For Athletes · Youth · High School · College · Adult
Dr. Joe is the current Atlanta Dream team chiropractor and spent 13 NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He still treats active MLB, NBA, NFL, and Olympic athletes. The same approach gets used on the eleven-year-old softball pitcher with a sore elbow.
Sports we treat
Every sport puts a different load on the body. The diagnosis and the rehab plan need to match. Below is what we see most.
/01
Concussion-related cervical care, AC joint sprains, hamstring strains, hip flexor injuries, lower back pain, knee ligament sprains.
/02
Patellar tendinitis, ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, lower back, hip impingement. Lateral cutting and repeat jump-loading injuries.
/03
Throwing-shoulder pain, Little League elbow, rotator cuff impingement, lat strains, lower back rotation injuries. Pitchers and catchers especially.
/04
Windmill pitching shoulder, hip flexor and quad strains, lower back pain, throwing elbow, knee patellofemoral pain.
/05
Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), rotator cuff, lower back, hip rotation injuries, plantar fasciitis from court surfaces.
/06
Rotator cuff and shoulder impingement, plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, lower back strain, calf strains. Fastest-growing patient group.
/07
Cervical spine injuries, AC joint, lower back, hip flexor, knee MCL sprains. Weight-cut recovery and conditioning.
/08
IT band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, hamstring strains, hip flexor pain. Distance and sprint-specific patterns.
Also: soccer, volleyball, golf, swimming, cheer, gymnastics, lacrosse, MMA, CrossFit, and Olympic weightlifting. If your sport isn't on this list, call us.
Youth athlete focus
Growing bodies show injury patterns the adult sports literature doesn't cover. Most of these respond well to early treatment. Caught late they can become chronic, or worse, end a career.
Inner-elbow pain in young pitchers and catchers from repeat throwing. The growth plate gets stressed before the bone is mature. We treat the soft tissue, set a pitch-count and rest plan, and refer for imaging if anything looks like a fracture.
Bump and pain just below the kneecap, common in basketball, soccer, and track kids in growth spurts. Manageable with the right load adjustment, soft-tissue work, and a stretching routine. We coach parents on when to back off and when to push through.
Heel pain in 8-to-13-year-olds, especially soccer and basketball players. Comes from the calf-Achilles complex pulling on the heel growth plate. Treatable with calf and Achilles work, footwear changes, and a load-management plan.
Anterior shoulder pain in pitchers, catchers, quarterbacks, volleyball hitters, and tennis servers. We rule out rotator cuff and labrum involvement, treat soft tissue and joint mechanics, and rebuild the kinetic chain. We refer to ortho when imaging is warranted.
Neck and upper-back pain following a concussion. Often the cervical spine takes the same hit as the brain and gets overlooked. We work in coordination with the athletic trainer or pediatrician managing the concussion protocol. We don't override return-to-play decisions, we support them.
High-speed running injuries in football, soccer, and track athletes. We treat the strain and address the root cause: glute weakness, pelvic positioning, or stride mechanics. Strain-specific return-to-sprint progressions instead of a generic "wait two weeks."
Particularly common in gymnastics, cheer, football linemen, and rotational sport athletes. We screen for spondylolysis (a stress fracture in the spine) when the pattern fits, refer for imaging when warranted, and build a core and hip program when conservative care is the right call.
Ankle sprains heal faster with early movement and proprioception work than with extended immobilization. We assess severity, set the right load for each phase, and progress through balance, agility, and sport-specific cuts.
How we work with athletes
/01 Diagnose
A 60-minute new-patient evaluation covers history, mechanism of injury, sport-specific demands, and a complete musculoskeletal exam. We review imaging when you bring it. We tell you what we think is going on before we touch the patient.
/02 Plan
You get a realistic estimate of weeks to return-to-practice and weeks to return-to-game. The plan gets revised every few visits based on response. If we think the case needs ortho or imaging, we say so on day one.
/03 Coordinate
We talk to athletic trainers and team physicians when you ask us to. We don't override return-to-play decisions, we support them. We coach parents on when to push and when to pull back. We treat the kid like a person, not a roster spot.
Local programs we see
Athletes from these programs come through our doors regularly. We're not affiliated with any specific school. We're just a short drive from most of them.
Parent & athlete FAQ
What sports do you treat injuries for?
Football, basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, pickleball, wrestling, track and field, cross country, soccer, volleyball, and golf. We see youth athletes, high school athletes, college athletes, and adult recreational athletes. Dr. Joe is the current Atlanta Dream team chiropractor and spent 13 NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He treats the same body, same physics regardless of who's on the table.
My kid plays travel ball. Should I bring them in for a tweaked elbow?
Yes. Throwing-arm pain in a young pitcher or catcher is a flag worth checking. Little League elbow and shoulder issues caught early stay manageable. Caught late they can affect a career. We will tell you honestly whether it's something we can treat or whether your kid needs to see an orthopedist or get imaging first. We don't push families into care they don't need.
How fast can my athlete get back on the field?
It depends on the injury and how the body responds to early treatment. We give you a realistic timeline at the first visit and update it every few visits based on progress. We don't push athletes back before they're ready. We also don't drag treatment out longer than needed.
Do you work with high school athletic trainers and team doctors?
Yes. We coordinate with athletic trainers and team physicians at local high schools whenever a parent or athlete asks us to. Many of our youth-athlete patients come in through coach and trainer referrals.
Do you treat adult pickleball injuries?
Yes. Pickleball injuries are a growing portion of our practice. The most common cases are rotator cuff and shoulder impingement, plantar fasciitis, lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), and lower-back strain. Most cases respond well to a combination of soft-tissue work and a basic strengthening routine you can do at home.
What's the cost without insurance?
We're cash-pay. Specific fees depend on the case complexity and whether imaging review is needed. Call (770) 614-6551 or use the contact form for an exact quote. We accept HSA and FSA cards directly. Every visit comes with an itemized superbill you can submit to your insurance for out-of-network reimbursement on your own. Pricing details →
New-patient evaluations are 60 minutes. We'll tell you up front whether we can help and what the timeline looks like. If we can't, we'll tell you who can.