Ascend Spine & Rehab

Ascend Spine & Rehab Dedicated to treating the root cause of your pain. Bridge the gap between pain and performance. Runners Guide: https://go.ascendspine.com/introduction-page

Not every position your body gets into throughout the day is going to be “perfect.”Sometimes you bend and twist at the s...
08/18/2026

Not every position your body gets into throughout the day is going to be “perfect.”

Sometimes you bend and twist at the same time.

Sometimes you reach awkwardly to grab something.

Sometimes you pick something up with a rounded back.

Sometimes you have to react quickly without thinking about your form first.

That’s life.

The answer isn’t to completely avoid these positions because we’re afraid they might cause an injury.

Instead, we can gradually expose our body to different positions, movements, and loads and build strength and stability within them.

Start where you’re comfortable. Slowly add range. Add load. Add speed. Add complexity.

Over time, positions that once felt unfamiliar become something your body is prepared to handle.

You don’t need to move perfectly.

You need a body that’s strong and capable in more than just “perfect” positions.

08/16/2026

“I kept treating my knee pain and shin splints like they were the problem.”

That’s what Mike thought every time his shin splints or knee pain started creeping into another run.

So Mike did what most runners would do.

More stretching.

New orthotics.

Different shoes.

A longer warm-up.

Exercises he found scrolling through Instagram.

Some things helped temporarily.

But Mike still couldn’t trust that he could lace up, head out the door, and just run.

And that mattered more than he expected.

Because for Mike, running is the only way he can clear his head.

He works a high-stress job, and running is where everything finally gets quiet.

So when running started disappearing, he was losing one of the biggest outlets he had.

When Mike came to Ascend Spine & Rehab, we zoomed out.

We looked beyond his knee and shin.

And one of the places we looked?

His feet.

Your feet are one of your foundations.

Your core is another.

Every step you take requires both to help absorb, create, and transfer force through your body.

And when they aren’t working together the way they should, that force still has to go somewhere.

For Mike, we needed to understand WHY his knee and shin kept taking the stress every time he ran.

…and this is what we call the root cause.

If you’re a runner like Mike and your knee pain or shin splints keep coming back every time you increase your miles, click the link in Ascend Spine & Rehab’s bio for a free movement assessment.

Let’s figure out what your body has been trying to tell you so you can get back to running with confidence.

08/12/2026

Your core is a lot more than sit-ups, leg lifts and planks.

A strong core starts with your ability to breathe, create pressure, and control that pressure as you move.

And that doesn’t mean walking around braced as hard as possible all day.

The amount of tension you need to pick something up off the floor is different from what you need during a heavy deadlift.

It’s about having the ability to create the RIGHT amount of pressure for the task in front of you.

This is also why we don’t look at pain or movement as just one isolated problem.

We look at the body as a whole — how you breathe, brace, move, load and adapt.

Because it’s rarely just one thing.

Follow along for more ways to move better, get stronger, and keep doing what you love free from pain.

08/07/2026

Your spine does a lot more than just bend forward and backward.

It has to move, rotate, absorb force, transfer force, AND create stability when you need it.

And when something isn’t moving or functioning well, the symptoms don’t always show up directly in your back or neck.

Sometimes they show up in an arm or a leg.

The EXPOSS study looked at 369 people with isolated extremity pain who didn’t believe their symptoms were coming from their spine.

43.5% were ultimately classified as having a spinal source of their symptoms.

That’s why when someone comes in with knee, hip, shoulder, or arm pain, I don’t just look at where it hurts.

The spine should always be part of the conversation.

(As for the 49ers joke… They finished practice this week with 20 players unavailable because of injury. 💀
So apparently they could use a little spinal assessment too. And before I talk too much sh*t… The Bears are doing their best to make a late push for silver in the Injury Olympics 🥈)

Most running injuries aren’t caused by running itself.They’re usually the result of your body not being prepared for the...
08/05/2026

Most running injuries aren’t caused by running itself.

They’re usually the result of your body not being prepared for the demands you’re placing on it.

❌ Myth #1: Running causes knee pain.

Running doesn’t automatically ruin your knees. More often, knee pain is a sign that something isn’t tolerating the load, not that running is the problem.

❌ Myth #2: You need to stop running until the pain is gone.

