Sports Injury Care — Burnaby BC
Injured Athletes Don't Need to Rest. They Need the Right Care.
Sports injuries rarely occur in isolation. At Adapt Spine Centre, we assess the full spinal and structural picture behind your injury — so you recover completely, perform better, and stop getting hurt the same way twice.
Burnaby
Serving athletes, hockey, soccer, and rugby players, and more across Burnaby and beyond
Root Cause
We find why you keep getting hurt — not just treat the latest injury
Gonstead
Precision spinal analysis built for performance demands
The Spine-Sport Connection
Why the Spine Is at the Centre of Most Sports Injuries
Every sport places extraordinary mechanical demands on the spine. Running, throwing, tackling, swinging, jumping — all generate forces that travel through the vertebral column. When the spine is in optimal alignment, it distributes these forces efficiently. When even one vertebra is misaligned, abnormal load patterns radiate outward — increasing injury risk in the shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles connected to the affected nerve levels.
This is why many athletes suffer recurring injuries at the same joint, or find that one injury leads to another. An unresolved lumbar misalignment changes gait mechanics, overloads the hip, and eventually stresses the knee. A cervical misalignment alters the muscle activation pattern in the shoulder and predisposes a rotator cuff to strain. The Gonstead approach looks for these spinal root causes — not just the injured joint presenting in your appointment.
Whether you play hockey at the Burnaby Lake arena, run cross-country on the SFU trails, or compete in recreational rugby or soccer across Burnaby, we work with athletes at every level to keep them on the field longer and performing at their best.
Back and neck pain from contact sports, falls, or repetitive loading
Shoulder injuries — rotator cuff strains, impingement, throwing injuries
Hip and groin pain linked to sacroiliac joint and lumbar misalignment
Recurring injuries at the same site — the hallmark of an unresolved spinal root cause
Performance plateau — reduced power, endurance, or coordination without obvious injury
The Gonstead Approach
Precision Analysis for Athletes Who Can't Afford to Guess
Athletes need a higher standard of care. The Gonstead system's multi-step analysis — weight-bearing X-rays, thermal scanning, EMG, and hands-on palpation — gives us a precise picture of your spinal mechanics under load. This allows us to identify not just where you're injured, but why, and what structural factors are increasing your re-injury risk.
Biomechanical Spinal Assessment
We assess how your spine functions under the specific demands of your sport — identifying misalignments that compromise force transfer, alter muscle activation patterns, and increase the load on peripheral joints like the shoulder, hip, and knee.
Rapid Return to Function
Gonstead adjustments target only the problem segments — leaving well-functioning areas undisturbed. This precision means faster restoration of normal mechanics, less inflammation, and quicker return to training compared to non-specific approaches.
Injury Recurrence Prevention
We identify the structural patterns that caused your injury in the first place and address them — breaking the cycle of recurring injuries at the same joint and giving you a spine that can handle your sport's demands consistently.
Common Questions
Sports Injury FAQs
Should I see a chiropractor before or after physio for my sports injury?
Ideally both — but the sequence matters. Chiropractic care addresses the structural (vertebral) component of your injury, while physiotherapy addresses the muscular and soft tissue component. Correcting spinal misalignment first often makes physiotherapy exercises more effective, as the muscles now have a correctly positioned skeletal foundation to work from. We're happy to co-manage your care alongside your physiotherapist.
Can chiropractic help improve athletic performance even when I'm not injured?
Yes. Optimal spinal alignment improves nerve conduction velocity, muscle recruitment efficiency, joint range of motion, and proprioception — all of which directly affect athletic performance. Many elite athletes use regular chiropractic care as a performance tool, not just a recovery tool. We see athletes from across the Burnaby community who come in proactively during their training season.
I play contact sports — are chiropractic adjustments safe for me?
Yes. The Gonstead system's precise, controlled adjustments are safe and appropriate for contact sport athletes — including rugby, hockey, and martial arts. We conduct a thorough examination before any adjustment and tailor our approach to your current injury status, tissue state, and the physical demands of your specific sport.
Related Conditions
Stop Managing Your Injury. Fix the Cause.
Book your initial exam at Adapt Spine Centre in Burnaby. We'll assess the full structural picture behind your sports injury — and give you a plan to recover completely and stay that way.
Located at 3961 Hastings Street #101, Burnaby BC · Open Mon–Sat · No referral required