Built Around Movement, Performance & Helping Bend Stay Active
Learn more about the philosophy, background, and approach behind Apex Spine & Performance.
How Apex Began
Apex Spine & Performance was built from the long-standing friendship between Dr. RJ Rivera and Dr. Tim Sanders and a shared passion for movement, performance, and helping people stay active doing the things they love.
What started through years of training together, learning together, and working with active individuals evolved into a rehab-focused approach centered around education, movement, and individualized care. With backgrounds in chiropractic, sports medicine, rehab, and strength and conditioning, RJ and Tim created Apex to bridge the gap between traditional chiropractic care and modern movement-based performance care.
Today, Apex works with runners, climbers, lifters, skiers, mountain bikers, and active adults throughout Bend and Central Oregon using individualized assessment, rehab-focused care, movement analysis, and hands-on treatment when appropriate.
At Apex, the goal is not simply temporary symptom relief — it’s helping people move with confidence, build resilience, and continue living active lives.
Our Philosophy
Why We Do Things Differently
At Apex Spine & Performance, we believe complex problems deserve more than a quick fix or a “wait and see” approach. That’s why we do things differently.
Our rehab-focused chiropractic and sports medicine approach goes beyond traditional adjustments. We take the time to understand your goals, assess how you move, and build an individualized plan designed to support long-term recovery, resilience, and performance. Whether you’re an athlete, weekend warrior, or simply trying to stay active without limitations, our goal is to help you move with confidence.
More Than Just Adjustments
At Apex, movement is medicine. Our care is heavily movement and rehab focused — not built around passive treatment alone.
What this looks like:
- Initial evaluations lasting approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Follow-up visits lasting 45–60 minutes
- Thorough movement, orthopedic, and neurological assessments
- Rehab that often looks more like performance training than a traditional therapy session
We don’t just chase symptoms — we help build resilience.
A Smarter Approach to Pain & Performance
We use a neurocentric model of care, meaning we recognize the nervous system’s role in pain, movement, and performance.
Our approach combines:
- The NeuroCentric Approach® developed by Dr. Phillip Snell
- The Clinical Audit Process (CAP) to assess how treatments respond in real time
- McKenzie Method (MDT) and Neurodynamic Solutions (NDS) principles for disc-related pain and nerve sensitivity
- Individualized rehab and movement programming
- Targeted manual therapies when appropriate, including adjustments, Dermal Traction Method, cupping, and fascial-focused techniques
Everything we do is tested, retested, and explained — no fluff, no BS.
Education, Empowerment & Long-Term Health
We believe people are adaptable and resilient. Our goal is to help patients better understand their bodies and actively participate in the recovery process.
Our philosophy includes:
- Clear, honest communication without fear-based messaging
- Individualized care plans built around your goals and lifestyle
- Promoting resilience and confidence throughout recovery
- Helping patients understand the “why” behind what they’re doing
Lifestyle and performance support may include:
- Recovery and performance mindset strategies
- Strength and conditioning guidance
- Sleep and recovery recommendations
- Load management and training modifications
Always Evolving
We believe better care comes from constantly refining how we assess, communicate, and treat movement-related problems.
RJ and Tim are committed lifelong learners who regularly pursue continuing education, review current research, and collaborate with other healthcare and performance professionals to provide the highest quality care possible. When something falls outside our scope, we refer out and work collaboratively to ensure patients receive the care they need.
The Apex Experience
We’re not your typical chiropractic office. You won’t find cookie-cutter care, rushed appointments, or treatment plans built on fear.
What you will find:
- Real, measurable progress
- Providers who listen and adapt
- A clear plan built around your goals
- Rehab-focused care designed to keep you active and moving forward
Educational. Real. Effective.
Dr. RJ Rivera, DC, MS, CCSP®
Apex Spine & Performance Co-Owner, Part rehab chiro, part strength coach, full-time coffee snob and girl dad with an unhealthy obsession for movement, mountains, and helping people move better.
RJ Rivera is a South Lake Tahoe native whose love for the outdoors shaped his active lifestyle from a young age. Surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains, he grew up skiing, fishing, hiking, wakeboarding, and spending as much time outside as possible — an influence that continues to shape both his personal life and his approach to patient care today.
RJ earned his Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Sonoma State University before becoming a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Prior to chiropractic school, he worked in collegiate strength and conditioning with NCAA Division II athletics throughout the Bay Area, helping athletes improve performance, recover from injury, and build long-term resilience. It was during this time that he recognized the gap that often exists between rehabilitation, healthcare, and performance training.
That experience led him to pursue his Doctor of Chiropractic degree and Master’s degree in Sports Medicine at the University of Western States in Portland, Oregon, where he graduated summa cum laude. RJ also completed his Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician® (CCSP®) certification through the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians® (ACBSP®).
RJ’s clinical approach blends rehab-focused chiropractic care, sports medicine principles, movement assessment, strength and conditioning, and hands-on treatment when appropriate. His philosophy centers around helping patients better understand their bodies, build resilience, and continue doing the activities they love with confidence. He has a special interest in working with mountain athletes, chronic pain, hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD)/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), disc-related pain, nerve-related conditions, and shoulder injuries.
As a lifelong learner, RJ continues to pursue advanced education in movement, rehab, and performance care. His additional training includes Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS), McKenzie Method (MDT), Dermal Traction Method, and neurocentric rehabilitation approaches.
Outside the clinic, you’ll usually find RJ skiing, fly fishing, hiking, bouldering, camping, strength training, or exploring the outdoors with his wife Maddi, their daughter Audie, and their golden retriever, Luceigh.
Degrees & Certifications
• Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology — Sonoma State University
• Doctor of Chiropractic — University of Western States
• Master’s Degree in Sports Medicine — University of Western States
• Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician® (CCSP®) — American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians®
• NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
• Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) Certified Exercise Trainer
• McKenzie Method Part A
• Dermal Traction Method
Dr. Tim Sanders DC, MS
Apex Spine and Performance Co-Owner
Dr. Tim is originally from Gualala, California where he grew up living an active lifestyle consisting of playing sports, hiking and bikeriding. He originally gained a keen interest in human movement and performance after working through several sports injuries in High School from the help of skilled Chiropractors and Physical Therapists.
Tim obtained a bachelors of science in Kinesiology from Sonoma State University in 2018, after graduating he worked closely with patients as a physical therapy aide for a year before pursueing a Doctorate of Chiropractic degree from the Universtiy of Western States (UWS) in Portland, Oregon. During his time at UWS, he had the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Aaron Montgomery and Dr. Scott Gross, learning insights into the world of chiropractic care, physical rehabilitation, and strength and conditioning. Dr. Sanders graduated Summa Cum Laude from the UWS DC program in 2023 while also obtaining a masters degree in human nutrition and functional medicine.
His style of care emphasises a movement centered approach to healthcare, integrating chiropractic manipulation, myofacial release, therapeutic exercise, nutrition, and strength trianing. When outside of the clinic, Dr. Sanders enjoys camping and kayaking around central Oregon, improving his golf game, and anything fitness related.
Degrees and Certifications
- Bachelor's in Kinesiology (Sonoma State)
- Doctorate of Chiropractic (University of Western States)
- Masters in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine (University of Western States)
- SFMA (Selective Functional Movement Assessment) Part 1
- DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabalization) Part A & B
- DNS Strength Training Part 1 & 2
