Elevate Sport and Spine

Sports Chiropractor in Kingsport, TN

Dr. Preston Douglas, DC, CCSP, ATC (Tennessee License #3451) is both a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician and a Certified Athletic Trainer, and he played college baseball at King University. At Elevate Sport and Spine in Kingsport, that means sports injuries are assessed the way an athletic trainer would on the sideline and treated the way a chiropractor would in the clinic, with a clear plan for getting back to practice and games. He sees athletes from high schools across the area, including West Ridge, Dobyns-Bennett, Daniel Boone and Volunteer, serves on the sports medicine staff at West Ridge High School, and has treated athletes from King University, Milligan University and ETSU (not affiliated with those universities).

Injuries we see in athletes and active people

  • •Low back pain in lifters, golfers, gymnasts and linemen
  • •Shoulder pain and elbow pain in throwers, swimmers and volleyball players
  • •Hip flexor and groin strains, hamstring strains
  • •Knee pain: runner's knee, jumper's knee and IT band pain
  • •Ankle sprains and plantar fasciitis
  • •Neck pain and stingers after contact
  • •Overuse injuries from a jump in training volume

What a CCSP and athletic trainer adds

The CCSP credential, from the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians, requires post-graduate sports medicine training and a written exam. Athletic trainer certification covers injury prevention, on-field evaluation, emergency care and rehabilitation. Together they mean Dr. Douglas understands the sport, the season and the demands on your body, not just the sore spot.

How we find the cause

The exam goes beyond the painful area: how you move, land, throw, run or lift; strength and mobility in the joints above and below; and what changed in your training before it started. Most sports injuries are a mismatch between the load you're putting on a tissue and what it can currently handle. Fixing that mismatch is what keeps the injury from coming back.

Treatment options

  • •Chiropractic adjustments and extremity adjustments
  • •Soft tissue work, including instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization and dry needling
  • •Corrective exercise, at home or supervised through Performance Care visits
  • •StemWave focused shockwave for stubborn tendon problems
  • •Infrared sauna for recovery
  • •Custom orthotics when foot mechanics play a part
  • •Taping and bracing for practice and games

Getting back to training

Return to play follows a progression, not a calendar. You move from pain-free daily activity to strength and mobility targets, then sport-specific drills, then full practice, then competition. Each step has a clear test before the next. With your permission, Dr. Douglas can share the plan with parents and coaches.

Suspected concussions, fractures, dislocations and serious ligament injuries are referred to a physician first. Concussion return-to-play clearance comes from a physician.

Performance Care

For athletes and active adults who want more than a few adjustments, Performance Care visits are 30-minute sessions that include any services in the office, at one package price, in 8, 12, 16 or 24 visit packages. Call for current pricing.

Common Questions

Ready to be seen?

Call 423-239-9122 or book online. We don't take walk-ins, but most new patients are seen within a week, and we check your insurance benefits before your first visit.

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