Chiropractic & Acupuncture for Sports Injuries in Geneva IL

Common Sports and Running Injuries

Sports injuries can affect muscles, joints, tendons, and nerves throughout the body. Many injuries develop gradually when repetitive stress exceeds the body’s ability to recover.

Some of the most common conditions we treat include:

• Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome)
• IT band syndrome
• Achilles tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Hamstring strains
• Hip and glute injuries
• Shin splints
• Shoulder or rotator cuff injuries

These injuries often develop when movement mechanics, joint mobility, and muscle balance are not functioning optimally.

Chiropractic Care for Sports Injuries

Chiropractic treatment focuses on restoring proper joint movement and biomechanics throughout the spine and extremities.

When joints in the spine, hips, knees, or shoulders become restricted, they can alter normal movement patterns and increase stress on surrounding muscles and tendons. Over time this can contribute to pain, overuse injuries, and reduced athletic performance.

By restoring joint mobility and improving neuromuscular coordination, chiropractic care helps the body move more efficiently. This often reduces stress on injured tissues while supporting the body’s natural healing process.

Many athletes also find that maintaining proper joint mobility helps them train more consistently and reduce the risk of future injuries.

Acupuncture for Sports Injury Recovery

Acupuncture is widely used in sports medicine to help reduce pain, inflammation, and muscle tension.

During treatment, very fine needles are placed at specific points in the muscles and connective tissues. This stimulation encourages the body to release natural pain-relieving chemicals while also improving circulation to injured areas.

Research suggests acupuncture can be an effective conservative therapy for many musculoskeletal injuries and sports-related pain conditions.

Athletes commonly use acupuncture to help:

• reduce inflammation in injured tissues
• improve circulation and healing
• relax tight muscles and trigger points
• support the body’s natural pain control systems

When combined with other therapies, acupuncture can help speed recovery and restore normal muscle function.

Combining Chiropractic, Acupuncture, and Soft Tissue Therapy

Many sports injuries involve both joint dysfunction and soft tissue restriction. Muscles, tendons, and connective tissues often become tight or irritated when the joints they attach to are not moving properly.

For this reason, treatment often combines multiple therapies to address the different factors contributing to pain and injury.

Depending on the condition, treatment may include:

• chiropractic adjustments
• acupuncture therapy
• Active Release Technique (ART)
• myofascial release or soft tissue therapy
• Graston technique
• cupping therapy
• laser therapy
• corrective movement and mobility exercises

This integrated approach helps restore normal movement mechanics while supporting long-term recovery and injury prevention.

Running Injuries and Overuse Pain

Running places repetitive stress on the hips, knees, ankles, and feet. When training volume increases too quickly or movement mechanics become inefficient, this repetitive stress can lead to overuse injuries.

In many cases, running injuries develop from subtle biomechanical issues such as reduced joint mobility, muscle imbalance, or inefficient movement patterns.

Common contributing factors include tight hip flexors, glute weakness, limited ankle mobility, and insufficient recovery between workouts.

Treatment focuses not only on relieving pain but also on improving movement patterns and biomechanical efficiency, helping runners return to training while reducing the risk of future injury.

Cluneal Nerve Irritation: A Lesser-Known Cause of Hip or SI-Type Pain

In some athletes and runners, pain that feels like sacroiliac joint pain or sciatica may actually be related to irritation of the cluneal nerves.

These small sensory nerves travel from the lower back across the top of the pelvis and into the upper buttock. When they become irritated where they pass through connective tissue near the iliac crest, they can produce pain patterns that mimic other conditions.

Symptoms may include:

• pain along the top of the hip or beltline
• tenderness near the iliac crest
• pain in the upper buttock
• discomfort with running, walking, or twisting

Because the symptoms overlap with other conditions, cluneal nerve irritation is sometimes overlooked.

Treatment that restores motion in the lower back and pelvis while addressing surrounding muscle tension may help reduce irritation of these nerves. Techniques such as chiropractic care, Active Release Technique, and soft tissue therapy are often helpful for improving mobility and relieving pressure on nearby tissues.

Preventing Sports and Running Injuries

Preventing injury is an important part of long-term athletic health.

Maintaining proper joint mobility, muscle balance, and efficient movement mechanics helps reduce unnecessary stress on the body during training and competition.

Important factors that help reduce injury risk include:

• maintaining good joint mobility
• balanced muscle strength and stability
• proper movement mechanics
• adequate recovery between workouts
• gradual increases in training intensity

Regular care and movement assessment can help athletes maintain healthy biomechanics and reduce the likelihood of recurring injuries.

What to Expect at Your First Visit for a Sports Injury

Your first visit focuses on identifying the underlying cause of your injury, not just the location of pain. Many sports injuries involve multiple factors such as joint restriction, muscle imbalance, or movement mechanics that place excess stress on certain tissues.

During your initial evaluation, we take time to understand how the injury developed and how it affects your movement and training.

Your evaluation may include:

Functional Movement Assessment

We evaluate movement patterns such as squatting, walking, or lunging mechanics to identify imbalances.

Soft Tissue Assessment

Muscles, fascia, and connective tissue are evaluated for tightness, trigger points, or scar tissue.

Based on these findings, we create a personalized treatment plan that may include chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, and soft tissue therapy to help you recover safely and return to activity.

Treatment begins during your first visit, and appointments typically take 45–60 minutes.

Eric Spicher, DC FIAMA SFMA ART

Chiropractor | Acupuncture | Soft Tissue Specialist

Dr. Eric Spicher, DC, FIAMA, SFMA, ART has over 14 years experience as a chiropractor and medical acupuncturist specializing in back pain, sports injuries, and complex musculoskeletal conditions. He earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from National University of Health Sciences, graduating Valedictorian and Summa Cum Laude in Biomedical Sciences, and has advanced training in Active Release Technique (ART), SFMA movement assessment, and medical acupuncture (FIAMA).