ATHLETIC CARE
Chiropractic for Runners in San Diego
Care for the knee that aches at mile three and the hip that's been tight on one side for weeks. Walk-ins welcome, no referral, no wait.
What We Treat
The patterns that bring runners through our door in Clairemont, week after week.
Runner's Knee & IT Band Pain
Knee pain on descents, sharp tightness on the outside of the leg, an ache that builds at mile three. The knee is rarely the source. We address what's driving it, usually hip and pelvic mechanics further up the chain.
Hip Tightness on One Side
The asymmetry runners notice first. One hip moves freely, the other doesn't. Stride loads unevenly, the lumbar spine compensates, and the pattern reinforces itself with every mile. Care restores motion at the restricted side.
Shin Splints That Won't Settle
Shin pain that used to fade by the second mile and now doesn't. Limited ankle dorsiflexion and a fatigued tibialis anterior are the usual drivers. We address the joint motion first, then the loading pattern that exposed it.
Plantar Fasciitis & Foot Mechanics
Heel pain in the first steps of the morning, soreness that returns mid-run. Restricted ankle motion and a stiff big toe force the plantar fascia to absorb what the joints couldn't. We treat the chain, not just the foot, including the extremity joints running depends on.
Low Back Stiffness After Long Runs
The ache that shows up at mile eight and lingers for two days. As fatigue builds, the pelvis tilts forward and the lumbar spine takes on load it isn't built for. Restoring pelvic motion is where the recovery starts.
Maintenance Care Between Races
Spinal hygiene for the runner who isn't injured and intends to stay that way. Consistent care catches restrictions before they cascade. Pairs naturally with our broader sports injury chiropractic approach.
Care That Treats Runners Like Athletes, Not Patients
Dr. Yossi Stein has done the distance himself. Multiple marathons and pushing into ultramarathon territory. He knows what training does to a body over months of mileage and what an asymmetric hip feels like at mile eight.
The practice has treated San Diego runners since 1991, through every running boom, every shoe trend, and every stride-coaching cycle the sport has moved through.
Care here isn't built around a session count. It's matched to what the runner walks in with.
What Runs Down the Chain
Running pain almost never starts where it hurts. Six points along the kinetic chain share the load. When one stops moving well, the others pay for it.
How We Treat Runners
Three techniques matched to where running loads the body hardest.
Chiropractic Adjustments
Precise adjustments restore motion at the joints running compromises first: the pelvis and lumbar spine. When the pelvis moves cleanly, the stride drives backward instead of reaching forward, and the lower-back load drops with it.
Joint Mobilization
Running lives below the spine. Mobilization at the ankles, knees, and big toe addresses the extremity restrictions that drive shin pain, plantar fasciitis, and altered knee tracking from below.
Active Release Technique (ART)
Targeted soft tissue work for the calves, the muscles around the knee, and the lower leg. These tissues overwork when joints above or below stop moving freely. Restores pliability where mileage compounds tightness.
Understanding Running Injuries
Running loads the body with two to three times bodyweight on every step. Across a five-mile loop or a long climb out of Tecolote Canyon, that's thousands of impacts moving foot to ankle to knee to hip to spine.
When even one segment is restricted, the others compensate, and the runner feels it as pain somewhere downstream.
Most runners know cadence and stride length matter for knee integrity. What's harder to feel is why a stride won't shorten no matter how much it's cued: limited hip extension forces the foot to reach forward instead of driving back.
A 2025 systematic review in Cureus confirmed a 5 to 10 percent cadence increase reduces ground reaction forces. Restoring hip motion is what makes that change possible. More on chiropractic for runners in San Diego.
What to Expect
A first visit assesses where motion is missing: hip extension, ankle dorsiflexion, pelvic balance. From there, care is matched to the runner in front of us. Some choose proactive maintenance between training cycles. Others come in when something has already broken down. Both work.
Real Patients. Real Relief.
From marathoners and avid runners who've tried other clinics.
"I was in pain for weeks after I ran a marathon. Went to multiple chiropractors and it didn't help. Finally went to Dr Stein and he did me right. So professional, very knowledgeable and extremely personable. What a guy!"
"Very spiritual and my adjustments have always been positive with Dr. Stein. As an avid runner and a person who spends time lifting weights at the gym, Dr Stein has helped me to stay balanced throughout my body which allows me to stay as injury free as can be expected."
"I began seeing Richard (Dr. Stein, SR.) years ago as an endurance athlete. Now I see Yossi to keep my body working at peak performance. A very professional environment that makes you feel like family when you come in and leaves your body feeling better when you walk out."
Walk In When Something Feels Off
You don't need to wait for pain. The runners who get the most out of consistent care come in when the hip is a little tight, the ankle isn't quite right after a trail run, or the back stiffness keeps showing up. Walk in. We'll figure out the rest.
Or call us: 858.587.7000