What Kinds of Services Do Chiropractors Typically Offer?

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By Butler Family Health Center · Published 2026-10-16 · Last updated 2026-10-16

Chiropractors typically offer a hands-on exam, spinal and joint adjustments, and supporting therapies such as stretching and exercise, soft tissue work, heat and ice, electrical stimulation and posture advice. At Butler Family Health Center, a chiropractor in Centennial inside Peakview Center on S Quebec Street, Dr. Butler pairs those basics with shockwave therapy, Remy Class IV laser therapy and spinal decompression, all in one office.

Which of those services you actually receive depends on what your exam finds, how long the problem has been around, and your age and activity level. Someone who drives I-25 to a desk job every day needs a different plan than a teenager hurt in a game.

Below you will find what each service is, what a first visit looks like, the conditions people bring in, the safety limits worth knowing, and what booking with us includes.

Services a Chiropractor in Centennial Typically Offers

A chiropractor in Centennial typically offers an exam, adjustments and a set of supporting therapies built around your diagnosis. According to the NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, chiropractors take a detailed health history, examine you, run tests, reach a working diagnosis, build a management plan and track your progress. Treatment may include exercise and nutritional counseling. Colorado law describes chiropractic as including diagnosis, spinal and joint adjustment, and "sanitary, hygienic, nutritional, and physical remedial measures."

For an office worker in the Denver Tech Center or Inverness, that usually adds up to more than one service per visit. Here is how the pieces fit:

Service	What it is	Who it often fits
Chiropractic exam	History, physical exam and tests that lead to a working diagnosis	Every new patient
Spinal adjustment	A controlled thrust by hand or device to a spinal joint	Back pain, neck pain, stiff joints
Mobilization and stretching	Joint movement without a thrust, plus sustained pressure	Patients who need gentler work
Soft tissue work	Hands-on work on tight muscles	Muscle tension, posture strain
Exercise and posture coaching	Stretches and ergonomic advice for home and work	Desk workers, athletes
Shockwave, laser, decompression	Advanced in-office therapies at Butler Family Health Center	Patients whose exam points to them

A commuter from Greenwood Village with a stiff neck and a runner with a sore knee may both leave with an adjustment. Their add-on care will look different.

What Is the Main Hands-On Treatment at a Centennial Chiropractor?

The main hands-on treatment at a Centennial chiropractor is spinal manipulation, which the NIH describes as a technique where practitioners "use their hands or a device to apply a controlled thrust to a joint of your spine." Mobilization is a gentler technique with no thrust. The goal of manual methods is to improve how a joint moves and functions.

Cleveland Clinic says "you will not feel severe pain during a chiropractic adjustment," and any soreness afterward usually goes away within 24 hours. Patients here say the same. As Eric R. put it in a review, "Dr. Chris Butler is exceptional. Very gentle when getting adjusted."

What to Expect at a First Chiropractic Visit in Centennial

A first chiropractic exam in Centennial follows a clear order. Spine-health puts the first consultation at about 45 minutes or more, with follow-up visits closer to 10 to 20 minutes. Here is what to expect:

1. Health history. You describe the pain, when it started and what makes it better or worse.
2. Physical exam. Posture, range of motion and orthopedic tests on the painful area.
3. Diagnostic studies, when needed. Imaging is not automatic (more on that below).
4. Working diagnosis and plan. Your chiropractor explains what was found and what care is recommended.
5. First treatment. Often an adjustment plus a supporting therapy, if the exam supports it.

We serve patients from Southglenn, Castlewood and Cherry Creek, and from neighborhoods along East Arapahoe Road. We offer same-day appointments and take walk-ins, so you do not have to wait a week to start.

Will a Centennial Chiropractor Take X-Rays at Your First Visit?

A Centennial chiropractor will not always take X-rays at your first visit. Spine-health notes that "while an x-ray is the most common diagnostic study used during an initial chiropractic exam, it is not always needed." Cleveland Clinic adds that, if needed, imaging such as X-ray, CT or MRI may be ordered. Whether you need it depends on your history and exam findings.

Chiropractic Therapies Besides Adjustments in Centennial

Centennial chiropractors use several therapies besides adjustments, and most plans combine two or three of them. Cleveland Clinic and MedlinePlus list these among the common ones:

• Heat and ice for sore or inflamed tissue
• Electrical stimulation, including TENS
• Exercises and stretches you continue at home
• Soft tissue therapy for tight muscles
• Taping to support a joint
• Ergonomic and posture advice
• Relaxation techniques and lifestyle counseling
• Nutrition guidance

The mix depends on how you spend your day. A runner logging miles on the High Line Canal Trail may get stretches and soft tissue work for tight hips, while a cyclist on the Willow Creek Trail might need help with a stiff upper back. Someone who takes RTD from the Orchard station and then sits for eight hours may get workstation and posture advice alongside adjustments.

