Sports Injuries: Recover, Rebuild and Get Back in the Game
Ready to find out what's really behind your sports injury?
New patients welcome from Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, West Richland and across the Tri-Cities.
Book Online Call (509) 820-3828
Whether you're a high-school athlete, a weekend pickleball player, a runner training for a race, or a lifelong soccer player, an injury that won't settle is frustrating. At ICE in Kennewick our goal isn't just to make the pain go away. It's to restore how you move so you can perform better and stay on the field longer.
Sports injuries we commonly treat
- Sprains: ankle, knee, wrist and thumb ligament injuries (see ankle sprains)
- Strains: hamstring, groin, calf, quad and hip flexor muscle injuries
- Overuse injuries: runner's knee and IT band pain, Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, shin pain, tennis and golfer's elbow
- Throwing and overhead injuries: rotator cuff and shoulder pain in baseball, softball, volleyball, swimming and tennis players
- Hip and low back pain in lifters, golfers and field-sport athletes (see hip pain)
- Recurring tightness and "nagging" injuries that keep coming back
Watch: What Is an Extremity Adjustment? (And Why Most Chiropractors Don’t Do Them)
Why injuries linger: the kinetic-chain view
Athletes are great at compensating. After an injury, the body finds a way to keep going, often by shifting load to other joints and muscles. A restricted joint can cause the muscles around it to switch off, and the brain responds to an unstable or poorly moving joint by guarding it with tension. Those adaptations keep you playing in the short term, but over time they become compensation patterns, and compensation patterns often become the next injury.
That's why a hamstring strain might really start with a stiff hip or a weak glute, and why shoulder pain in a pitcher may trace back to the hip, trunk or shoulder blade. Looking only at the sore spot can miss the real driver.
Common contributing factors
- Joint restrictions left over from previous injuries
- Muscle imbalances and poor activation, especially of the hips, core and shoulder-blade stabilizers
- Training load that rises too fast, poor recovery or poor sleep
- Sport-specific movement habits, such as landing, cutting, throwing and swinging mechanics
- Footwear and playing-surface changes
Watch: Proprioception and Chiropractic
How ICE treats sports injuries
We start with a movement-based exam: joint motion, muscle strength and activation, balance, and sport-relevant movements like squatting, landing, single-leg control or overhead reach. We test, treat and re-test on every visit, so you and your doctor can see whether each treatment actually improved how you move.
Care may include:
- Extremity adjustments for the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles and feet.
- Spinal adjustments to restore motion through the spine and pelvis.
- Low-level laser therapy, which we often combine with hands-on care for injured tissue.
- Functional cupping and manual therapy for tight, guarded muscles and post-workout recovery.
- Kinesiology taping to support an injured area while you train.
- Corrective exercises to rebuild strength, stability and sport-ready movement, plus a short daily routine to keep problem areas moving well.
Treated by an extremity-certified chiropractor who teaches other doctors
This is where Dr. Bryant's background as an athlete and his extremity training come together. Your care at ICE is led by Dr. Kyle Bryant, DC, CCEP, the founder of Integrative Chiropractic and Extremities. Dr. Bryant is a Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner (CCEP), an advanced credential awarded by the Council on Extremity Adjusting after 105 hours of advanced extremity training and a practical exam. He has 15+ years in practice, he teaches his extremity assessment approach to other chiropractors, and he has been invited onto several professional chiropractic podcasts to talk about extremity adjusting. A former collegiate, semi-pro and international soccer player, he knows first-hand what joint injuries do to the way an athlete moves.
He practices alongside Dr. Joseph Friedman, DC, who builds personalized plans around spinal and extremity adjustments and integrative therapies. Every patient gets extremity care as part of the evaluation, not as an add-on.
What to expect
Initial visits typically take 15–60 minutes, and in most cases treatment starts the same day. Follow-ups usually take 10–20 minutes. We'll talk about your sport, your season and your goals, and help you stay as active as is safe while you recover. We treat athletes of all ages, from young athletes (see pediatric care) to masters athletes.
Recovery tips
- Don't play through sharp pain, swelling, or pain that changes how you move.
- Increase training gradually, and build in recovery days and good sleep.
- Keep doing your corrective routine after you feel better. It's what helps prevent the next injury.
When to see a medical doctor
Remove an athlete from play and seek medical care right away for any suspected concussion (headache, confusion, dizziness, vision changes, nausea, or memory problems after a hit). Seek prompt care for a visible deformity, inability to bear weight, rapid joint swelling, numbness or weakness, a "pop" with immediate loss of function, or severe pain. We'll refer you for imaging or to a sports medicine physician when needed. If a work injury is involved, see our work injuries page.
Frequently asked questions
Do you treat young athletes?
Yes. We see athletes of all ages, including kids and teens. Care is adapted to growing bodies, and we'll refer to a medical provider when an injury needs imaging or other care.
Can I keep training while I'm being treated?
Often, yes, with modifications. We'll help you adjust training so you stay as active as possible without delaying healing.
What's the difference between a sprain and a strain?
A sprain is an injury to a ligament, which connects bone to bone. A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon, which connects muscle to bone. Both benefit from a well-planned return to activity.
How does laser therapy help sports injuries?
Low-level laser therapy uses specific wavelengths of light to support the body's natural healing processes and help calm pain and inflammation. At ICE it's combined with hands-on care and exercise rather than used on its own.
Why do my injuries keep coming back?
Recurring injuries often point to an unresolved weak link somewhere else in the chain, like a stiff ankle, a weak hip or poor shoulder-blade control. Finding and correcting that link is a big part of our approach.
Get your sports injury evaluated in Kennewick
You don't have to keep guessing. Our doctors will look at the painful area and the joints above and below it, show you what they find, and walk you through a plan you can understand.
Integrative Chiropractic and Extremities (ICE Clinics) · 7117 W Hood Pl, Ste 130, Kennewick, WA 99336
Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00–12:30 & 3:30–6:00 · Tue/Thu 9:00–12:30 & 2:30–5:00
Paying for care: we are primarily self-pay, and we also accept Medicare, auto injury claims and L&I (Washington Labor & Industries) claims. No referral is needed. See what to expect as a new patient.
Book Your Visit Online Call (509) 820-3828
Related conditions
Ankle sprains · Knee pain & IT band · Shoulder pain · Hip pain · Achilles tendinitis
Back to all conditions we treat.
This page is general health information, not a diagnosis or a promise of results. Everyone responds differently. If you have severe, sudden or worsening symptoms, please contact your medical provider or call 911.