Treatment
Personalized Care for Runners, Lifters, Golfers, and Active Adults
Come back from the injury stronger — not just out of pain.
Sports chiropractic at Potomac Valley Chiropractic is performance-focused care for runners, lifters, golfers, tennis players, and active adults — combining chiropractic, soft tissue, dry needling, cupping, and therapeutic exercise into one plan built around your training week and your goals.
The short version
Performance-focused sports chiropractic in Gaithersburg, MD for runners, lifters, golfers, tennis players, weekend warriors, and active adults — combining chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue therapy, dry needling, cupping, traction, and therapeutic exercise into one plan that respects your sport and your training week. 25+ years of experience, 5,000+ patients treated, 5.0 stars across 189 Google reviews — with multiple marathon-runner success stories.
What this means for you
Performance-focused chiropractic and rehab care built around your sport, your training week, and your return-to-activity goals — so you can come back stronger, not just out of pain.
Sports chiropractic at Potomac Valley Chiropractic is for adults in Gaithersburg, Potomac, Rockville, Germantown, Bethesda, and the surrounding Montgomery County area who train regularly — and who want their care to respect the sport they actually do.
We work with marathon runners and recreational runners, recreational and competitive lifters, golfers and tennis players, cyclists, triathletes, weekend warriors who want to keep playing pickup basketball and softball, parents who want to stay active without dropping out for weeks at a time, and older adults who want to keep lifting and moving as they age.
Chiropractic care has been part of professional and Olympic-level athletic performance for decades. The American Chiropractic Association estimates that approximately 90% of professional and Olympic-class athletes use chiropractic care to prevent injury, recover faster, and perform better.
Every team in Major League Baseball uses chiropractors. The U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Team includes Doctors of Chiropractic. Around 72% of PGA golfers use chiropractic care. The reason is simple: when joints, muscles, and movement patterns are working together, athletes train harder, recover faster, and reduce injury risk.
Sports chiropractic at PVC is for adults dealing with recurring or sport-specific pain — and for adults who want to stay ahead of it. Common issues include:
Most chiropractic offices treat your pain. We treat your pain AND your sport — the two are connected, and the care plan should respect both.
That means understanding your training week, building care around your race calendar or competition schedule, giving you a home exercise program you can actually fit into your existing routine, and avoiding the trap of telling you to just stop training for weeks at a time. We also pair chiropractic care with soft tissue therapy, dry needling, cupping, and therapeutic exercise so your joints, muscles, fascia, and movement patterns all improve together — under one roof.
Your first visit takes about 45 minutes and includes a thorough intake (we'll ask about your sport, your training week, your races or competitions, and your goals), an orthopedic and movement exam, a clear explanation of what we found, and a personalized care plan. Many patients receive their first treatment that same day.
We don't pressure athletes into long, prepaid plans. Most patients reduce visit frequency as they progress and graduate to maintenance, pre-race tune-ups, or as-needed care.
Our office is in Gaithersburg, MD, near Quince Orchard High School and the Kentlands area. We see sports patients from Gaithersburg, Potomac, North Potomac, Darnestown, Rockville, Germantown, North Bethesda, Bethesda, Derwood, Montgomery Village, Clarksburg, and Travilah.
What our athlete patients tell us makes the biggest difference: care that respects the sport, a home program that fits the training week, and the ability to combine chiropractic with soft tissue, dry needling, and rehab so they don't have to coordinate three providers.
Dr. Marvin Diaz, D.C., M.S. brings a Master of Science in Applied Clinical Nutrition, a background in Exercise Science, and certified personal training experience — making him especially experienced with athletes, runners, lifters, and active adults. Dr. Spiro Theodore, D.C. brings over 20 years of chiropractic experience with adults, athletes, and active families across Montgomery County.
We've treated 5,000+ patients over 25+ years, we're rated 5.0 stars across 189 Google reviews, and our sports patient reviews consistently mention return-to-running, marathon PRs, post-injury recovery, and confidence to keep training without holding back.