Which Advanced Therapies Does Butler Family Health Center Offer?

Butler Family Health Center offers three advanced therapies in the same office as your adjustments: shockwave therapy, Remy Class IV laser therapy and spinal decompression therapy. Max M. wrote, "Adjustments have been great and the Shockwave therapy has been really helpful for my wrists!" Patients driving in from Englewood or Greenwood Village get the adjustment and the advanced therapy under one roof.

Aches and Injuries Centennial Chiropractors Commonly Treat

Centennial chiropractors commonly treat lower back and neck pain, headaches and migraines, sciatica, whiplash, arthritis, joint pain and muscle aches. Pain is the main reason people go: in 2022, 85.7 percent of adults who used chiropractic care used it for pain management. Use has grown too, from 7.4 percent of U.S. adults in 2002 to 11.0 percent in 2022.

The strongest research is for low back pain, where spinal manipulation "may lead to small improvements in both pain and function." We never promise a cure. Our office also treats pinched nerves, herniated and bulging discs, TMJ, vertigo, shoulder and knee pain, carpal tunnel and plantar fasciitis.

Where to start, by situation:

• If you were rear-ended on I-25 or East Arapahoe Road, then book an exam with us. We accept auto accident and personal injury cases.
• If your neck aches by mid-afternoon at a Denver Tech Center desk, then book a visit for posture correction and adjustments.
• If you train near Dove Valley, home of the Broncos' Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse, or play weekend games at DeKoevend Park, then book a sports chiropractic visit with Dr. Butler.
• If you were hurt on the job, then call us about a workers' compensation case.

Do Chiropractors in Centennial See Kids, Pregnant Patients and Seniors?

Chiropractors in Centennial can see patients of every age, and Dr. Butler treats newborns to seniors. We offer pediatric, pregnancy and family chiropractic, so parents with student athletes in Cherry Creek Public Schools or Littleton Public Schools can keep the whole family with one doctor. For pregnancy, the NIH advises discussing risks and benefits with your provider because research is limited.

Families driving in from Littleton or Cherry Hills Village get the same long-term care, and some patients have been with us for decades. "I have been coming to Dr Butler for 20 years and I would never go anywhere else," wrote Mike S.

Side Effects to Know Before a Chiropractic Visit in Centennial

The side effects to know about before a chiropractic visit in Centennial are mostly mild. The NIH lists pain, stiffness or headache as common and says "most of these side effects go away within 24 hours." Serious problems are "very rare," though accurate rates are not known. Rare tears of a neck artery that can cause stroke have been reported, and whether manipulation causes them is still debated.

Cleveland Clinic puts it this way: "Only a licensed, professional chiropractor should treat you."

Which Symptoms Mean You Should See a Medical Doctor First?

Some symptoms mean you should see a medical doctor first. Cleveland Clinic says to contact a provider if you notice weakness, numbness or worsening pain after an adjustment, and to tell your primary care physician about any pain you are having, including chronic pain lasting more than three months. If a symptom is sudden and severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room before booking any chiropractic visit.

Reasons to Book a Chiropractor at Butler Family Health Center in Centennial

Booking a chiropractor at Butler Family Health Center in Centennial puts the exam, the adjustment and the advanced therapies with one doctor who has practiced since 1996. What that includes:

• Care for newborns to seniors in one office
• Same-day appointments and walk-ins
• Preferred provider for Anthem, Blue Cross, Aetna, Cofinity, Humana, Cigna, United Healthcare and others
• Auto accident, personal injury, slip and fall, and workers' compensation cases accepted
• Cash plans for patients without insurance or with high deductibles, and HSA debit cards accepted
• 4.9 stars on Google from more than 70 reviews

Reviewers often mention that Dr. Butler listens. Melanie H. wrote, "From the very beginning, I felt listened to, cared for, and never rushed." The office sits in Peakview Center near I-25, a short drive from the Denver Tech Center, Greenwood Village and Inverness.

What Training Does a Chiropractor in Colorado Have?

A chiropractor in Colorado holds a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, passes the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners exam and keeps a state license. D.C. programs typically take four years, students must have at least three years of undergraduate education, and scope of practice varies by state. Dr. Butler earned his D.C. at Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City, Missouri, and has been a chiropractor since 1996.

The Bottom Line

Chiropractors typically offer an exam, spinal and joint adjustments, and supporting therapies such as stretching, soft tissue work, heat and ice, electrical stimulation and posture advice. The right mix depends on your exam, and the best evidence is for low back pain. Butler Family Health Center adds shockwave, Remy Class IV laser and spinal decompression, accepts most major insurance plus auto accident and workers' compensation cases, and sees walk-ins and same-day patients. If you want a chiropractor in Centennial who listens first, call or text Dr. Butler's office at (303) 741-2444 to book your exam.