“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! With such friendly staff and welcoming office environment, it makes for an amazing experience. I'll definitely continue seeing him!”
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
Medically reviewed by Dr. Justin Bergin, DC Updated September 18, 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, while 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 disorganized and painful under load rather than acutely torn.
The difference matters because the two tissues behave differently. Sorting one from the other is the first job of the examination.
The target of treatment is the quality of the tissue, not the swelling around it.
How it works
A sprained ligament is one event
There is a clear moment attached to it. It heals predictably if the joint is protected first and then loaded.
A painful tendon builds up slowly
The common sites are the rotator cuff, the Achilles, the patellar tendon below the kneecap, and the tendons behind tennis elbow and golfer's elbow.
The collagen is laid down wrongly
Those tendons are less inflamed than rebuilt wrongly, with collagen laid down in the wrong direction. That is why anti-inflammatory measures alone disappoint.
Why is it still there weeks later?
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.
Why does this tissue heal so slowly?
Tendon and ligament tissue heals slowly, because it has a thin blood supply. It also heals badly when nobody gives it a job to do.
That is the part most people are never given: a plan for the tissue itself.
Who decides whether this is a case for conservative care?
Dr. Justin Bergin has spent 22 years examining these injuries. He decides which ones respond to loading and device-assisted care, and which ones need an orthopedic opinion.
You get that answer at the first visit, in writing. Both offices do it: Lakeland on South Florida Avenue, and Lady Lake serving The Villages.
Independent background: Osteoarthritis, National Institute on Aging.
Symptoms
Most people recognize 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 fibers 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 program 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 recognized 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 damage that needs a surgeon. From there we combine Omniwave shockwave, manual soft tissue work, cold laser and graded loading. We also adjust the joints above and below, so the injured tissue stops absorbing work 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 fibers
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.
hands-on soft tissue work for scarred tendon and ligament fibers
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 need surgery, and you will be told so. Where a repair has been done elsewhere, structured rehabilitation is available at both offices once your surgeon has cleared you to load the joint.
post-surgical rehabilitation after a tendon or ligament repair
Available at our 2 locations
Treatment at our Lakeland office, and also at:
What recovery usually looks like
Examination and grading Your first visit
History, orthopedic 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 measure progress rather than assume it. If it has stalled, we change the plan or refer.
When to seek care sooner
What to try at home first: rest it partly rather than completely, since tendons stiffen when they are held still. Stop the movement that reproduces the pain and keep the rest of the joint moving.
Use ice for comfort after a fresh sprain. Do not stretch hard into sharp pain.
Some injuries need a doctor the same day. Get it examined urgently if you cannot put weight on it, if the joint gave way, or if it looks deformed.
Do the same if you felt a pop and it swelled right away, or if the area becomes hot, red and feverish.
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 affects 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:
Shockwave and the rest of the regenerative care here are self-pay. If chiropractic care is part of your plan, that portion can be billed to insurance, and our team verifies your benefits before your first visit. 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
Who examines a tendon or ligament case?
Dr. Justin Bergin, DC has been in practice for 22 years and examines every new tendon and ligament case himself.
He built this practice around non-surgical care after his own experience with chronic pain and scoliosis.
What does that change about your appointment?
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
Which office is closer if you are in Polk County?
The Lakeland office at 6595 Florida Ave S, Suite 13 sits in South Lakeland. It is 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.
What does the Lady Lake office cover?
The Lady Lake office at 929 US-441 #404 sits just above CR 466 and serves The Villages, Summerfield, Fruitland Park, Wildwood and Oxford.
Pickleball elbow and golf related shoulder pain arrive there almost daily.
Browse every condition on the conditions we treat index.
Ligament and Tendon Injury in recent research
These sources are independent of this practice and none of them endorses it. They are listed so the reasoning behind the care can be checked rather than taken on trust.
- Sports Injuries
The federal reference on sprains, strains and tendinitis, including the grading that decides whether an injury can be managed without surgery.
- The Effect of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Pools the randomized trials of shockwave therapy across tendon problems, which is the evidence base for the Omniwave protocol used here.
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.
| Option | What it is | Typically considered when | Invasive? | Offered at ChiroMed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omniwave shockwave therapy Our approach | Acoustic pressure waves delivered through the skin into the tendon | Pain has outlasted rest and the tendon has stopped progressing | No | Yes |
| Manual and instrument soft tissue work | Hands on and tool assisted treatment of the tissue and its surroundings | Movement is restricted and the tissue feels thickened or bound | No | Yes |
| Cold laser therapy | Low level laser applied over the painful structure | The area is too irritable to load hard yet | No | Yes |
| Cortisone injection | A steroid injected into or around the painful structure | Pain is severe enough to block sleep or basic function | Minimally | Not performed here. Appropriate when a flare has to be settled quickly and a physician judges the short term trade off worthwhile. |
| Surgical repair or reconstruction | An operation to reattach, repair or reconstruct the torn structure | The tissue is fully torn, or the joint is unstable and failing | Yes | Not performed here. Appropriate when imaging confirms a full tear or an unstable joint that will not recover with conservative care. |
Hands-on 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. You will then be 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.
