Case Study: She Did X-rays, PT and Massage. Her Shoulder Still Hurt.
- Apr 14
- 3 min read
Here's why.
A real story about a Long Beach athlete who tried every "fix" for six months, and what finally worked. If you're dealing with a nagging sports injury that won't quit, this one's for you.
6
months with the same shoulder pain
3+
treatments tried before coming to us
100%
back to CrossFit, HYROX & pickleball after visiting us
The patient:
This is a story about a woman in her mid-40s living and training right here in the Long Beach area. A high-output athlete who competes in CrossFit, HYROX, and pickleball. The kind of person who doesn't take days off lightly. When her shoulder started hurting during overhead movements, she did what most driven athletes do: she tried to fix it herself.
CrossFit
HYROX
Pickleball
HIIT
Overhead Lifting
Sound familiar?
If you're an active person in Long Beach dealing with a shoulder injury, knee pain, or a nagging ache that keeps coming back every time you train, this is exactly the kind of pattern we see and treat at Elite Motion Chiro.
Her 6-month journey before calling us:
Step 1 — Rest
A full week off of training. The shoulder felt better, so she returned, loaded the barbell, and the pain came straight back with her first heavy lift. Same location, same intensity. Rest had masked the problem, not solved it. This is one of the most common patterns we see in active people across Long Beach, Lakewood, and Seal Beach.
Step 2 — Massage
She then went to get a massage. One good day of relief is all she got. The next overhead workout brought her shoulder pain right back. Soft tissue work can be valuable, but if it's the only tool, it rarely resolves sports-related shoulder injuries long-term.
Step 3 — Medical doctor & X-rays
A week of waiting. The x-ray results: nothing wrong with the bones. Reassuring on one level, but she still couldn't train, and she wasted a week. Her MD referred her to physical therapy, which is a common next step for shoulder pain in otherwise healthy, active adults.
Step 4 — Physical therapy
Resistance bands. 2 lb weights. Comfortable in the clinic, but the moment she attempted a HYROX workout, a CrossFit session, or a pickleball match, the pain returned. Her PT program wasn't calibrated for a serious athlete. This gap between "clinic strength" and real-world demand is something we specifically bridge for Long Beach athletes at every fitness level.
Step 5 — She called Dr. Andrew at Elite Motion Chiro
Frustrated, still in pain, still unable to compete at full capacity 6 months later, she reached out to our Long Beach chiropractic office for a different kind of evaluation.
"Since you're such an active and strong person, the usual fixes likely won't be enough. We need to build a plan that matches how you actually train."
What sports chiropractic care looked like for her
The first conversation wasn't just about what hurt, it was about why it was hurting. Her training volume, her movement patterns, the specific demands of CrossFit and HYROX, her history. This is what separates sports-focused chiropractic care from a generic clinic visit.
At her initial evaluation, we ran a comprehensive assessment: orthopedic tests, range of motion analysis, functional movement screening, and load-specific testing. For athletes in Long Beach who train hard and compete seriously, this kind of thorough assessment is non-negotiable, because the root cause of a sports injury is rarely where the pain is felt.
Her rehabilitation program was progressive, challenging, and built around her actual goals. Week over week we assessed how previous sessions felt, layered in new movements, and adjusted therapies as her tissue adapted. One appointment per week over a few months — consistent, trackable, effective. She returned to CrossFit, HYROX and pickleball fully. Not modified. Not guarded. Fully.
Who we help at Elite Motion Chiro
If you're an active person in Long Beach, CA dealing with a sports injury, whether it's a shoulder that won't cooperate, knee pain during squats, hip tightness from running, or anything that keeps flaring back up when you train, this is exactly the gap we fill. We work with CrossFitters, runners, pickleball players, weekend warriors, HYROX competitors, powerlifters and everyone in between.
The athletes who tend to struggle longest are the ones who are too fit for "beginner PT" but haven't found a provider who understands the demands of their sport. That's the exact niche we serve. Sports injury chiropractic care in Long Beach should be built around how you actually move, not around a generic exercise handout.
Let's figure out what's actually going on.
No commitment. No pressure. Just a focused conversation with Dr. Andrew about your injury, your training, and your next best step — whether that ends up being care with us or not. Serving athletes across Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, Seal Beach, and surrounding communities.
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