Denver is not a city that sits still. Trails at Red Rocks. Ski runs above Breckenridge. Rec leagues all over Wash Park. Cyclists grinding up Cherry Creek. CrossFit boxes packed at 5 a.m.
All of that activity is great. Until something stops working.
Strained hamstring from a weekend trail run. Lower back that flared up mid-lift. Shoulder that hasn’t felt right since last ski season. These are the problems Dr. Brockway sees at Glendale Chiropractic.
Denver has no shortage of ways to get hurt
Sports injuries happen at every level. Professional athletes. Weekend warriors. People who just started running again after a few years off.
What varies is how they’re handled after. Rest and hope. A trip to urgent care. “Ice it, take ibuprofen, come back in two weeks.” Some cycle through three or four providers and never get a straight answer.
A chiropractic evaluation is often a sensible first step. Not because chiropractors treat everything. They don’t. But plenty of sports pain lives in the spine, joints, and soft tissue. That’s squarely in chiropractic territory. Getting a real picture of what’s driving things matters before anything else.
The American College of Sports Medicine puts musculoskeletal evaluation at the center of sports injury care. Chiropractors trained in orthopedic and spinal assessment can identify joint dysfunction, nerve involvement, biomechanical contributors. Acute injuries and chronic overuse both. (Source: acsm.org)
What a sports injury evaluation actually looks like
First visit is about 30 minutes. Evaluation only. Dr. Brockway takes that seriously.
He reviews your history, asks about how the injury happened, and watches how you move. For adults and older teens, imaging gets reviewed before any adjustment. No recent X-rays? He’ll refer you out. Not a delay tactic. It’s how you avoid making things worse.
What he’s looking for goes past the obvious complaint. Runner with IT band pain may have a hip alignment issue doing the damage. Lifter with shoulder trouble might have thoracic restrictions changing how the joint loads. Local pain is usually the last thing to show up. Not the source.
That’s what separates a real assessment from a quick-fire adjustment. You’ll leave knowing what’s actually going on.
Common sports injuries Dr. Brockway treats
The range is wide. At Glendale Chiropractic, Dr. Brockway regularly works with:
- Strains from lifting, sprinting, exertion
- Ankle, knee, and lower back sprains
- IT band issues, runner’s knee
- Rotator cuff irritation, shoulder impingement
- Lower back flare-ups from deadlifts, ski falls, contact sports
- Hip mechanics affecting gait and performance
- Cervical strain from cycling posture or extended screen time between training sessions
- Overuse injuries that don’t respond to rest alone
Separate pages cover each of these in more detail.
hip pain | knee pain | lower back pain | neck pain
How chiropractic helps and where it fits in recovery
Not a fix for everything. Fractures, full tears, acute trauma. Those go to ortho first, often imaging, sometimes surgery. Dr. Brockway will tell you that clearly if it applies to you.
Where it does help: joint mechanics, spinal alignment, nerve function. Restrict a joint or load it off-center and the muscles around it start picking up slack. That pattern gets baked in. Often sticks around long after the original problem fades.
Adjustments get restricted joints moving again. Take pressure off irritated nerves. The tissue heals better in that environment. Doesn’t replace rest or rehab. Fits alongside both.
Two techniques at Glendale Chiropractic: Activator Method and Pain Neutralization Technique (PNT). Both instrument-assisted, both low-force. No high-velocity thrusting on an already-irritated joint. Precise, controlled, matched to where you are in recovery.
See what to expect during a chiropractic adjustment.
Class IV laser therapy for faster tissue recovery
Soft tissue injuries get an additional tool: a Coherent Medical 45W Class IV near-infrared laser. Not the same as red light. Near-infrared goes deeper. Inflammation comes down. Circulation to the injured area improves. Repair at the cellular level gets a push.
Early in recovery, when a joint is too inflamed for hands-on work, laser can start the tissue process while the rest of the plan comes together.
Full protocol detail on the Class IV laser therapy page.
What to expect at your first visit
425 S. Cherry St., Suite 307, Denver. Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 to 6:00 p.m.
First appointment: 30 minutes, evaluation only. Dr. Brockway goes through your history, looks at the injury, watches how you move. Talks through what he finds before anything else happens. No adjustment until imaging is reviewed. No recent films? He sends you for them.
145 five-star reviews. The pattern: thorough, unhurried, no rushing into treatment.
Schedule at 720-889-1659 or myglendalechiro.com.
Frequently asked questions
Can a chiropractor treat sports injuries without surgery?
A lot of them, yes. Strains, sprains, joint restrictions, overuse injuries, nerve compression. Chiropractic handles these well. Surgery is appropriate for certain structural injuries, full tears, fractures. Dr. Brockway will be upfront about what’s in and outside that scope.
How many visits does it typically take?
Depends on the injury. How long it’s been there. How your body responds. Acute injuries caught early often turn around in several visits. Chronic patterns that have been compensated around for months take longer. After the evaluation, Dr. Brockway lays out a care plan and walks through what to expect.
Do I need a referral?
No referral. Book directly. If imaging is needed that Glendale Chiropractic doesn’t do in-house, Dr. Brockway refers you out specifically for that.
Is chiropractic safe for younger athletes?
Yes. School-age athletes get the same low-force Activator and PNT techniques used with adults. Same process: history, movement, imaging review before any adjustment. Parents are welcome throughout.
When should I see a chiropractor vs. an orthopedist?
Obvious trauma, serious swelling, deformity, can’t put weight on it. Go to ortho or urgent care first. Pain that lingers past the initial healing window, stiffness that won’t go away, recurring injury patterns, nerve symptoms. That’s where chiropractic evaluation makes sense. Usually faster to get into. Works alongside orthopedic care, not against it.