“Dr. Bergin at Chiromed Wellness Centers is the best chiropractor in town. I no longer have to take pain meds. If you still have pain, you’re not seeing to best chiropractor.”
Condition
Ligament and Tendon Injury treatment
in Lakeland and The Villages, FL
A sprain or a tendon that keeps flaring is a tissue problem, not a willpower problem. We assess the tissue, load it correctly and treat it without surgery.
- 22 years in practice
- Non-surgical
- $47 new patient exam
- 22 years in practice
- $47 new-patient exam
Medically reviewed by Dr. Justin Bergin, DC Updated September 14, 2026
Quick summary
Ligament and tendon injuries range from a single sprain to a tendon that has been sore for months. Dr. Justin Bergin examines the tissue, grades what he finds and builds a non-surgical plan using Omniwave shockwave, soft tissue work, cold laser and graded loading. Care runs at both the Lakeland and Lady Lake offices. Surgical repair is not performed here.
Understanding ligament and tendon injury
Ligaments join bone to bone and hold joints stable. Tendons join muscle to bone and transmit force. A sprain injures a ligament. A strain injures a tendon or muscle. Tendinopathy is a tendon that has become disorganised and painful under load rather than acutely torn.
The distinction matters because the tissues behave differently. A sprained ligament is a single event with a clear moment attached to it, and it heals predictably if the joint is protected and then loaded. A painful tendon is a slow accumulation: rotator cuff at the shoulder, Achilles at the heel, patellar tendon below the kneecap, and the tendons that produce tennis elbow and golfer's elbow. Those tendons are not inflamed so much as remodelled, with collagen laid down in the wrong direction. That is why anti-inflammatory strategies alone disappoint, and why the treatment target is the quality of the tissue rather than the swelling around it.
You rolled an ankle, tweaked a shoulder reaching overhead, or felt something give at the outside of your elbow. Weeks later it is still there. It settles with rest and comes straight back the moment you use it. You have iced it, braced it and been told it just takes time. Time has now had its turn. Tendon and ligament tissue heals slowly because it carries a thin blood supply, and it heals badly when nobody tells it what to do. That is the part most people are never given: a plan for the tissue itself. Dr. Justin Bergin has spent 22 years examining connective tissue injuries and deciding which ones respond to loading and device-assisted care, and which ones need an orthopaedic opinion. You get that answer at the first visit, in writing, at the Lakeland office on South Florida Avenue or at the Lady Lake office serving The Villages.
Independent background: Osteoarthritis, National Institute on Aging.
Symptoms
Most people recognise their own version somewhere in this list. Each one maps to a specific finding the examination checks for.
- Pain at a specific point on a tendon
- Swelling around a joint after a twist
- Stiffness that eases with movement then returns
- Weakness or giving way in the joint
- Pain on the first steps in the morning
- A pinch when reaching overhead
- Soreness that returns the day after activity
- Tenderness when the tendon is pressed
- A sense that the joint is unstable
Common causes
A single loading event
An ankle roll, a sudden pivot, a fall onto an outstretched hand. The tissue is loaded past what it can hold and fibres fail. The grade of that sprain decides how much protection the joint needs first.
Repetitive overuse
Pickleball, golf, gardening and warehouse work load the same tendons thousands of times. The tendon adapts until the volume outpaces the repair, and then it complains on the first movement of the day.
A sudden jump in activity
Tendons adapt slowly. A new exercise programme or a week of unusual yard work pushes load up faster than tissue can remodel. It is the most common history we take.
Age related change in the tissue
Connective tissue stiffens with the decades, and a prior joint injury is itself a recognised risk factor for later degeneration. The activity that was harmless at forty can irritate a tendon at sixty.
Joint mechanics that overload one structure
A stiff mid back throws load into the rotator cuff. A restricted ankle throws load into the Achilles. Treating the sore spot while ignoring the joint above and below is why tendon problems return.
How we treat ligament and tendon injury in Lakeland and The Villages
Treatment starts with grading the injury and ruling out a lesion that needs a surgeon. From there we combine Omniwave shockwave, manual soft tissue work, cold laser and graded loading, adjusting the joints above and below so the injured tissue stops absorbing load meant for somewhere else.
Omniwave shockwave for stubborn tendon pain
Omniwave delivers acoustic pressure waves into the tendon through the skin, to support the body's own repair response in tissue that has stopped progressing. It is the tool we reach for when a tendon has been sore for months. Nothing is injected.
Manual soft tissue work on the injured fibres
Instrument assisted and hands on techniques address the thickened tissue that forms around a healing tendon or ligament. The goal is to improve how it glides and how it tolerates load, not to make the area feel loose for an hour.
