A sprain, strain or sore shoulder is keeping you out of training. We find what the injury changed, retrain movement step by step, and test you before you go back.
Overview
You rolled an ankle in the first quarter, or your shoulder has ached since the season started. Rest helped a little, but the first hard sprint or throw brings it straight back.
Sports injury rehab is the bridge between hurt and back in the game. It is part of our rehab and performance care for athletes, and it starts with a full exam, not a template.
What it is
Sports injury rehabilitation is care that helps an injured athlete regain movement, strength, control and confidence before returning to sport. At True Performance it is chiropractic- and rehabilitation-led: we examine the injured area and how you move, then combine hands-on care, recovery tools and balance and reaction training.
An exam finds what the injury changed in movement, strength and control.
Hands-on care and recovery tools calm the area as exercises progress.
Balance and reaction work retrains the skills your sport demands.
The re-check
We re-test strength, range of motion and balance as you go. If you stop improving, we change the plan or refer you for imaging or a surgical opinion.
No. We are a chiropractic- and rehabilitation-led clinic, not a physical therapy practice. Our work often sits alongside a physical therapist, team athletic trainer or orthopedic surgeon, and we coordinate with them when you ask.
Plans can include chiropractic and extremity adjustments, Class IV laser and near-infrared light for recovery, and graded exercise. As you recover, balance work on GyroStim and reaction drills on DynaVision help your brain and body move together at game speed.
Conditions
These are the injuries we see most in athletes. Each one gets an exam first, because the same pain can come from very different problems.
Cutting, jumping and landing put huge loads through the knee. We test stability, strength and how you land before building back to full speed, part of our care for knee pain from running, jumping and cutting. Suspected ligament tears go for a surgical opinion first.
Throwing, swimming and overhead lifting strain the rotator cuff. We check range, strength and control, and review imaging first when needed, for shoulder pain in throwing and overhead athletes.
Hamstring, calf and groin strains often come back when training resumes too fast. Rehab builds load gradually for muscle strains that keep coming back.
Why here
An ankle sprain can change balance and reaction time too. We test those, so you return with the whole system working, not just a quiet ankle.
If an injury may need an X-ray, MRI or a surgeon, we say so before we start. Hands-on care waits until we know it is safe.
GyroStim and DynaVision let us test balance and reactions under pressure, which a table exam cannot do.
NFL players, UFC fighters and a national-team snowboarder are among the athletes we have worked with.
Other options
| Who | What they do | When they fit |
|---|---|---|
| Orthopedic surgeon | Diagnoses and operates on bones, joints and tendons | Fractures, dislocations, tears that may need surgery |
| Sports medicine physician | Diagnoses injuries, orders imaging, prescribes medication | A new injury that needs a medical diagnosis first |
| Physical therapist | Exercise-based rehab, often after surgery | Post-operative rehab and many common injuries |
| Team athletic trainer | On-field care and day-to-day injury management | In-season care inside a school or team program |
| True Performance | Chiropractic-led rehab plus balance and reaction training | Recovery that stalls, or the last stretch back to sport |
These roles often work together. Your physician or surgeon handles diagnosis and surgery, and we handle rehab and the return to game speed.
Is it for you
If anything on the second list applies, see a physician or go to urgent care first. We can start rehab once serious injury is ruled out.
The warning signs that need medical care first come from the NIAMS guide to sports injuries.
Your visits
Every plan follows the same four steps. How long each one takes depends on your injury.
A complimentary call about the injury, your sport and your season.
About 90 minutes, plus data and history gathering. We test the injured area, strength, balance and reaction time, and review any imaging.
Hands-on care and recovery tools settle the area while exercises build strength and control.
We repeat the key measures and share the results with you, your coach or your physician for the return-to-play decision.
Cost
Cost depends on your injury, your exam and how many visits your plan needs. We explain it before you commit.
What your cost depends on
Booking policies
The clinic
Dr. Jeff McWhorter, D.C., a chiropractor whose practice focuses on functional neurology and performance, looks at an injury the way an athlete lives it: through movement, balance and timing. Before founding True Performance in Rancho Santa Fe, Dr. McWhorter served as a chiropractic consultant to the Denver Broncos, working with elite athletes to improve recovery and performance.
Injury rehab is the first half of our sports medicine clinic for athletes of every level. Book an exam to get your plan.
I’ve seen a lot of chiropractors and orthopedic specialists over the years, but I’ve never experienced the level of care and thoroughness that Dr. Jeff McWhorter provides.
Visit
Sports injury rehab takes place at our Rancho Santa Fe office: 18029 Calle Ambiente, Suite 507, in Cielo Village. We are about two miles from Lake Hodges and a short drive from the Del Mar Fairgrounds, with easy access from across North County San Diego.
The first step
It is care that helps an injured athlete regain movement, strength and control, then return to sport safely. Ours combines hands-on care, recovery tools, exercise and balance and reaction training.
It depends on the injury, how it responds and your sport. We re-test as you go, and the return decision is made with you, your coach and your physician.
For a suspected fracture, dislocation, major tear or an injury you cannot bear weight on, yes. For most strains and sprains you can start with us, and we refer you if the exam calls for it.
We are not a physical therapy practice, so PT insurance rules may not apply the same way. We explain cost and payment options on your intro call, before you book.
Yes. With your permission, we share exam findings and re-test results with your trainer, coach or physician so everyone works from the same plan.
Journal
Start with a complimentary 15-minute call with our team.
