In a mountain community built around skiing, cycling, hiking and other physical pursuits, staying mobile can have a direct effect on how people spend their days. Chiropractic care can encompass more than spinal adjustments, with some practices incorporating rehabilitation, soft-tissue techniques, movement assessments and other conservative therapies into individualized care plans. Summit County offers several approaches to that model, giving Best of Summit readers options ranging from sports-focused rehabilitation to family and whole-body wellness care.
Dr. Jeffrey Auth founded Auth Chiropractic and Vitality Center in 2000 after earning his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Parker College of Chiropractic. His own background includes professional high diving and competitive mogul skiing, experiences that helped shape a practice oriented toward active lifestyles and natural approaches to care. Chiropractic services form the foundation, while the Dillon center also offers non-surgical spinal decompression, massage therapy, acupuncture, custom orthotics and Rolfing. Auth introduced the DRS Protocol using IDD Therapy after dealing with three herniated discs himself. The broader Vitality Center model brings these services together under one roof, allowing treatment plans to incorporate different approaches according to individual needs.
Backcountry Chiropractic takes a neurologically focused approach that considers the relationship between spinal function and the nervous system. The Frisco practice is led by Dr. Danny Otis and Dr. Alex Paul, who emphasize individualized care rather than a one-size-fits-all model. Initial evaluations incorporate health history, examination and assessments intended to provide a broader picture of nervous system and musculoskeletal function before a care plan is developed. The practice works with adults as well as prenatal and pediatric patients, and its areas of focus include concerns related to the neck, back and sciatica along with wellness and maintenance care. This whole-body framework makes education and ongoing assessment important parts of the patient experience.
Summit Chiropractic and Rehabilitation has brought sports chiropractic to Summit County since 1996. The Dillon practice works extensively with skiers, mountain bikers, climbers, runners and other active patients, treating joints throughout the body rather than concentrating exclusively on the spine. Chiropractic manipulation works alongside rehabilitation and manual soft-tissue therapy, while the office also offers acupuncture and dry needling, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, orthotic services and functional medicine. In-office X-ray and musculoskeletal ultrasound give its practitioners additional diagnostic tools, including the ability to evaluate some soft-tissue structures dynamically. The combination reflects a practice built around conservative care, rehabilitation and helping patients return to activity.
Chiropractic Health and Acupuncture combines three complementary disciplines — chiropractic, acupuncture and massage therapy — within a small Frisco practice. Dr. John L. Graham provides chiropractic care using several techniques, including diversified, flexion-distraction, Thompson and instrument-assisted approaches. His training also includes prenatal and pediatric chiropractic care and the Webster Technique. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine services expand the practice with options such as cupping, gua sha and moxibustion, while therapeutic massage adds sports, deep-tissue and injury-recovery work. The office deliberately spaces appointments and emphasizes keeping patients with their practitioner throughout the visit, supporting an individualized approach across its different services.
Elevated Wellness Chiropractic focuses on active individuals and prenatal patients, pairing adjustments with assessment, rehabilitation and several complementary techniques. Functional movement screening helps guide individualized rehabilitation, while chiropractic adjustments can address the spine as well as extremity joints. The practice's wider treatment toolbox includes dry needling, cupping, soft-tissue therapy, electrical stimulation, assisted stretching, taping and radial shockwave therapy. Prenatal care incorporates the Webster Technique, and Functional Range Release and Conditioning provides another avenue for mobility-focused work. This multimodal approach places chiropractic within a larger plan designed around movement, function and helping patients return to the activities that matter to them.
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