Cold laser over an irritated tendon
Low level laser is applied over the painful tendon during the phase when loading is still uncomfortable. It is painless, it takes minutes, and it is layered alongside the manual work rather than used alone.
Knee decompression where the knee is the problem
When the injured structure sits in or around a knee that is already compressed, unloading the joint changes what the tendon has to tolerate. We discuss it for patellar tendon pain and for knees that never recovered from a ligament injury.
Rehabilitation after a repair has already been done
Some of these injuries are surgical, and we say so. Where a repair has been performed elsewhere, structured rehabilitation is available at both offices once your surgeon has cleared you to load the joint.
What recovery usually looks like
Examination and grading Your first visit
History, orthopaedic testing and imaging where it changes the plan. You leave knowing which tissue is injured, roughly how badly, and whether this is a case for conservative care at all.
Settling, then reloading the tissue Through the plan
First the irritation comes down so the tissue can tolerate being worked. Then load is added deliberately, because tendon tissue only remodels when it is asked to. This is the phase people skip alone.
Return to what you actually do Toward the end of care
The target is your real activity: pickleball at a Villages court, a shift on your feet, lifting a grandchild. We reassess rather than assume, and we say so if progress has stalled.
When to seek care sooner
What to try at home first: relative rest rather than complete rest, since tendons stiffen when immobilised. Reduce the movement that reproduces the pain while keeping the rest of the joint moving. Use ice for comfort after a fresh sprain. Avoid stretching hard into sharp pain. See someone urgently if you heard or felt a pop and cannot bear weight, if the joint looks deformed, if there is rapid swelling with bruising, if you cannot move the joint at all, or if the area becomes hot, red and feverish.
Red-flag findings belong with a physician, promptly, and not with conservative care alone.
Cost, insurance and financing
What a plan costs depends on what the examination finds, not on a package decided before you arrive.
The one published price
Consultation, Exam, X-Rays (If Needed) & Report of Findings: Only $47
What moves the cost
- Which tissue is injured and how it grades on examination
- Whether a device protocol such as shockwave or laser is involved
- How long the problem has been present
What a course includes
- The examination and the written report of findings
- Reassessment as the plan progresses
- A clear answer on whether conservative care is appropriate at all
Payment: Chiropractic care bills insurance and our team verifies your benefits before your first visit. The regenerative line, including shockwave, is cash pay and we say so plainly. Payment plans are available for self-pay care. New patients start with a consultation, exam, x-rays if needed and report of findings for only $47.
Who you would be seeing
Dr. Justin Bergin, DC has been in practice for 22 years and examines every new tendon and ligament case personally. He built this practice around non-surgical care after his own experience with chronic pain and scoliosis, and he rejects the rushed-appointment model that sends people out with a brace and a follow up in six weeks. Medically reviewed by Dr. Justin Bergin, DC.
Dr. Justin Bergin, DC, 22 years in practice, performs the examination personally and explains the findings before any program starts. Lakeland: 6595 Florida Ave S, Suite 13, Lakeland. The Villages market office: 929 US-441 #404, Lady Lake. Both offices run the same program.
Getting to us
The Lakeland office at 6595 Florida Ave S, Suite 13 sits in South Lakeland, an easy run from Highland City, Christina, Scott Lake or Southgate and a short hop off the Polk Parkway. Weekend athletes from around Lake Hollingsworth and Florida Southern College make up a good share of the tendon cases seen there. The Lady Lake office at 929 US-441 #404 sits just above CR 466 and serves The Villages, Summerfield, Fruitland Park, Wildwood and Oxford, where pickleball elbow and golf related shoulder pain arrive almost daily.
Browse every condition on the conditions we treat index.
Options compared, honestly
This is treated very differently depending on who you walk in to see. Here is the full set, including the options this practice does not provide.
| Criteria | Our approachOffered at ChiroMed? | Option | What it is | Typically considered when | Invasive? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omniwave shockwave therapy | Yes | Acoustic pressure waves delivered through the skin into the tendon | Pain has outlasted rest and the tendon has stopped progressing | No | |
| Manual and instrument soft tissue work | Yes | Hands on and tool assisted treatment of the tissue and its surroundings | Movement is restricted and the tissue feels thickened or bound | No | |
| Cold laser therapy | Yes | Low level laser applied over the painful structure | The area is too irritable to load hard yet | No | |
| Cortisone injection | Not performed here. Appropriate when a flare has to be settled quickly and a physician judges the short term trade off worthwhile. | A steroid injected into or around the painful structure | Pain is severe enough to block sleep or basic function | Minimally | |
| Surgical repair or reconstruction | Not performed here. Appropriate when imaging confirms a full tear or an unstable joint that will not recover with conservative care. | An operation to reattach, repair or reconstruct the torn structure | The tissue is fully torn, or the joint is unstable and failing | Yes |
Conservative care is not the right answer for every tendon and every ligament. If the examination points to a full tear or an unstable joint, you will be told that plainly and pointed toward the right specialist rather than sold a course of care.
