hip mobility.
  • Shin, calf and plantar foot pain: calf and foot tissue that has stopped gliding, plus ankle joints that have lost dorsiflexion.

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How I treat runners

The first visit is 45 minutes. Most of it is the exam, and treatment starts the same day when the exam is clear.

Find itRange of motion, orthopedic testing of the hip, knee, ankle and low back, and a look at how your pelvis is sitting with you face down. The goal is the structure that is actually driving the pain, which is often not where it hurts.
Soft tissue workART is what I use most on runners: hip flexors, TFL and IT band, hamstrings, calves and plantar fascia. Heat and e-stim first when the tissue is guarding.
Adjust what is stuckLumbar, SI joint, hip and ankle adjustments where the exam shows a joint that has stopped moving. Flexion-distraction on the table for disc-type low back pain.
Keep you runningTwo or three home exercises that match your pattern, and a straight answer on mileage: most runners keep running at reduced volume rather than stopping.
Stress fractures need imaging, not an adjustment. If you have a sharp, localized bone pain in the shin, foot or hip that hurts to hop on, I will send you for an X-ray or MRI before treating the area.

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Hours that fit a training week

Early morning runners can come in after work, since I am open until 7 PM, and Sunday 10 to 4 covers the long-run crowd that needs something looked at before Monday. Same day openings most days. Book online and pick a time.

Monday to Friday9 AM to 7 PM
Sunday10 AM to 4 PM
SaturdayClosed
Same dayOpenings most days
Sports injuriesHip flexor stretchesPiriformis stretchesKnee pain by locationFoot and ankle pain by locationFoam rolling guide

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Common questions

Can a chiropractor help with running injuries?

Yes, for the soft tissue and joint problems that make up most running injuries: IT band syndrome, hip flexor and hamstring strains, piriformis pain, low back and SI joint pain, calf and plantar fascia tightness. Stress fractures and ligament tears need imaging and a physician first.

Should I stop running while being treated?

Usually not completely. Most runners cut volume and intensity for a couple of weeks while the tissue settles, then build back. Sharp bone pain or pain that gets worse mile over mile is the exception.

What is ART and why is it used for runners?

Active Release Technique is hands-on soft tissue work that combines pressure with movement of the muscle through its range. It targets the adhesions in hip flexors, hamstrings, calves and the IT band region that stretching alone does not change.

How many visits does a running injury take?

Most soft tissue running injuries ease within four to eight visits at once or twice a week, with two or three home exercises in between. Long-standing problems take longer.

Do you see UCSD runners and students?

Yes. The office is under two miles from campus, UC SHIP is accepted with a referral from Student Health, and Sunday hours fit around classes.

Is the first visit covered by insurance?

Most major PPO plans, Medicare and VA Community Care cover chiropractic. Benefits are verified before the first visit so the copay is known in advance. Without insurance the first visit is $100 and follow-ups are $75.

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Run without the thing that keeps stopping you.

Evenings until 7 PM, Sundays 10 to 4, same day openings. 5151 Shoreham Place, Suite 175, UTC San Diego.

Book onlineCall (858) 558-3111

Jordan Loewenstein, D.C.
ART Certified · M.S. Nutrition · Webster Certified

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