Walk-in hours Mon and Wed 9 to 2, Tue and Thu 1 to 6, Fri 9 to 1.

Chiropractic for Runners in Clairemont

Walk-in care from a chiropractor who runs. The knee that aches at mile three, the hip that has been tight on one side for weeks. No referral, no appointment.

Call 858.587.7000 Get Directions Book your visit online

Clairemont, San DiegoComplimentary parking out front, a few minutes from Tecolote Canyon.

Treated by a runner

Dr. Yossi Stein, chiropractor at Stein Chiropractic in Clairemont, San Diego

Dr. Yossi Stein runs marathons and has trained at ultramarathon distances. The hip that opens on one side only, and the week of training you would rather not lose, are both familiar here.

The practice has treated San Diego runners since 1991, through every shoe trend and coaching cycle the sport has moved through.

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!
Nethaniel L.

In practice since: 1991, founded by Dr. Richard Stein
Before chiropractic: EMT and ski patrol
Every visit: The chiropractor who examines you is the one who treats you

One stride, three moments

Running pain rarely starts where it hurts. A stride repeats thousands of times in a run, and each moment of it asks a different part of the body to do the work.

Foot strike

The foot lands ahead of the body.

The muscles along the front of the shin lower the foot under control while the knee takes the impact. When ankle motion is short or those muscles fatigue, the shin is usually where it shows.

Midstance

The body passes over one planted foot.

The hip and pelvis hold everything steady over a single leg. When one side is restricted, the knee tracks differently and the low back covers the difference. It is where a restricted hip tends to surface as knee pain.

Push-off

The hip extends and the big toe bends back.

The toe bending back is what draws the arch tight before the foot leaves the ground. A stiff first toe or limited hip extension sends that work into the calf and the plantar fascia instead. The stride starts reaching forward rather than driving back.

Two runners with the same knee pain rarely leave with the same care. The exam decides where it starts.

Where San Diego runs

Every route asks for something different. These are the runs our patients train on, and what each one asks of the body.

Mission Bay.Flat, fast and repetitive. The same stride for miles, with none of the variation a hill would force, which is what makes an uneven hip show itself.

Tecolote Canyon.Climbs and uneven trail in Clairemont's backyard. Ankle stability and calf demand carry most of the work here.

San Diego River Trail.Long flat mileage on hard pavement. The same impact, repeated, at the point in a marathon block when weekly volume is highest.

Torrey Pines and the coast.Steep climbs, sand and switchback descents. Quads and knees do the work coming down, hip flexors and calves going up.

Our post on chiropractic for runners in San Diego covers how care fits around a training block.

A Stein Chiropractic patient at the finish of a 70.3 triathlon — A patient of the practice at a 70.3 finish.

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.
Tanner W.

What a first visit covers

Call ahead, or walk in

A call means a time is ready when you arrive and less of the visit spent waiting. Walking in during open hours works too, and no referral is needed either way. Straight after a run is a fine time to come.

History and exam

Weekly mileage, a recent change in shoes or surface, and the injury history behind it. Then a movement exam of the hip, knee, ankle and spine to find what is restricted.

A plain explanation, then care

What the exam shows, in plain terms. Care starts at this visit when it is the right call, using an adjustment, joint mobilization or Active Release Technique (ART), matched to the findings.

You leave knowing what to do between runs, with no referral, no pre-authorization, no imaging beforehand and nothing to file afterward.A first visit usually takes about twenty minutes.

Before you come in

Do I have to stop running?

Not as a rule. What the exam finds decides what the next few weeks of running should look like, and you will hear that answer at the visit.

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.
Carlos R.

Can a chiropractor treat a knee, a shin or a foot?

Care here is not limited to the spine. Joint mobilization and Active Release Technique address the ankle, knee and first toe, alongside the hip and lower back. That is where most running complaints sit. The same approach covers other sports on our sports injury page.

Do I need imaging or a referral first?

No. Bring imaging or records if you already have them. If the exam points to needing more, you will hear that plainly.

Some situations call for hospital-level evaluation first. If you're unsure, call and we'll help you route correctly.

How often would I need to come in?

That depends on weekly mileage, injury history and what the first visit finds. Some runners come in through a training block, others when something specific shows up. For anyone coming in regularly, there is a monthly membership.

What does a visit cost?

We don't bill insurance. HSA and FSA cards are accepted, and you'll know what the visit costs before any care begins.

If the exam shows this isn't something we should be treating, there's no charge for the visit.

Dr. Yossi Stein performing a seated spine assessment at Stein Chiropractic in Clairemont

Walk in when something is off

You do not have to wait until a run ends early. A hip that is tight on one side. An ankle that is not right after a trail run. A low back that stiffens after every long effort. Call and we'll have a time ready, or come in during open hours.