Meet Dmitriy Mikhol of Adapt Sports Medicine & Rehab

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dmitriy Mikhol.

Hi Dmitriy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story starts in Novocherkassk, Russia. At the age of three, my family immigrated to New Jersey, where I grew up playing multiple sports: mostly football, wrestling, lacrosse, and snowboarding. Sports were a huge part of my life and shaped how I viewed movement, performance, and recovery.

After earning my biology degree from Seton Hall University, I moved to Orange County to attend chiropractic school. That’s where things really came into focus for me. It didn’t take long to see how broken the traditional healthcare model was. I worked in chiropractic clinics that offered only adjustments and in multidisciplinary clinics where patients were passed around to every service just to max out their insurance policies.

I got tired of seeing people treated like numbers, getting quick relief, only for their pain to come back days later. Everyone received the same cookie-cutter care, even though each person had a different story and reason for being there.

Growing up as an athlete, I knew there had to be a better way, one that actually helped people move and perform at their best, not just patch the pain temporarily. I wanted to create a place where patients could receive true one-on-one care with a specialist, where we look deeper than symptoms to find the root cause of pain, and where every person leaves confident knowing what to do inside and outside the clinic to stay healthy long-term.

That’s how Adapt Sports Medicine & Rehab was born. Today, Adapt has grown because our message resonates with people who are tired of quick fixes. They want answers, not injections or surgeries. They want results, not another sheet of exercises. We’ve built a community around that idea: helping people move better, live stronger, and get back to doing what they love without the fear of pain holding them back.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Starting Adapt came with plenty of challenges, both as a new business owner and as someone trying to build something completely different from the traditional model of healthcare.

In the early days, one of the biggest struggles was education. We had to help people understand why our approach was different. Most patients were used to quick adjustments, short-term fixes, or being told to “just rest.” When we started talking about finding the root cause and building long-term results, it required shifting how people thought about their own health.

What’s interesting is that the same thing that made it hard in the beginning, educating people about a new model, is now our biggest advantage. That’s why our message resonates so deeply now. People are actively looking for something different, they are tired of the traditional healthcare model. They’re tired of getting the same cookie-cutter plan as everyone else, being treated based on what their insurance will cover instead of what they actually need, and never truly getting back to the things they love doing.

There were financial challenges, long nights, and plenty of moments of doubt. Building a business from the ground up, especially one that doesn’t play by the “insurance-first” rules means taking a lot of risks, but those challenges also shaped who we are today. They forced us to get crystal clear on our values: one-on-one care, education, and empowering patients to take control of their health. Those values haven’t just guided us, they’ve become the reason patients trust us.

Looking back, every struggle made us stronger. We learned to lead with transparency, to connect deeply with our community, and to keep proving that real, lasting change doesn’t come from doing more of the same, it comes from personalized care rooted in proper assessment and a clear plan.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Adapt Sports Medicine & Rehab was built around a simple idea, that people deserve better than cookie-cutter care and temporary fixes. We’re a performance-based chiropractic and rehab clinic that helps active adults and golfers overcome pain, move better, and get back to doing what they love, without relying on endless adjustments, injections, or surgeries. Whether it’s a golfer, a parent, or someone who simply wants to feel confident in the gym, we work with active adults who want real, lasting results.

What makes us different is how we approach care and who we help. We specialize in helping people who feel like they’ve tried everything: physical therapy, chiropractic care, injections, and are still struggling with pain. We go beyond chasing symptoms and focus on finding the root cause of pain. Our care is 100% one-on-one and built around education, so every patient not only feels better but understands why they were in pain and how to prevent it from coming back. We blend chiropractic, rehab exercises, and performance training into a customized plan designed specifically for each patient’s lifestyle, goals, and movement demands. The result: people leave not only feeling better but empowered to take control of their own health.

We also offer a free first visit, where patients can sit down with a doctor, ask any questions they have, and go through a full movement assessment to discover the root cause of their pain. It’s our way of helping people understand what’s really going on and making sure they’re a great fit for the clinic before starting care.

We work with a wide range of patients: from golfers and weekend warriors to parents who just want to pick up their kids without pain. No two plans look the same because no two people are the same. Our goal is always the same, though: helping people get back to doing what they love, and giving them the confidence to keep moving forward long after they leave our clinic.

At Adapt, we like to say it’s about “Adapting to the best version of yourself.” Because when you address the root cause and take control of your health, it’s not just your pain that changes, it’s how you show up in every part of your life.

What I’m most proud of, brand-wise, is the community we’ve built. Adapt has become a place where people feel heard, understood, and supported. We don’t just treat pain, we empower people to take ownership of their health.

At the end of the day, Adapt is about transformation, helping people break free from the cycle of temporary relief and finally get back to living the life they love, pain-free and confident in their movement.

How do you think about luck?
I think luck always plays a role to some degree, being in the right place at the right time, meeting the right people, or having certain opportunities show up when you least expect them. People who work hard tend to be luckier, but I also believe luck only matters if you’re prepared to act on it.

When I look back, there were definitely moments of good luck, mentors who believed in me early on, the opportunity to rent office space, patients who took a chance on a brand-new clinic, and a community that rallied behind our message. But none of that would’ve mattered without the hard work, long nights, and willingness to keep pushing through the uncertainty.

I also consider myself lucky because I got to experience the healthcare system firsthand as a patient. Early in my chiropractic career, I first broke my leg and then my collarbone. For the first (and second) time, I was on the other side of care, waiting weeks for MRI results, being pushed towards unnecessary surgeries, and left on my own to figure out rehab. It was frustrating, and honestly, eye-opening. It made me realize just how broken the healthcare system is and how difficult it is to navigate for the everyday patient. That experience gave me empathy, perspective, and a stronger drive to build something better for others.

On the flip side, I’ve had my share of “bad luck” too, setbacks, tough lessons, and things that didn’t go as planned. But those experiences shaped how Adapt operates today. They taught me patience, persistence, and the importance of sticking to your values even when it’s hard.

We keep pushing because our mission is bigger than us. We’re working to build a world-class clinic so we can help more patients, especially the ones who feel stuck in the cycle of traditional healthcare. There are moms who can’t pick up their kids anymore, dads standing on the sidelines watching instead of playing, and parents who’ve had to give up the golf rounds and activities they love because no one’s ever addressed the real problem. That’s exactly why we work so hard, to find those patients, give them real answers, and help them get back to doing what they love.

At the end of the day, luck might open a door, but it’s what you do next that defines your path. For me, that’s meant staying focused on the mission: helping people find the root cause of their pain and adapt to the best version of themselves.

Pricing:

• We offer free first visits: where patients can sit down with a doctor, ask any questions they have, and go through a full movement assessment to discover the root cause of their pain.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.adaptsportsmed.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adaptsportsrehab/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/adapt-sports-medicine-and-rehab-orange