CrossFit and Functional Fitness Rehab

If you're someone who thrives on movement — whether it’s in CrossFit, on the gym floor, or out in the surf — you know how frustrating it is when your body doesn’t cooperate. A tweak in your shoulder. A nagging back. A hip that won’t quite open up during squats.

At Athletic Edge Physical Therapy, we specialize in helping active adults, functional athletes, CrossFitters, and weekend warriors stay in the game — with treatment plans that go beyond just “rest it and see what happens.”

San Diego physical therapist assisting CrossFit athlete with shoulder mobility during overhead barbell rehab at Athletic Edge PT.

We Get It — Because We’ve Lived It

CrossFit, Olympic lifting, HIIT, functional training… these aren’t average workouts. They demand strength, control, mobility, and precision. And when one link in the chain breaks down, everything gets affected.

We’ve worked with athletes who:

  • Are training for competitions but dealing with pain

  • Can’t hit depth in squats without discomfort

  • Keep getting “stuck” in snatches or overhead lifts

  • Struggle with shoulder or low back tightness mid-WOD

  • Want to keep pushing, but need help dialing in movement

We won’t just ice it, stretch it, or tell you to stop lifting. We’ll help you find the root cause.

Common Issues We Treat in Functional Athletes

Whether you’re competitive or just love to move, these are some of the most common problems we help people recover from and prevent:

  • Shoulder pain or impingement with overhead lifts

  • Low back pain with deadlifts, squats, or kipping

  • Knee pain during high-volume WODs

  • Hip tightness or pinching with squats or lunges

  • Elbow or wrist pain with cleans and handstands

  • Achilles and foot injuries during jumping/running

  • Core dysfunction or “leaking” with lifting (especially postpartum)

  • General fatigue, stiffness, or movement compensations

Athletic Edge PT training mobility with CrossFit Athlete

What Makes AEPT Different?

We don’t believe in quick fixes. We believe in deep, thoughtful treatment that matches the intensity of your sport.

At AEPT, you’ll get:

  • 1-on-1 care with a Doctor of Physical Therapy every time

  • A full-body assessment, not just where it hurts

  • Customized programming that fits your training, not pauses it

  • Manual therapy + movement retraining that sticks

  • Progressions and regressions designed for real-world workouts

  • Regular updates to your plan based on how your body is responding

Our goal isn’t just pain relief. It’s movement restoration, performance optimization, and giving you the tools to keep doing what you love — for the long haul.

Functional Rehab That Actually Functions

We treat movement, not just muscles. That means loading, sequencing, stability, timing — all the things your training relies on. We’ll watch how you squat, press, pull, hinge, jump, rotate — and guide you in rebuilding the mechanics that support it all.

“I really don't know where to start with the amazingness that is athletic edge. Truly. At 45 and a competitive crossFit athlete, things are gonna go south from time to time - I found a PT that is here to help me keep doing the sport I love and staying healthy. Natasha and her entire team are INCREDIBLE - I can't say enough good things about them!!!.”
— Shawna N.

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Frequently Asked Questions About CrossFit & Functional Fitness Rehab

  • Absolutely. At Athletic Edge, we specialize in keeping athletes training while they rehab — not sidelining them. If you're in the middle of a cycle or prepping for competition, we’ll modify around your lifts, adjust loading, and guide technique so you can keep moving safely while we address the root cause of your issue.

  • Yes — and not just with pain. We evaluate your mobility, control, and joint function in the positions you actually train in. If your squat feels “off,” your shoulder catches in overhead presses, or your back flares up with deadlifts, we’ll break down your movement, identify limitations, and rebuild strength and control where it counts.

  • We regularly treat:

    • Shoulder impingement, pain, or mobility issues

    • Low back pain with lifting, squats, or gymnastics

    • Knee pain during WODs or high-volume training

    • Hip tightness or instability with squats/lunges

    • Wrist, elbow, or Achilles issues from cleans, handstands, and running

    • Core dysfunction or pelvic floor issues (especially postpartum athletes)

    We also help with general mobility plateaus, chronic stiffness, and movement efficiency — not just acute injuries.

  • Absolutely. Whether you’re chasing PRs or just want to stay fit without flaring things up, this is for anyone who trains hard and wants to move well. We work with everyone from weekend warriors to masters-level competitors, gym owners, and postpartum moms getting back to fitness.

  • In most cases — no. Unless your injury is severe or post-surgical, we aim to modify, not eliminate your training. That might mean adjusting volume, range of motion, or load — but the goal is to keep you in the gym, safely progressing, while we build long-term solutions.

  • We speak your language. Our team has a deep background in CrossFit, Olympic lifting, and functional fitness, and we treat movement — not just muscles. You’ll get:

    • 1-on-1 sessions with a Doctor of Physical Therapy

    • Full-body movement analysis

    • Sport-specific programming that fits your training

    • Manual therapy + neuromuscular retraining

    • Strategies that apply in real WODs, not just clinic exercises

    We're not here to slow you down. We’re here to help you train smarter, recover faster, and move better for life.

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