Sports & family chiropractic · Highlands, Denver
Hands-on care for backs, necks, and the joints that carry you up trails and through long workdays. Plain-language plans, no pressure to sign up for months of visits, and same-week openings for new patients.
New patients: exam, movement screen, and first adjustment for $79. See what's included.
"Motion is medicine. We just help you get the door open."Dr. Elena Vasquez, DC
What we treat
Six things we see most, and how we approach each. Many patients report feeling looser after the first few visits, though every body and every timeline is different.
Stiff mornings, desk aches, "I bent over and it went."
Our approach Movement screen to find what is overloaded and what is lazy, gentle adjustments, then two or three home exercises you will actually do. Most plans are 4–8 visits, not 40.
Screen neck, whiplash, the knot that never quite leaves.
Our approach Cervical and upper-back adjustments, soft-tissue work on the traps, and a desk setup check. We will also talk honestly about your pillow.
Pain, tingling, or zaps running from the hip down the leg.
Our approach We check whether the nerve is irritated at the spine or the hip, then use flexion-distraction and nerve-glide work. If your symptoms need imaging or a referral, we say so at visit one.
Runners' hips, cyclists' backs, climbers' shoulders, ski knees.
Our approach Sport-specific assessment, joint and soft-tissue work, kinesiology taping when it helps, and a return-to-play plan written around your race calendar, not a generic one.
Tension headaches that start at the base of the skull.
Our approach Many tension-type headaches are tied to the upper neck. We work the suboccipital muscles and upper cervical joints and track your headache days so we both can see what changes.
Rounded shoulders, forward head, eight hours of laptop.
Our approach Thoracic mobility work, adjustments where the mid-back is stuck, and a photo of your desk so we can fix the cause. No posture-brace sales pitch.
Your first visit
You will leave knowing what we found, what we think is going on, and what it would take to help. No surprise "care plan" presentation in a side room.
We sit down first. When it started, what makes it better or worse, what you are training for, what you have already tried. Bring imaging if you have it.
10 minutesYou move, we watch. Squat, hinge, reach, turn. Then orthopedic and neurological checks so we know what is safe to adjust and what needs a referral.
15 minutesIf it is appropriate, you get treated the same day: adjustment, soft-tissue work, or both. You leave with a written plan and two home exercises.
20 minutesNew-patient offer
Techniques, in plain words
The classic hands-on adjustment. A quick, specific push to a joint that is not moving well. Sometimes there is a pop; sometimes there is not. Both are fine.
A small spring-loaded tool that delivers a light, precise tap. Good for kids, older patients, and anyone who would rather skip the twisting.
A gentle stretching motion on a moving table that decompresses the low back. This is our first choice for disc-related pain and sciatica.
Hands or a smooth steel tool working along tight muscle and fascia. It looks intense; most people describe it as "good sore."
Two or three exercises, filmed on your phone at the office so you remember them. Progressed each visit.
Stretchy tape that supports a joint or cues a muscle for a few days. Used around events and early return to sport.
Patient reviews
"I came in two weeks before a trail marathon convinced I'd have to drop out. Dr. Vasquez was honest that she couldn't promise anything, worked on my hip, gave me three drills. I finished."
"First chiropractor who didn't try to sell me a 36-visit package. Six visits, my neck feels better than it has in years, and I got told to come back only if I need to."
"They see my 9-year-old goalkeeper and my 71-year-old mom in the same afternoon. Front desk texts reminders, the parking is easy, the vibe is calm."
Owner · Chiropractor
Grew up in Pueblo, trained at Palmer West, and spent four seasons with a collegiate track team before opening Summit in 2015. Certified in sports chiropractic (CCSP). Trail runs badly and happily.
Associate · Chiropractor
Joined in 2021 after a focus on pediatric and prenatal care. Webster-certified. The gentle-technique specialist for kids, expecting parents, and anyone nervous about being adjusted.
Front desk · Billing
The voice on the phone and the person who fights your insurer so you do not have to. Ask her about superbills, HSA receipts, and which parking spots are actually ours.
We are in-network with several major PPO plans; call and Tessa will check yours in two minutes. Out of network? We give you an itemized superbill to submit yourself. HSA and FSA cards are accepted for every visit, and self-pay follow-ups are a flat $65.
Book a consult
Tessa replies within one business hour, usually faster. Prefer to talk? Call and a person picks up.
Call (303) 555-0142 or text us · hello@summitspinedenver.example
Open Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday. Full hours
Second floor, elevator in the lobby, free 90-minute parking in the lot behind the building. Ten minutes from downtown, two from the Sloan's Lake loop.
No. Colorado lets you see a chiropractor directly. If your exam suggests imaging would change what we do, we will order it or refer you, and we will say why.
Most people describe pressure and a quick release, not pain. If you are nervous or have osteoporosis or a recent injury, we use the Activator or gentle mobilization instead. You can always ask us to stop or change approach.
It depends on what is going on, and we will give you an honest estimate at the end of your first visit. Most acute problems land somewhere between 4 and 8 visits. We do not sell prepaid packages.
Yes. Dr. Okafor is Webster-certified and sees kids from infancy up. We adjust our technique and table setup for every stage of pregnancy.
We do not promise cures, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Many patients report meaningful relief and better movement, and our job is to find out quickly whether you are likely to be one of them. If you are not responding, we refer you on.
Anything you can move in. Athletic clothes are ideal. We have gowns and shorts if you are coming from the office.