Blog 1: Chiropractic for Endurance Athletes:

Learn About Diversified, Evidence-Based, and Athlete-Focused Chiropractic Care

Part 1: What Is a Canadian Trained Chiropractor?

If you’ve ever wondered what a Canadian trained chiropractor actually does, or how we’re different from what you see on TV or in the subluxation-based model, you’re not alone. And as someone who’s been in your shoes — a lifelong endurance athlete constantly juggling training, injuries, and race goals — I can tell you firsthand why understanding this matters.

I’m Dr. Keirstyn and I am a the owner of Endurance Therapeutics, a Chiropractor, an endurance coach, and a lifelong athlete.

I started dancing at age 2, played soccer for fun in the summer through my entire childhood, began running at 10 years old and ran varsity track and cross-country in university, and have been running consistently for over 24 years. Along the way, injuries kept sidelining me — which eventually led me to triathlon. Cross-training across swimming, cycling, and running, and adding in strength work, turned me into a stronger, more resilient athlete who could actually stay healthy while training hard.

Those experiences shaped the way I approach injuries in the clinic. I don’t just treat symptoms — I address movement, tissue load, and training strategies to keep athletes performing. And if what we do in the clinic isn’t enough, I collaborate with a network of alternative health care providers, sports physicians, personal trainers, nutritionists, and more. That’s how modern endurance performance actually works: as a team.

There Are 2 Main Types of Chiropractic Styles:

• Diversified

• Subluxation

We will go through how these two styles differ.

Diversified Chiropractic: Chiropractic in Canada

Chiropractors trained at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) are regulated healthcare professionals with a deep understanding of anatomy, biomechanics, movement, soft tissue function, and rehabilitation. Our education allows us to be fully trained in diversified technique and is rigorous: 4,200+ hours of classroom and lab learning, plus extensive clinical rotations where we treat real patients under supervision in our final year of study.

Our Area’s of Focus:

• Assess and diagnose musculoskeletal and nervous system conditions

• Use evidence-based manual therapies, including joint mobilizations/adjustments, soft tissue work, and exercise prescription

• Teach movement strategies and rehabilitative exercises

• Understand load management and performance optimization

Subluxation Based Chiropractic:

Subluxation-based chiropractors focus on how spinal alignment (“subluxations”) and spinal tone may influence the nervous system and overall health. The philosophy is that when the spine functions optimally, nerve flow improves, which can positively impact how the body communicates, adapts, and heals. Many practitioners in this camp use posture assessments, spinal scans, or regular adjustment schedules to maintain spinal health over time.

This form of chiropractic is often more neurologically and wellness-oriented, and patients who choose it are typically looking for support in overall well-being, prevention, and nervous system regulation. It has its own history, philosophy, and patient community — and it’s a valid style of care for those who resonate with that approach.

Both styles fall under the chiropractic umbrella, but they serve different needs and different types of patients. For example:

• Subluxation care is typically nervous-system wellness + spinal alignment

• Diversified care is typically musculoskeletal rehab + movement + performance

How We Differ from Physiotherapists

You might also wonder: “So how is this different from a physiotherapist?”

The truth is, there’s overlap. I spent over 6 years working side by side with physiotherapist in clinic together. Both of us:

• Evaluate musculoskeletal function

• Provide hands-on therapy and exercise-based rehab

• Educate patients about injury prevention and tissue loading

But the educational background and lens differ. Chiropractors are trained in spinal and joint mechanics, manual adjustments, and diversified techniques, while physiotherapists focus heavily on rehabilitation, strength progression, and sometimes acute care. For athletes, these differences are complementary: together, we can assess, treat, and optimize performance more effectively than either of us could alone.

Why This Matters for Endurance Athletes

Endurance athletes live in a high-load, repetitive world: running, cycling, swimming, or multisport training is relentless. Tissue fatigue, overuse injuries, and subtle biomechanical inefficiencies can sideline you fast.

Because I’ve lived this — constantly pushing limits, racing through injuries, and figuring out what actually works — I approach treatment with empathy, practicality, and results-oriented strategies. I help athletes understand:

• How their body is compensating

• How to improve movement and tissue load tolerance

• How to recover, PROPERLY!

• When it’s safe to continue training

When collaborating with other professionals is the fastest path back to peak performance

In other words, I get it — because I’ve been in your shoes, in the middle of the season, wondering if I’d ever race again.

The Takeaway

A CMCC-trained chiropractor isn’t “just someone who cracks backs.” We’re evidence-based movement specialists who are trained to understand the body in motion, assess injuries, and help you return to your sport stronger and smarter. For endurance athletes, that often means being part of a larger team: working alongside coaches, physiotherapists, RMTs, and other practitioners to ensure your training and recovery are optimized.

And yes — I don’t default to telling athletes to stop. I understand the drive, the identity, and the heartache of being sidelined. My goal is to keep you performing while building resilience, mobility, and long-term capacity — and if what we’re doing isn’t enough, I’ll connect you with the right specialist to make sure nothing gets missed.

Because in endurance sport, as in life, it takes a team — and I’m here to make sure you have the right team behind you.

Next up in Part 2: I’ll dive into the training, education, and clinical skills that CMCC-trained chiropractors learn, and how this knowledge translates to helping endurance athletes move better, train smarter, and recover faster.

💡 Want to stay ahead of injuries and improve your performance? Book an initial assessment today and see how we can help you move, train, and perform like a resilient athlete — without sitting on the sidelines.

📍 Endurance Therapeutics | Oakville, Ontario

📞 905-288-7161 | 🔗 https://endurance.janeapp.com/#staff_member/1

Optimizing The Endurance Athlete’s Mind, Body & Performance.