About
Dr. Hiro Nakano, DC, DACBSP
Hiromichi “Hiro” Nakano · Sports chiropractor · Founder of TAI NYC
I’m a sports chiropractor with the DACBSP, the advanced sports medicine credential for chiropractors, and the fourth generation of a hands-on clinical practice my family started in Japan in 1926. I opened my practice in Midtown Manhattan in 2010, and I see every patient myself — from the first conversation to treatment and exercise.
My work sits between two worlds: modern Western sports medicine, and a family tradition of reading the body with my hands. Here is how those came together.
Sports medicine
I am a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (DACBSP), the advanced sports medicine credential for chiropractors. Earning it requires:
- The CCSP (Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician) certification as a prerequisite
- At least 200 hours of postgraduate sports medicine education at an accredited chiropractic college (or a master’s degree or residency in sports medicine)
- Hands-on emergency procedures training and healthcare-provider CPR certification
- A written examination
- A six-station practical examination, including on-field emergency management
- 250 hours of practical experience in the field
The exams and field hours must all be completed within three years of finishing the postgraduate program. The training centers on evaluating and managing athletic injuries, on-field emergency care, and return-to-play decisions.
I have volunteered as Team USA medical staff since 2013, including the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima and the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Since 2018 I have joined USA Fencing training camps every year. I have treated Olympic fencers who competed at London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021, and Paris 2024 — and I continue to treat elite athletes alongside everyday patients.
What sports medicine taught me is less about athletes and more about judgment: understanding the mechanism behind an injury, deciding what is safe today, and building a clear path back to full activity. I use that same thinking with every patient, whether they are preparing for a championship or want to walk without pain.
As a New York–licensed chiropractor, I can order X-rays and MRI directly when they are clinically needed, and I work with orthopedic and pain management physicians, when a case calls for it.
I keep learning. I attend the ACBSP sports medicine symposium every year and at least one manual therapy course annually. I have trained in many hands-on methods, and none of them is “the answer” — I choose what fits the tissue and the person in front of me.
A century of hands-on care
I was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Mie, Japan, in a family of clinicians. My great-grandfather founded Nakano Seitai in 1926, a clinic dedicated to hands-on care, careful observation, and restoring function. My grandfather and my father were both decorated by the Emperor of Japan for their work.
I studied acupuncture and Eastern medicine at a Japanese university for four years, then spent about four years treating patients every day at the family clinic, alongside my father, my brothers, and senior clinicians. Only after that did I come to the United States for chiropractic and sports medicine education.
Today my three brothers run the family clinics in Japan:
- Nakano Seitai main clinic — Yokkaichi, Mie
- Nakano Seitai Tokyo Aoyama — Shibuya, Tokyo
- Back to Basics — Nishi-Azabu / Hiroo, Tokyo
TAI NYC is the fourth. Patients who travel between New York and Japan can continue care with my family there.
With my father and brothers in Tokyo
Why I practice this way
People sometimes assume a Japanese family background means Eastern or alternative medicine. It doesn’t. Every evaluation, diagnosis, and decision in my clinic is grounded in anatomy, physiology, pathology, and sports medicine.
What my family gave me is a way of seeing: don’t examine only the tree — understand the forest it belongs to. Pain in one place is usually the result of how the whole body has been moving and coping over time. Sports medicine gave me the tools to assess that safely and precisely. Together, they shape a simple goal: help people move better and keep moving for the rest of their lives.
Writing and teaching
In Japan, I have written several books on sports medicine, health, and longevity, with about 160,000 copies sold. My work has been featured in Japanese publications including PRESIDENT, Shukan Bunshun, and Nikkei Health, and I lecture to clinicians and the public in the U.S. and Japan.
I split my time between New York and Japan, which keeps me connected to both clinical traditions.
For media or speaking inquiries, email [email protected].
Credentials at a glance
- Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), licensed in New York
- DACBSP — Diplomate, American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians
- Team USA medical staff volunteer since 2013 (2019 Pan American Games, 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games)
- USA Fencing training camps, every year since 2018; treated Olympic fencers at London, Rio, Tokyo, and Paris
- Fourth generation, Nakano Seitai (founded 1926)
- Author of several books in Japan
Start with a conversation
If you are dealing with pain or an injury — or simply want to move better — the first visit is where we figure out what is happening and what to do next.