“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. Thank You Dr. Bergin :)”
“Took a good amount of time going over my preliminary results and going over potential care plan. Great adjustment and doesn’t sugarcoat when discussing. Would recommend”
“The environment is incredible at this office with the staff and also both doctors are extremely friendly and great at what they do”
“Amazing, Super friendly and talented Staff and Doctors! My back was a hot mess after a semi hit my car on my first day moving to Florida. But after going through the treatment program I was able to get my neck, my back and my life in alignment. It was a total transformation. Thank You New City Chiropractic!”
“Hands down the best chiropractic office out there! They are super friendly and make me feel comfortable to tell then what’s wrong. They always ensure the best treatment for their patients!”
“I absolutely love this place , it is like going to visit family. They are always so pleasant , happy , and professional. I always enjoy seeing the ladies , they always put a smile on my face and even if I am having a bad day. The doctors are always so friendly and concerned with my well being. I actually look forward to going there and miss them on the days that I don't go.”
“I only wish it was closer. You are welcome it's definitely a compliment and I have read the great comments people made about the facility and staff! Amen Open one in Auburndale please!!”
“HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend coming here if you have any pains in your back or neck!! These guys are AMAZING at what they do!! Just a few months into coming here, I feel a change in the way I walk, the way my head sits on my shoulders, and I just feel GREAT; ALL THE TIME!! Crazy what some little adjustments did for me!!”
“This is an awesome chiropractic!! They are all nice and kind! Ever Since I have been adjusting my back, I don't need to take medicine before I go to bed. Also, I have been sleeping without waking up in the middle of the night because of the pain!! I really recommend the chiropractic 😊”
“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.”
“Love this place!! Cynthia and Angie are amazing! So nice and helpful!! The chiropractor’s are also amazing!! Just a great place overall! I highly recommended it!!”
“Look them up I waited so long to see a chiropractor and I found this place and am so happy that I did . Love the Drs they are so helpful and make feel like family.”
“The staff is super friendly and they walked me through the whole process. I’ve been going for a few weeks now and I’m already feeling results! The treatment the offer is very hands on and informative. I’ve never had manual adjustments until coming to this office and the staff makes you feel comfortable and takes care of your needs. Highly recommend !”
“The best Chiropractic center in South lakeland! love it here the Doctors are very urged to help with any of your needs, the beautiful assistants are nice and helpful they really make you feel welcomed. Most highly recommended Chiropractic Center. :)”
“Muy profesional la atención es formidable todos los empleados son muy amigables.Y muy efectiva sus terapias..Los recomiendo 100x100%”
“My pain has decreased dramatically, I’m no longer stretching and moving my neck in every angle trying to find relief. Every part of my body I can feel is finally getting closer to symmetry! All I can say is you should give new city a try!”
“I love this place!! They're very caring for their patients and strive to help you feel better. I strongly recommend giving them a try. I promise you won't regret it”
“The staff is very knowledgeable and organized, they get to know you and are flexible about fitting your treatment in to your life. They use proven methods to treat the root of your issues and the results are incredible. I was in a lot of pain after a car crash and within a few weeks I was able to go back to my normal routine with no discomfort.”
“I have seen and feel the change in my body since I started, I use to have major pain in my knees and neck ache. I'm an athlete and constantly need more adjustments, and every time I come I always without a doubt feel welcomed and important.”
Get in touch
Schedule your ligament and tendon injury evaluation
Tell us what you are feeling and which office is closer. The front desk answers during office hours; leave a message after hours and they call back the next open day.
- 1
Send the form
Two minutes. Tell us what hurts and which office is closer.
- 2
We call you back
A real person, during office hours, 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?
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.
At the first visit we tell you which of the two yours is, and what would count as real progress. You are then not guessing month to month.
Is 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.
Will 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.
Can 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.
Should I keep using the joint or rest it completely?
Complete rest usually makes tendon problems worse, because the tissue only rebuilds itself properly when it is used. Rest it partly instead.
Stop the one movement that flares it, keep the rest of the joint moving, and add the load back gradually under guidance.
Do 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 program.
Same-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
Consultation, Exam, X-Rays (If Needed) & Report of Findings: Only $47