Frequently Asked Questions in Littleton CO

Chiropractic care in Littleton CO can help with back pain, sciatica, whiplash injuries, prenatal care, neck pain, headaches, sports injuries, and degenerative and bulging discs. Chiropractic care helps these symptoms by correcting structural misalignments and removing pressure from the vertebral discs.

Just because you didn't hear a sound from an adjustment does not mean it didn't work. Most adjustments do elicit a "popping" sound but chiropractors are looking for increased motion and correct alignment of the joint being adjusted, not the sound.

We take most insurances and are happy to check if there is any chiropractic coverage on the first visit. We are in network with Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Medicare. If insurance does not cover our cash price is very affordable and we encourage people to take advantage of our new patient special of $19.00.

Chiropractic is very safe. Chiropractors have very low malpractice insurance compared to other doctors because of how safe and effective it is.

Chiropractic adjustments are not addicting. The reason patients come back is they realize the benefits it provides to their overall health.

Dr. Brad Bourne and our team at Littleton Chiropractic specialize in providing safe, gentle, and highly effective prenatal chiropractic care tailored to every stage of your pregnancy. We focus on helping expectant mothers stay comfortable, active, and fully prepared for childbirth.

Here is exactly how Dr. Brad supports you and your growing baby right here in our office:

Relieving Pregnancy-Related Pain

As your body changes, weight shifts forward, and the hormone "relaxin" loosens your ligaments, it causes spinal misalignments. Dr. Brad uses specialized, low-force adjustment methods designed specifically for pregnant bodies to provide fast relief without medications:

• Alleviates Lower Back Pain & Sciatica: We target the precise areas where structural shifts irritate your nerves, reducing deep lower back aches and shooting sciatic pain.
• Reduces Joint & Muscle Strain: Our gentle adjustments take the pressure off your hips, pelvic joints, and upper back to keep you moving comfortably.
• Manages Headaches & Tension: By restoring proper cervical alignment, Dr. Brad helps naturally eliminate pregnancy-induced headaches and neck strain.

Preparing Your Body for a Smoother Birth

We don't just focus on symptom relief; our care actively prepares your pelvis and uterus for labor.

• Optimizing Pelvic Alignment: Dr. Brad ensures your pelvis and sacrum are balanced. This maximizes the room your baby has to move into the optimal, head-down position for birth.
• Shorter, Safer Labor Times: Clinical data shows that maintaining proper spinal alignment can reduce labor times by up to 24% for first-time mothers, and up to 39% for experienced mothers.

What to Expect in Our Office

We understand that pregnancy can feel overwhelming, so we design our office experience to be as stress-free and supportive as possible:

• No Pressure on Your Belly: We utilize specialized adjusting tables and supportive pregnancy cushions so you can lie down comfortably and safely during your care.
• Personalized, Listening Care: Dr. Brad takes the time to truly listen to your unique symptoms and adapts your care plan as your pregnancy progresses.
• Postpartum Recovery: After your delivery, we are here to help realign your pelvis and spine, speeding up your transition back to a healthy, pain-free post-pregnancy body.

Chiropractic is very safe and beneficial for children. The earlier spinal problems are detected, the easier they are to fix.

Chiropractors have 8 years of education. They earn their doctor of chiropractic and are very knowledgeable in anatomy and radiology. Chiropractors are considered specialists in musculoskeletal disorders.

Patients can see a chiropractor after spinal surgery. Chiropractic treatment can vary depending on what surgical procedure has been performed. Spinal decompression is very effective with spinal fusions.

The number of chiropractic treatments varies with each patient. No two people are the same. Every patient is given a recommended treatment plan that gives us the best opportunity for success.

Dr. Brad Bourne and our team at Littleton Chiropractic combine multiple advanced therapies to provide fast, targeted relief for lower back pain. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, Dr. Brad customizes your treatment using a powerful combination of manual adjustments, advanced decompression technology, and targeted muscle therapies right here in our office.

Here is exactly how each of these therapies works to eliminate your lower back pain:

1. Chiropractic Adjustments

Dr. Brad performs precise, gentle spinal adjustments to restore proper alignment to your lumbar spine and pelvis.

• Restores Joint Mobility: Misaligned vertebrae lock up, causing inflammation and restricted movement. Adjustments unlock these joints, immediately reducing local swelling.
• Relieves Nerve Pressure: Realignment removes the direct structural pressure on your lower back nerves, providing quick relief from sharp, localized pain.

2. Spinal Decompression

For deep, stubborn, or disc-related pain, we utilize non-surgical spinal decompression therapy.

• Relieves Herniated & Bulging Discs: This computerized traction system gently stretches your spine, creating a negative pressure (vacuum effect) inside the spinal discs.
• Draws in Nutrients: The vacuum effect helps pull bulging or herniated disc material back into place while drawing in nutrient-rich fluids to speed up natural healing.

3. Flexion-Distraction Therapy

This is a gentle, hands-on traction technique performed on a specialized, moving adjusting table.

• Decompresses the Lower Back: As the table gently drops and flexes, Dr. Brad manually stretches your lower spine.
• Widens the Spinal Canal: This movement increases the space between your vertebrae, making it highly effective for treating sciatica, spinal stenosis, and deep joint stiffness without any harsh twisting.

4. Shockwave Therapy

We are proud to offer advanced Shockwave Therapy in Littleton CO for severe muscle tension, chronic low back strain, and connective tissue injuries Breaks Down Scar Tissue: This non-invasive device delivers acoustic pressure pulses deep into your upper trapezius and neck muscles.