Sometimes reducing mileage or intensity helps. But many runners can keep running while building strength and making a few temporary changes.

❌ Myth #3: Stretching is the best fix for running injuries.

Stretching may provide temporary relief, but it rarely solves the root cause. Strength, load management, and a smart rehab plan usually matter much more.

Running isn’t the enemy.

The goal isn’t to stop running. It’s to build a body that’s ready to handle it.

If running has become frustrating because something always seems to hurt, send me a DM with “RUN.” I’ll help you figure out what’s really going on and what your next step should be.

08/03/2026

If you’ve been dealing with back pain for years, I can almost guarantee it isn’t because you haven’t been trying.

You’ve probably seen doctors. Maybe you’ve tried physical therapy, chiropractic care, injections, stretching, massage, or medications.

Some of those may have helped for a while. But if the pain keeps coming back, the real question is:

Why is it happening in the first place?

That’s the question we try to answer before we ever recommend treatment.

That’s why every new patient starts with a free Discovery Visit. If I don’t think I’m the right person to help you, I’ll point you toward someone who is.

You don’t need to keep bouncing from treatment to treatment hoping something finally sticks.

Start by finding out what’s actually driving your pain.

Click the link in my bio to schedule your free Discovery Visit.

08/01/2026

This runner already has really solid running form.

At this point, we’re talking about small details. But when you’re logging 30 to 40+ miles every week, those small details add up. A tiny improvement repeated thousands of times can make a meaningful difference in both efficiency and how much stress your body has to absorb.

I don’t believe his low back pain was caused by just his running form. Low back pain is almost always more complex than that. Strength, mobility, core control, recovery, training volume, and everyday movement habits all play a role. Running form is just one piece of the puzzle.

What we can do is make each stride a little more efficient so his body isn’t working harder than it needs to.

In his first session, we focused on:
• Cleaning up the overstride
• Reducing the heavy heel strike
• Improving his posture so his whole body moves forward together instead of leaning from the waist

The result? A stride that already looks smoother, more relaxed, and more efficient after just one visit.

There are still things we’ll continue to improve, but this is a great example of how small changes can have a big impact over thousands of steps.

If running is causing your low back to flare up, don’t assume you just have to live with it. Send me a DM with RUN, and let’s figure out what’s actually driving it.

“I thought retirement was when life was supposed to begin.”That’s what Dave told us during his first visit.He had worked...
07/31/2026

“I thought retirement was when life was supposed to begin.”

That’s what Dave told us during his first visit.

He had worked for over 40 years.

Early mornings.
Late nights.
Missed vacations.
Extra shifts.

He always told himself…

“One day I’ll have time.”

Time to hike with his wife.

Time to travel without rushing.

Time to take his grandkids fishing.

Time to finally enjoy everything he’d worked so hard for.

But when retirement finally came…

His back had other plans.

Walking through the airport became exhausting.

Family hikes turned into waiting at the first bench.

His grandkids would run ahead while he wondered if his body could keep up.

One day he looked at his wife and said,

“I spent my whole life preparing financially for retirement… but I never prepared my body for it.”

That hit hard.

Because retirement isn’t about stopping work.

It’s about having the freedom to do everything you’ve been waiting your whole life to do.

If pain is already slowing you down today…

Don’t assume tomorrow will somehow be different.

The habits you build now determine the retirement you get to live.

If you’re ready to stop letting pain decide what your future looks like, send us a DM. We’d love to help you keep moving for the years that matter most.

07/29/2026

Not every problem needs the same solution.

Yes, I’m a chiropractor, and yes, I use adjustments.

But they’re just one tool.

The right treatment depends on why you’re in pain in the first place. Sometimes that’s an adjustment. Other times it’s strengthening, mobility work, soft tissue therapy, dry needling, or a combination of several approaches.

My goal isn’t to adjust every patient.

My goal is to help you solve the problem so you can get back to doing what you love.

If you’re tired of chasing temporary relief and you’re ready to find out what’s actually causing your pain, send me a DM with the word START.

Address

3833 E. Main Street
Saint Charles, IL
60174

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 1pm
Tuesday 2pm - 7pm
Wednesday 7am - 1pm
Thursday 2pm - 7pm
Friday 7am - 1pm

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