Sports Injury & Athletic Performance in Johnston
Elevate Your Game
Whether you’re training for your next marathon, playing weekend basketball with friends, or competing at the collegiate level, your body is your most important piece of equipment. At Schultz Chiropractic & Acupuncture, Dr. Alan Schultz has spent over 35 years helping athletes of all levels perform at their peak, recover faster from injuries, and prevent setbacks that could keep them off the field. From Olympic medalists to high school athletes to dedicated fitness enthusiasts, we understand what it takes to keep your body competition-ready. Dr. Schultz was also the team chiropractor for Division-1 Drake Men’s Basketball team for two years. He worked with the team at Drake University each week as well as players coming to his office for diagnostic tests and digital x-ray. Coaches and athletic directors also sought his care.
You don’t have to choose between pushing your limits and protecting your health. Our approach combines neurologically-based chiropractic care with specialized athletic modalities—including cold laser therapy, kinesiotaping, cupping, and gua sha—to address the root cause of pain and dysfunction, not just the symptoms. When you correct biomechanical inefficiencies and restore proper nerve function, you’re not just healing from injury. You’re optimizing how your entire body moves, reacts, and performs under pressure.
Science-Backed Methods That Get Results
Athletic injuries demand more than generic treatment—they require precision care that understands the unique demands you place on your body. Dr. Schultz uses a multi-method approach tailored specifically to your sport, your injury, and your performance goals. Through detailed biomechanical analysis and Functional Movement Screening, we identify not just what’s causing your current pain, but also the hidden imbalances and movement patterns that could lead to future injuries.
Our treatment combines several powerful modalities to accelerate your recovery and enhance your performance. Spinal adjustments restore proper alignment and nerve function, which is especially critical for athletes—studies show that when Dr. Schultz adjusts the sacroiliac joints in runners, many report faster race times. Cold laser therapy speeds healing at the cellular level, reducing inflammation and tissue damage from sprains, strains, and overuse injuries. We also incorporate specialized techniques like kinesiotaping for joint support, cupping and gua sha for deep tissue recovery, and targeted rehabilitation exercises that rebuild strength and prevent re-injury.
The goal isn’t just getting you back in the game. It’s making sure you come back stronger, more balanced, and better protected against future setbacks. Whether you’re recovering from a torn ligament, managing chronic tendonitis, or dealing with persistent back pain that’s affecting your performance, we have the expertise and tools to help you heal the right way—naturally, effectively, and without relying on medications that mask the problem.
Experience That Speaks for Itself
Over the past three decades, Dr. Schultz has had the privilege of working with athletes at every level—and the results speak for themselves. During the Drake Relays, he’s provided chiropractic care and acupuncture to over 50 college track and field athletes, including two Olympic medal winners. College coaches also sought out his expertise during the relays, recognizing the competitive edge that proper spinal alignment and nerve function can provide. When your nervous system is functioning at its best, your reaction times improve, your coordination sharpens, and your body performs exactly the way you’ve trained it to.
One of Dr. Schultz’s longtime patients, Cade, runs an astounding 30 to 33 marathons every single year—including the legendary Boston Marathon. Cade has completed a marathon in every state, all with times under 3 hours and 30 minutes, with many races in the impressive 3:06 range. For such demanding physical performance, regular chiropractic care isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. Marathon running puts enormous stress on your joints, spine, and nervous system, and maintaining proper alignment helps prevent the breakdown and injuries that sideline so many distance runners.
Dr. Schultz also works closely with local athletes right here in Johnston, including the Johnston Dragons. He’s conducted computerized strength and fatigue testing and provided care for the teams under various coaches, and currently has the endorsement of Johnston Head Coach Brian Woodley. From football and basketball to soccer, tennis, golf, police, firefighters and military personnel preparing for physical demands, athletes from all backgrounds trust Schultz Chiropractic & Acupuncture to keep them performing at their best when it matters most.
Functional Movement Screening: Your Secret Weapon
The best way to treat a sports injury is to prevent it from happening in the first place. That’s why Dr. Schultz uses Functional Movement Screening (FMS), a scientifically-validated assessment system that identifies dysfunctional movement patterns and hidden imbalances in your body before they lead to serious injury. This seven-point screening evaluates how well you move through fundamental patterns like squatting, lunging, and rotating—movements that form the foundation of nearly every sport and physical activity.
FMS is particularly valuable for active individuals because it reveals problems you might not even know you have. Maybe one hip isn’t rotating as freely as the other, or your shoulder stability is compromised in ways that don’t hurt yet but will eventually lead to injury under repetitive stress. These asymmetries and weaknesses are like cracks in a foundation—they might not cause problems today, but as you continue training and competing, they create vulnerability that can result in pulled muscles, torn ligaments, or chronic pain that derails your season.
Once we identify these issues through FMS, you’ll receive specific corrective exercises and treatment to address them. This targeted approach dramatically reduces your risk of serious injury and helps you maintain peak performance throughout your competitive season. Whether you’re a professional athlete, a dedicated high school competitor, or simply someone who loves staying active, FMS gives you the knowledge and tools to protect your body while you push your limits.
Setting Your Child Up for a Healthy, Active Future
Youth sports are more competitive than ever, and unfortunately, that means young athletes are experiencing injuries that used to be seen only in adults. With early specialization and year-round training becoming the norm, kids and teenagers are putting repetitive stress on growing bodies that haven’t fully developed yet. Research shows that as many as 28% of young football players in organized sports will sustain an injury between ages 5 and 14—and similar patterns exist across soccer, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and other youth sports.
As a parent, you want your child to enjoy sports, build confidence, and stay healthy. Protecting their growing bodies now sets them up for success not just in their current sport, but for a lifetime of active, pain-free movement. Whether your child is just starting out in recreational leagues or competing at a high level, proactive care makes all the difference in keeping them on the field and out of the doctor’s office.
Ready to Perform at Your Best?
Don’t let pain, old injuries, hidden weaknesses or imbalances hold you back from the performance you’re capable of. Dr. Schultz and our team are here to help you recover faster, move better, and compete with confidence—naturally and effectively, without drugs or surgery.