What to expect
From evaluation to a plan for your ligament and tendon injury
A course, not a single visit. The examination decides the length and the cost, and both are written down first.
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01Evaluation
Orthopedic and neurological testing, with imaging on site where it changes the plan.
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02Findings, in plain language
What the examination actually found, and honestly whether this is a case conservative care can help at all.
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03A written program
Which disciplines, how many visits, over what period, and what it costs. Decided before anything begins.
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04Reassessment as it runs
Function is re-measured through the course. If the response says the plan should change, it changes.
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Find out what is actually driving it before choosing a program.
“I have had sich a great experience seeing Dr. Bergin. When other offices have told me I just had muscle damage or the only thing they could do for me was give shots, he said he had others ways to manage my pain and numbness, along with improving mobility. And he was right! I feel so much better!”
“I have had pain in my right upper back quadrant by my shoulder blade for at least a year now and the doctors have been unsuccessful in making the pain go away. I came to Dr. Bergin looking for some help. Within 3 to 4 weeks. My pain in that area is completely gone.”
“Dr. Bergin is phenomenal. Chronic lower back issues led a different doctor to mention back surgery to me. That was not an option I wanted to entertain. After a consult with Dr. B, he was confident that he could help resolve my back issues. I’ve been seeing him weekly to resolve the issue, and I am so pleased with the results so far! More mobility, less pain, and a great customer experience.”
“I bless the day that Dr. Bergin started working on me. I have had long standing pain for so long. After just a few visits my pain left and I feel so good. He is very patient oriented and caring. I regard him highly.”
“Dr. Bergin was instrumental in relieving my back pain which I had for many years. The techniques he used on relieving my back pain were impressive. I been going to chiropractors for years and Dr. Bergin is the best.”
Get in touch
Schedule your ligament and tendon injury evaluation
Tell us what you are feeling and which office is closer. A member of the ChiroMed team follows up within one business day.
- 1
Send the form
Two minutes. Tell us what hurts and which office is closer.
- 2
We call you back
A real person, within one business day, to find a time that works.
- 3
Exam and answers
History, orthopedic and neurological testing, imaging on site when it changes the plan.
- $47 consultation, exam, X-rays if needed and report of findings
- Payment plans available on the self-pay programs
- 4.8 out of 5 from 225 Google reviews
- Choose Lakeland or The Villages on the form
Ligament and Tendon Injury questions
Tap a message for the honest answer. Call Lakeland (863) 940-3444
How long does a tendon injury take to settle?
Honestly, it varies more than patients are usually told. A first time sprain behaves very differently from a tendon that has been sore for a year. What we can tell you at the first visit is which category yours falls into and what would count as real progress, so you are not guessing month to month.
the clinic teamIs there any downside to shockwave therapy?
Treatment can be uncomfortable during the session and the area can feel tender afterwards. It is not appropriate over certain tissues or for everyone, which is why candidacy is assessed before the first session rather than assumed. Nothing is injected and no recovery time is needed.
the clinic teamWill insurance pay for shockwave therapy?
Generally no. Shockwave sits in the regenerative line, which is cash pay at both offices. Chiropractic care is billed to insurance and our team verifies those benefits first. The front desk will tell you exactly which part of your plan falls where before you commit to anything.
the clinic teamCan a chiropractor treat a torn ligament?
A partial injury that is stable on examination is often managed conservatively. A full tear with an unstable joint is a surgical question, and you will be told that rather than started on a plan. Deciding which one you have is the point of the examination.
the clinic teamShould I keep using the joint or rest it completely?
Complete rest usually makes tendon problems worse, because the tissue only reorganises when it is loaded. The useful version is relative rest: stop the specific movement that flares it, keep the rest of the joint moving, and add load back in a controlled way under guidance.
the clinic teamDo you treat tennis elbow and golfer's elbow?
Yes. Both are tendon problems at the elbow, one on the outside and one on the inside, and both are common in the Villages market. They are assessed the same way as any other tendinopathy, and the plan usually combines device sessions with hands on work and a loading programme.
the clinic teamSame-week appointments
Start with an examination, not a package.
Find out what is actually driving it before choosing a program.
- 4.8 out of 5 on Google
- $47 consultation, exam and report
- 22 years in practice
Consultation, Exam, X-Rays (If Needed) & Report of Findings: Only $47