How it works
Every visit starts with a clear evaluation, a plain-language explanation of what's going on, and a personalized plan built around your symptoms, goals, and daily life.
Step 1
Personalized exam and sport-specific intake
We start with a thorough intake (your sport, training week, races, and goals), an orthopedic and movement exam, and a functional assessment so we know what's limiting performance — not just where it hurts.
Step 2
Clear explanation and a personalized plan
We walk you through what we found in plain English and build a plan around your symptoms, your sport, your training schedule, and your competition or race calendar — not a generic protocol.
Step 3
Combined sports-focused care
Chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue therapy, dry needling, cupping, traction, and therapeutic exercise are combined into one plan so your joints, muscles, fascia, and movement patterns all improve together.
Step 4
Return-to-activity progression
We don't just clear you for pain — we progress you back into running, lifting, swinging, or your sport with sport-specific load, volume, and movement work.
Step 5
Progress checks tied to your sport
We measure progress against the activities you actually care about — mileage, lifts, swing speed, court time — and adjust the plan as you get stronger.
Step 6
Maintenance and pre-event tune-ups — your choice
Many athletes graduate after the injury resolves. Others come in periodically for pre-race tune-ups, post-event recovery, or to stay ahead of recurring issues. No long, prepaid plans.
What the research says
Verified national data showing why sports chiropractic is one of the most recommended non-drug options for back pain, neck pain, and related musculoskeletal problems.
~90% of pro + Olympic athletes
use chiropractic care to prevent injury, recover faster, and perform better, according to estimates from the American Chiropractic Association — making chiropractic one of the most widely adopted forms of care in elite athletics.
Source: American Chiropractic Association — Sports & Athletics (2024)
All 30 MLB teams
use chiropractors as part of their team medical and performance staffs. The U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Team also includes Doctors of Chiropractic — reflecting how integrated chiropractic care has become in professional sport.
Source: Cleveland Chiropractic College — What Athletes Know (2024)
72% of PGA golfers
use chiropractic care to support spine mobility, swing mechanics, and recovery — and golfers are one of the most studied populations for chiropractic-driven improvements in rotational sport performance.
Source: Cleveland Chiropractic College — What Athletes Know (2024)
31% of NFL teams
use chiropractors in an official capacity as part of their staffs, and 77% of NFL trainers have referred players to chiropractic care — making chiropractic one of the most-used non-pharmacologic recovery interventions in professional football.
Source: American Chiropractic Association — Sports Council (2024)
Real patients, real results
Verified word-for-word reviews from our Google Business Profile. We're rated 5.0 stars across 189 reviews.
★★★★★
“I started going to Potomac Valley Chiropractic just over a year ago to see Dr. Spiro Theodore, and to say I showed up in rough shape would be an understatement. What started as plantar fasciitis turned into a tear thanks to marathon training. By the time I first walked into the office, I was in a boot. From realignment and needling to promote healing, to fitting me with proper insoles and even connecting me with experts for the best running shoes, every step was thoughtful and tailored. A special shoutout to Dr. Diaz, who gave me additional stretches that were key in strengthening my legs and supporting my return to running. One year later, I didn't just run the London Marathon, I set a new PR, shaving 9 minutes off my previous marathon time.”
★★★★★
“Spiro played a huge role in helping me get through a very challenging marathon — I truly don't think I would have performed or recovered the way I did without his care and support. Now Marvin has been helping me maintain everything, keeping my body aligned, strong, and ready for whatever training comes next. They make an excellent team. Professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in their patients' progress. If you're an athlete or just someone who wants to move and feel better, I can't recommend them enough.”
★★★★★
“I used to wear a brace on one knee when working out because of a knee-cap pain I had when doing squats, lunges or bending in general. THAT PAIN IS GONE. Both knees feel fresh and I can do my exercises without discomfort. It's pretty amazing because I complained about the nuisance for 4-5 years.”
