SPORTS CHIROPRACTIC

Sports Chiropractor in St. Louis Park, MN

Performance care for anyone who’s active, whether you’re just getting started, getting back into it or pushing for your next level.

Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician® (CCSP®) · Minnesota Monthly Best Chiropractor 2020–2026 · Serving Minneapolis and the west metro

YOUR BODY HAS SOMEWHERE TO BE

Sports Injury Care for Every Level, from First 5K to Podium

Maybe it’s a knee that complains every mile after six. A shoulder that won’t cooperate at the gym. A swing that feels fine until the back nine.

Most active people keep going through it, modify around it, and hope it settles down. Sometimes it does. Often it just moves somewhere else.

Feeling fine at your desk isn’t the same as being ready for your next run, round or workout.

Common reasons active people come in

  • Knee pain from running, including IT band and runner’s knee
  • Foot, heel and Achilles pain, including plantar fasciitis
  • Shoulder and elbow pain from lifting, throwing or swinging, including golfer’s and tennis elbow
  • Low back pain in golfers, gym-goers and rotational athletes
  • Hip and hamstring strains that keep coming back
  • Tightness that limits mobility and holds back your training

Not sure if it’s worth getting looked at? If it’s changing how you train, it is.

WHO WE WORK WITH

Sports and Performance Chiropractic for Every Active Body

Whether you’re lacing up for the first time, getting back into it after a break, or chasing your next personal best, we look at what your activity asks of your body, not only where it hurts.

01

Runners & Endurance Athletes

From couch-to-5K to marathons and triathlons, plus cyclists building mileage. Knees, hips, feet and the overuse injuries that come with volume.

02

Gym & Fitness

Strength training, classes and home workouts, whether you’re new to the gym or building back up. Shoulders, backs and hips that can handle what you ask of them.

03

Golf, Tennis & Pickleball

Rotational and overhead athletes. Back, shoulder and elbow pain that shows up in your swing, serve or follow-through.

Don’t think of yourself as an athlete? You don’t have to. Your body has a job to do, whether that’s a race, a new workout routine or a long day on your feet.

Dr. Heather Flatgard, Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician, at Excelsior & Grand in St. Louis Park, MN

TRAINED FOR SPORT

Why Active People Choose a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician®

Sports chiropractic is its own specialty. It takes training in how athletes move, load and recover, and in when to push and when to refer.

  • Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician® (CCSP®), with a post-graduate fellowship in sports nutrition.
  • Master’s-level training in exercise science and kinesiology, so care builds capacity, not just short-term relief.
  • Full-body Active Release Techniques® (ART®) certified and Graston Technique® trained for precise soft-tissue work.
  • Previously ran the Human Performance Center at Northwestern Health Sciences University, providing integrated care for the Minnesota Vixen, NFL Alumni and MN Freeze, and has cared for Team USA Tug of War athletes.
  • Taught and mentored students in Northwestern Health Sciences University’s sports chiropractic program, and presented on concussion treatment and recovery at the MCA Sports Symposium.
  • Eight years in the U.S. Army National Guard. Dr. Heather knows what it’s like to ask a lot of your body.

Your sport is specific. Your care should be too.

HOW IT WORKS

From Sidelined to Back in Your Sport

The tool comes after the finding. The plan changes as you do.

01

Assess

We talk through your sport, your training and what changed, then test how you move under the demands you care about.

02

Explain

We review your history and findings, then walk you through what we found, why it matters for your sport and what we recommend at your follow-up visit.

03

Treat

Hands-on care chosen for what we find: adjustments, ART®, Graston®, laser and targeted exercise.

04

Return

We re-test, progress your load and get you back to training with a plan to keep you there.

Tools we use when the findings support them: chiropractic adjustments, Active Release Techniques®, Graston®, Class 4 laser, rehab exercise and massage.

ATHLETE STORIES

What Active Patients Say

★★★★★

“Despite my more advanced age, she respects that I’m an athlete and treats me as one. Her knowledge is vast and she’s incredibly helpful and caring.”

Kay O. · Google review

★★★★★

“Her depth of experience in chiropractic care has kept me moving, exercising, traveling and the functionality to complete 2 sprint triathlons.”

Diana C. · Google review

★★★★★

“Takes the time to listen to your concerns and figures out a treatment plan to help!”

Elisia M. · Google review

Minnesota Monthly Best Chiropractor, seven years running (2020–2026) · Read more reviews on Google →

HANDS-ON CARE

Soft-Tissue Treatment Built for Athletes

Many sports injuries live in the muscles, tendons and fascia, not just the joints. That’s why care here often goes beyond an adjustment.

Training with a coach, trainer or physical therapist? We’re happy to coordinate.

Dr. Heather Flatgard performing Graston Technique soft-tissue treatment in St. Louis Park, MN

QUESTIONS

Sports Chiropractic Questions

Have a question about your sport or injury? Call (952) 920-9247.

Do I have to be an athlete to see a sports chiropractor?

No. Sports chiropractic is about what you need your body to do. That might be a marathon, a heavy squat, 18 holes or keeping up with a busy life.

Do I need to stop training?

Not always. We’ll look at what aggravates the problem and what doesn’t, and help you modify training so you can keep moving while you recover.

How is a sports chiropractor different from a regular chiropractor?

A Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician® has additional training in sports injuries, movement and return-to-play decisions. Care is built around the demands of your sport, not only where it hurts.

How soon can I get back to my sport?

It depends on what we find and how you respond. We re-test along the way and progress your training load step by step, so you return with confidence.

What should I wear to my first visit?

Comfortable clothes you can move in, like workout gear. If a specific movement, shoe or piece of equipment brings on your pain, bring it or tell us about it.

Can you work with my coach, trainer or physical therapist?

Yes. With your permission, we’re happy to coordinate so everyone is working toward the same goal.

Do you take insurance for sports injuries?

It depends on your plan and your injury. Call us with your plan details and we’ll tell you what to expect before your first visit.

PERFORM

Your Body Has Somewhere to Be. Let’s Get It There.

Schedule a visit at Excelsior & Grand in St. Louis Park, MN. Tell us what you’re working toward, and we’ll build the plan around it.

Questions first? Call (952) 920-9247.