Who this is for
You surf. Maybe it’s a few sessions a week, maybe you’re chasing every swell the North Shore sends. Either way, your body takes the same repeated load: paddling, arching to pop up, absorbing wipeouts. This program is for surfers whose shoulders, low backs, necks, knees or ankles are starting to talk back — or who want to show up for winter swell in better shape than last year.
What usually goes wrong
- Shoulders — paddling volume irritates the front and top of the shoulder, especially with a lot of reps in a short window.
- Low back — the arched position you hold to paddle and pop up loads the same segments over and over.
- Neck — craning to watch the horizon and time a wave adds up over a session.
- Knees and ankles — pop-ups, awkward landings and wipeouts are the usual mechanism.
- Board strikes — bruises, cuts and occasionally something that needs more than rest; see a doctor for anything involving your head.
How we work
Every visit starts hands-on: joint mobilization, soft-tissue and myofascial work, Active Release Technique and Graston where they fit, and spinal decompression when your back needs it. We pair that with therapeutic exercise built around paddling and pop-up mechanics, then send you home with a program — not just a stretch handout, an actual plan you can do between sessions.
What a plan looks like
Every body responds at its own pace, so we don’t promise a timeline up front. In general, plans move through phases: calming down the irritated area and keeping you moving without making it worse, then rebuilding strength and paddling endurance, then surf-specific drills — pop-ups, rotation, load tolerance — before you’re back to full sessions.
Winter swell prep
Big-swell season asks more of your shoulders, back and endurance than summer does. Coming in before the season starts — not after your shoulder is already cranky — is the difference between prehab and rehab.
When to see a doctor first
Some things need a doctor before they need PT. Get checked, or get to an ER, if you have:
- Any head or neck impact — a board strike, a hard wipeout or a hold-down
- Confusion, memory gaps, a headache that won’t settle, vomiting or trouble staying awake after a hit
- A shoulder you can’t lift, or one that gives way on you
- Numbness, weakness or tingling running down an arm
- Chest pain or breathlessness that comes on when you exert yourself
Surfer’s myelopathy is a serious spinal cord injury that shows up in people new to surfing, or back after a long lay-off: sudden back pain during or after a session, followed by leg weakness, numbness, or trouble passing urine. If that happens to you or someone you’re with, call 911 or get to an ER right away — don’t wait it out.
When to book
Book if something’s nagging between sessions, if you’re rebuilding after an injury, or if you want a pre-season check before the swell picks up. You don’t need a referral to start — see our insurance page for what your plan may still ask for.
Paddle out feeling good. Book an evaluation and let’s get your shoulders, back and knees ready for the next swell.