★★★★★
“Marvin's treatment including dry needling has been extremely effective to treat a calf and lower back injury. He is knowledgeable and offers a variety of options for treatment including follow up exercises. The office staff is great too! This practice is all about keeping you able to do the activities you enjoy.”
FAQ
Quick, plain-language answers about sports chiropractic visits, insurance, what to expect, and how we help in Gaithersburg and Montgomery County.
Sports chiropractic is performance-focused chiropractic care designed around an athlete's sport, training week, and goals. It combines hands-on adjustments with soft tissue therapy, dry needling, cupping, traction, and therapeutic exercise to keep joints, muscles, and movement patterns working together — for injury recovery, prevention, and performance.
No. "Sports chiropractic" really just means care that respects how you actually use your body. We work with marathon runners, recreational lifters, weekend pickleball players, golfers, hikers, and active adults — anyone whose pain or recovery has to fit around training and active living.
Yes — running injuries are one of the most common reasons athletes come to us. We work with patients dealing with plantar fasciitis, Achilles pain, calf and hamstring tightness, IT band syndrome, runner's knee, shin splints, hip flexor and glute issues. Several of our patients are marathon runners who have come back from injury and set new PRs.
Yes. We commonly treat lower-back strain, hip mobility deficits, shoulder impingement, elbow tendinopathy, and wrist tightness in recreational and competitive lifters. Dr. Diaz has a background in Exercise Science and certified personal training, which informs how we program lifting return-to-activity.
Yes. We work with golfers and tennis players dealing with lower-back pain, hip rotation deficits, shoulder pain, tennis elbow, and golfer's elbow. Many of our patients come in to address one issue and end up using chiropractic and soft tissue care to maintain mobility through the season.
Usually not completely — and that's a core part of how we plan care. Most athletes can keep training in some form during recovery, even if it means modifying volume, intensity, or specific movements for a window. We build the plan around your training week and your competition calendar.
Yes. Many of our athlete patients come in for pre-race tune-ups, post-event recovery, and periodic maintenance — especially during higher-volume training blocks or in the weeks leading up to a major race or tournament.
Yes. Your home program is built around your sport, your training week, and your real schedule — not a generic 20-exercise printout. Most patients tell us this is one of the most useful parts of how we deliver sports care.
No. You don't need a referral. Most insurance plans cover chiropractic and rehab care directly — we'll verify your benefits before your first visit.
Yes — we accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, CareFirst, Aetna, United Healthcare, Medicare, GEHA, Johns Hopkins EHP, Optum VA, and other major plans. We also work with personal injury and auto accident cases.
12105 Darnestown Road, Suite L-8, Gaithersburg, MD 20878 — near Quince Orchard High School. We see sports patients from across Gaithersburg, Potomac, Rockville, Germantown, Bethesda, and Montgomery County.
Pair with
Most patients get better faster when sports chiropractic is paired with the right rehab, soft tissue, or recovery support — all under one roof.
Therapeutic Exercise
Sport-specific exercise programming that ties recovery and performance work directly to your training week.
Learn more →Soft Tissue Therapy
Myofascial release and trigger point work for sport-specific tight muscle — calves, hamstrings, glutes, IT band, rotator cuff, forearms.
Learn more →Dry Needling
Trigger point release for stubborn muscle tightness that's slowing your training or recovery.
Learn more →Rehabilitation Care
The full recovery framework when you're coming back from a sports injury — combining chiropractic, soft tissue, modalities, and exercise.
Learn more →Book a personalized sports chiropractic visit with Potomac Valley Chiropractic. Same-day appointments often available. Most major insurance plans accepted.
https://www.potomacvalleychiro.com/treatments/sports-chiropractic
Get started today
Book online or call the office — we'll handle availability, insurance details, and the right first step for your symptoms.
