The Athlete Spot™ | Sports Rehab & Injury Rehab — Ozark, MO
Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation — Ozark, MO

Where Athletes
Come Back Stronger.

#1 Concierge Sports Medicine & Injury Rehabilitation for Youth and Adult Athletes in Springfield, Nixa, Ozark & Surrounding Areas

330+
Athletes Treated
40+
Five-Star Reviews
100%
Personalized Care
Shoulder RehabilitationSports ChiropracticDry NeedlingMovement AssessmentConcussion RecoveryNeck & Back PainPerformance RehabGoal-Specific CareIn-Person & Virtual SessionsAssessment-First RehabShoulder RehabilitationSports ChiropracticDry NeedlingMovement AssessmentConcussion RecoveryNeck & Back PainPerformance RehabGoal-Specific CareIn-Person & Virtual SessionsAssessment-First Rehab

You've Tried Everything.
You're Still in Pain.

You've been to the chiropractor who cracks your back three times a week. You've done the same band exercises in PT for months. You've rested, iced, and waited.

And nothing has changed.

That's not your fault. That's the wrong approach. We do things differently.

Dr. Thomas Kauffman, DC — Sports Rehabilitation at The Athlete Spot in Ozark, MO
Dr. Thomas Kauffman, DC
Est.
2019

I'm Dr. Kauffman.

I started The Athlete Spot™ because I kept seeing the same story: athletes who had been through the system — chiropractors, PTs, cortisone shots, rest — and were still in pain. Not because they weren't trying. Because nobody had actually figured out the problem.

Every case starts with a full assessment. I figure out why you’re in pain — not just where. Then I build a program around that. You always know what to do and why. I track your progress between visits and update your plan before you hit a wall.

I train and compete myself. I know what it costs to sit on the sideline.

Nothing falls through the cracks here. You don’t wait until your next visit to find out something needs to change. Questions get answered before they become setbacks. Every in-person visit is focused because I already know what’s shifted. One doctor accountable to your outcome — not just your next appointment.

If you're done guessing and ready to actually fix it, this is where you start.

DC
CDNP
CSCS
USAW
CFL1
FRC

You've Tried Everything. You're Still in Pain.

You rested it. You iced it. You went to the chiropractor who adjusted you and sent you home. You did the band exercises in PT for three months.

Nothing stuck. The pain comes back. Your bench is still stuck at 45 pounds. You can't press overhead. You're scared to deadlift again.

That's not a willpower problem. That's a diagnosis problem. Nobody actually found what's wrong.

The cortisone shot masked it. The adjustments helped for a day. The generic protocol didn't address your specific injury pattern.

That ends here. We start with the assessment.

How We Fix What
Others Can't.

Four stages. Every case goes through all of them. This is how we take athletes from pain and frustration to full capacity — and keep them there.

01
Assessment
A full hour with Dr. Kauffman. We test your movement, stress the injury, and find the actual source of your pain. This is not a 15-minute intake form. You walk out knowing what's wrong.
02
Diagnosis
We don't just name the condition. We find out why it happened and what's keeping it stuck. Then we build a plan so your body stops breaking down the same way. Real diagnosis. No guessing.
03
Continuous Rehab
Your program changes before you stall. Dr. Kauffman tracks your progress between visits and updates what needs to change. Every in-person visit is focused. Every question gets answered before it becomes a setback. You always know exactly what to do next.
04
Performance
You don't just stop hurting. You come back stronger, more resilient, and more confident than before you got hurt. That's the goal. Everything else is just a step toward it.

What We Treat

Shoulder Pain & Injuries

Rotator cuff tears, frozen shoulder, post-surgical rehab, overhead pressing pain, labrum injuries. If your shoulder has been written off, we start with the assessment and build from there.

Neck Pain & Concussion

Post-concussion headaches, dizziness caused by neck injury, chronic neck pain, whiplash. We find what others miss and build a structured plan to fix it directly.

