Jordan Loewenstein, D.C. | La Jolla Chiropractor
Most sports injuries I see are not dramatic. They are the hamstring that will not let go, the knee that aches at mile three, the shoulder that hurts on the catch phase of a stroke. This is the long version of my sports injury page: what Active Release Technique actually does, which injuries respond fastest, how a sports chiropractor differs from physical therapy, and what the research says.
Most sports pain isn’t just a joint problem — it’s scar tissue, adhesions, and nerve irritation layered on top of each other. That’s why Dr. Loewenstein combines chiropractic adjustments with Active Release Techniques (ART) to address both at once.
ART is a patented, hands-on soft tissue method that treats muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves. During a session, Dr. Loewenstein applies precise tension to a specific tissue while you move through a full range of motion — breaking up the dense scar tissue and adhesions that build up from overuse, repetitive strain, or acute injury. ART targets the exact tissue causing the problem, not just the area that hurts.
You don’t need to compete professionally to benefit. If you use your body actively and something hurts, that’s reason enough.
These aren’t the only conditions I treat — but they’re the ones where the combination of chiropractic adjustments and ART makes the biggest difference, fastest.
Both have a place in sports medicine. Here’s how to think about which to start with — and when you might need both.
Many athletes benefit from both. If you need a referral to a PT or another specialist, Dr. Loewenstein will tell you directly and point you in the right direction.
For muscle strains and tendon overuse injuries the evidence points the same way: early movement beats rest, progressive loading is what rebuilds tendon, and manual therapy (soft tissue work and joint mobilization) speeds up the return to training when it is combined with exercise rather than used on its own. Passive care alone, whether that is massage, ice or an adjustment, does not hold up as well in the trials as care that ends with a loading plan.
Active Release Technique has a smaller research base than exercise does, with mostly small trials and case series showing improved range of motion and pain in conditions like hamstring tightness, plantar fasciitis and shoulder impingement. I use it because it finds the specific adhesion and lets me treat it precisely, and I pair it with the loading work the stronger evidence supports.
Runners from the coast with IT band and knee pain, surfers with neck and shoulder problems, lifters from the UTC gyms with low back and shoulder tweaks, pickup basketball and soccer players with ankle and hamstring injuries, and UCSD athletes between seasons. Most want the same thing: get back to training without making it worse.
A sports injury visit starts with finding the tissue: range of motion, strength and special tests for the joint, and palpation to find the exact adhesion or restriction. The injury is usually two or three joints away from where the athlete thinks it is.
Same-visit treatment is Active Release Technique on the injured tissue (I am ART certified), an adjustment of the restricted joints when the exam supports it, and heat and e-stim when there is a lot of guarding. First visits are 45 minutes, follow-ups 30.
Then a return-to-play plan of two or three exercises that progress the load week by week. Strains settle in two to four weeks; tendon overuse injuries take six to twelve because tendon adapts slowly. I would rather you train through a modified plan than rest completely.
Ready to get it looked at? How I treat this at my UTC San Diego office, or book online.
What does a sports chiropractor do differently?
A sports chiropractor treats the whole chain, not just the painful spot: soft tissue work on the injured tissue (ART), adjustment of the joints that are not moving, and a loading plan to get you back to training. The goal is return to sport, not just pain relief.
What is Active Release Technique?
A hands-on soft tissue method that combines precise pressure on an adhesion with movement of the muscle under that pressure, to break up scar tissue and restore glide. It is used for strains, overuse tendon problems, nerve entrapments and post-injury stiffness.
Should I rest a sports injury or keep training?
For most strains and overuse injuries, modified training beats rest. Keep what does not hurt, remove what does, and rebuild the load progressively. Complete rest weakens the tissue you are trying to heal.
When does a sports injury need imaging?
If you cannot bear weight, the joint looks deformed, you felt a pop with the joint giving way, or there is no improvement after a few weeks of good care. Those get imaging and, when needed, an orthopedic referral.
Dr. Loewenstein diagnoses the actual source of your pain before treating it — soft tissue work, adjustment, and rehab in one visit. Most major insurance accepted, no packages or contracts.
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