Sports Chiropractic in Capelle aan den IJssel
Elevate your health. Strengthen your performance.
What sports chiropractic does for you
Sports chiropractic is the branch of chiropractic that focuses on athletes and sports injuries. A sports chiropractor looks at how you move, treats muscle and joint problems that come with sport, advises on preventing injuries and explains what is going on. You do not need to be an elite athlete: the care is there for athletes at every level. Gillian Johnston does this work at Johnston Chiropractie in Capelle aan den IJssel.
Sport asks something of your body. Whether you are training for a competition, in the gym three times a week, or simply want to run without pain, your body has to take the load and recover from it.
Sports chiropractic looks at the whole movement chain, not only the spot that hurts. A stiff ankle changes how your knee and hip work. A shoulder that does not move freely costs you power in every throw and every press. We look for the cause of that pattern and treat it.
In practice we work on three things: getting your joints moving the way they should, taking tension out of the muscles that have been picking up the slack, and sharpening the communication between your nervous system and your muscles.
Which athletes we work with
The practice works with athletes at every level, from someone training for their first ten kilometres to athletes competing internationally.
01
Strength and weightlifting
Weightlifting, powerlifting and CrossFit, where technique under heavy load decides everything.
02
Endurance sport
Running and triathlon, where the same movement is repeated thousands of times.
03
Gymnastics and martial arts
Disciplines that demand extreme mobility and control.
04
Recreational athletes
Anyone who just wants to keep training without picking up injuries.
What athletes come to us with
- Lower back pain after squatting, deadlifting or a heavy training week
- Neck and shoulder problems in overhead sports and strength training
- Knee and hip pain in runners
- An ankle that never quite recovered after a sprain
- Stiffness that lingers between sessions
- Recurring injuries that keep appearing in the same place
An injury that keeps coming back is rarely bad luck. There is a pattern underneath it, and that pattern can be found.
What a course of care looks like
01
The story
What you do, how you train, when it flares up and what you have already tried.
02
The examination
We look at how you move, which joints are not doing their job and where your body compensates.
03
The plan
Adjustments, soft tissue work, dry needling, taping or exercises to do at home. Usually a combination.
You hear straight away what we see, what we think is underneath it and what you can do yourself. An explanation in plain language, and an approach that fits around your training schedule rather than cutting across it.
Treated by an ICSC certified sports chiropractor
Gillian Johnston is a chiropractor and holds the ICSC (International Certificate in Sports Chiropractic) from the International Federation of Sports Chiropractic (FICS). Since 2019 the ICSC has been the successor to the earlier FICS qualification, the ICCSP. She graduated from the University of Johannesburg and has worked with athletes for close to ten years, in the Netherlands and abroad. She is also second Vice President of FICS, the international federation for sports chiropractic.
That background shapes how athletes are treated here: not as a back or a knee, but as someone with a goal, a schedule and a season that keeps running.
Experience at the highest level
Gillian Johnston worked as a sports chiropractor at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, treating athletes from a range of countries and disciplines. She wrote about what that work involves and what it means for the care given at the practice in Capelle aan den IJssel.
Read her account of the World Games 2025
More reading: moving injury free and performing better, and can chiropractic improve your brain and your performance? Or see all the articles.
Frequently asked questions
Not seeing your question? See all the frequently asked questions, or give us a call and we will talk it through.
Do I need an injury to come in?
No. Many athletes come precisely to stay ahead of injury or to move better. A check during a quieter part of the season is a good moment.
Can I keep training during treatment?
Usually yes. The aim is that you carry on with your schedule. If something needs adjusting for a while, you will hear it, with the reason.
How quickly will I notice a difference?
It depends on the problem and on you. With something recent, athletes often feel a difference within a few visits. Something that has been building for months takes longer.
Where is the practice?
Lylantse Plein 1 in Capelle aan den IJssel, in the Home4Care building, easily reached from Rotterdam, Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, Krimpen aan den IJssel, Ommoord and Alexander.
What does a sports chiropractor do?
A sports chiropractor looks at how you move and at what may be behind your complaint. Depending on the problem, treatment with Gillian Johnston can include chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue work, dry needling, taping and exercises. The first appointment runs longer, because the assessment takes most of the time. On the same day you hear what she sees and what she thinks the cause is. She also tells you what she expects and when she will look at it again. If something needs a medical assessment first, she will say so.
Sports chiropractor or sports physiotherapist: what is the difference?
There is some overlap: both work with athletes who have muscle and joint complaints. A sports physiotherapist is a physiotherapist with extra training in sport. A sports chiropractor is a chiropractor who has focused on sport. According to a professional body for chiropractors, chiropractic emphasises the interplay between the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system, and the spine gets a lot of attention in chiropractic training. Which one suits you depends on your complaint and on what you are looking for.
What is the difference between a sports chiropractor and a general chiropractor?
A sports chiropractor is a chiropractor with extra training or experience in sport. How much extra training sits behind the title can vary, so it is worth asking. Gillian Johnston holds the international certification in sports chiropractic (ICSC) from FICS, which describes it as a mix of online modules, hands-on seminars and experience with athletes. She has also worked with athletes for close to ten years.
When is it worth seeing a sports chiropractor?
Do you have severe pain straight after a movement, or are you unable to walk properly or use your arm? Contact your GP first. If the surgery is closed and you need a doctor urgently, call the out-of-hours GP service, and in a life-threatening emergency, call 112. If a niggle lingers or keeps coming back, or you want to move better without having an injury, an appointment can make sense. If something needs a medical assessment first, Gillian Johnston will say so.
Book your appointment
Wondering whether we can help with a niggle, or what sports chiropractic could do for you? Give us a call or book online.