Low Back Pain

Disc injuries, deadlift pain, SI joint dysfunction, chronic low back pain. We get to the root cause and build you back to training without fear of re-injury.

Concussion Recovery

Post-concussion syndrome, return-to-sport clearance, persistent headaches and brain fog. We use a step-by-step plan to get you back to sport safely.

Real Athletes. Real Results.

★★★★★

"3 years of chronic shoulder pain after surgery. Bench went from 45lb bar to 155lb. Pain dropped from 7/10 daily to 2/10 occasionally. I thought I was done."

Michael T. — Post-Surgical Shoulder, Age 40
★★★★★

"I was told the pain was in my head. 8 weeks with Dr. K: bench went from 165x3 to 265x3 pain-free. Full overhead pressing. He found what no one else did."

Dave R. — CrossFit Athlete & CEO, Age 45
★★★★★

"The orthopedic surgeon said frozen shoulder and recommended surgery. It was NOT frozen shoulder. Pain-free in 5 weeks. No surgery. I wish I had come here first."

Carol M. — Told She Needed Surgery, Age 53
★★★★★

"Dealt with low back pain for years. Tried everything. After 6 weeks with Dr. Kauffman, I'm deadlifting again without any issues. First time in 3 years."

Billy S. — Chronic Low Back Pain
★★★★★

"Post-concussion headaches were ruining my life for months. Dr. K found what everyone else missed. Finally have my life back."

Jamie L. — Post-Concussion Recovery
★★★★★

"Best healthcare experience I've ever had. Dr. Kauffman actually listens, does a real assessment, and builds a plan that makes sense. Not just another appointment."

Andrew W. — Virtual Patient

Your Injury Won't Wait. Neither Should You.

The assessment is where it starts. One hour. Real answers. A program that changes as you get stronger — so you never stall and nothing gets missed.

In-person in Ozark, MO — or virtually from anywhere.

Call or Text the Office
Call or text — we respond to both
5349 N 22nd St, STE 5 · Ozark, MO 65721

Questions We Get a Lot

The assessment is a full hour with Dr. Kauffman. We dig into your history, test your movement, and stress the injury to find the actual source of your pain. You walk out knowing exactly what’s wrong, exactly what we’re going to do about it, and exactly what you should be doing between visits. Your program starts immediately — and it changes as you get stronger.

No referral needed. You can book directly. If we determine you need imaging or a specialist, we'll tell you that during the assessment — with a clear reason why.

Most PT clinics rotate you through a generic protocol with a different therapist every visit. Here, nothing falls through the cracks. Dr. Kauffman knows your case, monitors your progress between visits, and adjusts your plan before you stall. Every in-person visit is targeted because he already knows what’s changed. One doctor accountable to your outcome — not a revolving door.

No. We're cash-based. That means we spend our time on your recovery — not on insurance paperwork and approval cycles. Most athletes find that getting to the actual problem faster is far cheaper in the long run than months of covered visits that don't fix anything.

Most athletes feel a meaningful difference within the first few visits. Timelines vary based on the injury, how long it's been there, and how consistent you are with the plan. We'll give you an honest expectation at your assessment — not a sales pitch.

Yes. Every patient gets support between visits — your progress is tracked, your questions get answered, and your program updates without waiting for your next appointment. If you’re not local to Ozark, we can run your assessment and follow-ups virtually too. Same doctor. Same results. Distance doesn’t change what you get.

In-Person in Ozark. Virtual Anywhere.

Located in Ozark, Missouri — just minutes from Springfield, Nixa, Republic, and Battlefield. Virtual sessions available for athletes anywhere in Missouri and beyond.

The Athlete Spot™
5349 N 22nd St, STE 5
Ozark, MO 65721

(636) 224-8587

Serving athletes in Ozark, Springfield, Nixa, Republic, Battlefield, Branson, and across Missouri. Sports rehabilitation near me · Dry needling near me · Shoulder rehab near me