• Triggers Rapid Healing: The pulses stimulate cellular repair, break up painful trigger points, and flood the injured tissue with fresh blood flow to significantly lower your daily pain.

5. Targeted Stretches & Rehabilitation

Active recovery is crucial to keeping your back pain from returning. Dr. Brad guides you through specific, controlled stretches in the office.

• Elongates Tight Muscles: We target tight hamstrings, hip flexors, and lower back muscles that pull your spine out of alignment.
• Prevents Future Injuries: You will receive a personalized home routine to strengthen your core and stabilize your lumbar spine, ensuring your back stays strong long after you leave our office.

At Littleton Chiropractic, spinal adjustments are never a "must" for treating neck pain. Dr. Brad Bourne believes in listening to your comfort level and tailoring care specifically to your body. If you prefer not to be adjusted—or if your neck irritation is too acute for manual manipulation—we can completely bypass traditional adjustments.

Instead, Dr. Brad utilizes an advanced combination of decompression technology, targeted therapies, and rehabilitative exercises to safely relieve your neck pain. Here is how we customize your treatment right here in our office:

1. Gentle Cervical Adjustments (Optional)

If you choose to receive adjustments, Dr. Brad uses highly precise, low-force techniques to correct misaligned cervical vertebrae. This removes structural pressure from compressed nerves, reduces local inflammation, and restores a normal, pain-free range of motion when turning your head.

2. Cervical Spinal Decompression

For stubborn neck pain, pinched nerves, or bulging and herniated discs, we use non-surgical spinal decompression technology.

• Reduces Disc Pressure: You lie comfortably while a computerized system applies gentle, calibrated traction to slowly stretch the cervical spine.
• Creates a Vacuum Effect: This gentle pulling creates negative pressure within the spinal discs, taking the pressure off compressed nerves and pulling vital fluids back into the discs to accelerate natural healing.

3. Shockwave Therapy

We are proud to offer advanced Shockwave Therapy in Littleton CO for severe muscle tension, chronic neck strain, and connective tissue injuries Breaks Down Scar Tissue: This non-invasive device delivers acoustic pressure pulses deep into your upper trapezius and neck muscles.

• Triggers Rapid Healing: The pulses stimulate cellular repair, break up painful trigger points, and flood the injured tissue with fresh blood flow to significantly lower your daily pain.

5. Specialized Rehab Exercises

Long-term relief requires rebuilding the structural support around your cervical spine. Based on the comprehensive Pettibon System of rehabilitation, we guide you through targeted neck exercises right in the office.

• Corrects Forward Head Posture: We target the weakened postural muscles caused by looking at screens and driving.
• Stabilizes the Spine: These exercises strengthen the soft tissues around your vertebrae to ensure your neck stays stable and pain-free long after your treatment plan is complete.

Dr. Brad Bourne and our team at Littleton Chiropractic specialize in providing rapid, non-surgical relief from the shooting pain, numbness, and tingling of sciatica. We focus on fixing the actual root cause of your pain rather than just masking the symptoms.

Here is how Dr. Brad uses advanced spinal decompression to target and eliminate your sciatica right here in our office:

Relieving Pressure on Lumbar Nerve Roots

Sciatica happens when the sciatic nerve gets compressed or irritated in your lower back, usually due to a bulging, herniated, or degenerated disc. Dr. Brad utilizes non-surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy to gently resolve this structural issue: The Vacuum Effect: You lie comfortably on a computerized decompression table that applies precise, gentle traction to your lower back. This stretching creates a negative pressure (a vacuum effect) inside the compressed lumbar discs.

• Retracting Disc Material: This vacuum pressure helps pull herniated or bulging disc material back into its proper place, drawing it away from the sensitive lumbar nerve roots.
• Flooding the Area with Nutrients: The gentle pumping action floods the damaged, avascular disc with oxygen, water, and nutrient-rich fluids, accelerating the body's natural healing process.

A Comprehensive Approach to Lasting Relief

To ensure your sciatica stays gone, Dr. Brad combines spinal decompression with other supportive therapies tailored to your comfort level:

• Gentle Realignment: Precise adjustments ensure the joints surrounding the nerve are moving properly.
• Muscle Relief: Electric stimulation or targeted stretching relaxes the tight gluteal and lower back muscles that can aggravate the sciatic nerve.

At Littleton Chiropractic, Dr. Brad Bourne utilizes non-surgical cervical and lumbar spinal decompression as an advanced, computer-controlled therapy to treat severe neck, back, and radiating nerve pain.

Whether Dr. Brad is targeting your neck (cervical decompression) or your lower back (lumbar decompression), he uses this state-of-the-art technology to heal your spine from the inside out using the exact same physiological process:

1. Creating a Negative Pressure Vacuum

Dr. Brad will help you get positioned comfortably on our specialized decompression table using customized harness systems to secure either your head (for cervical) or your hips (for lumbar). The computerized system then applies precise, gentle, and calibrated pulling forces. This targeted stretching creates a negative pressure vacuum inside your compressed spinal discs.

2. Retracting Bulging and Herniated Discs

When your spine is compressed, discs can bulge or herniate outward, pinching the sensitive nerve roots that travel down your arms (from the neck) or down your legs (from the lower back). The vacuum effect Dr. Brad creates with the decompression table helps pull that bulging or herniated disc material back into its proper place, instantly taking the physical pressure off your nerves.

3. Flooding the Discs with Nutrients

Spinal discs have a very poor blood supply, which is why they heal so slowly on their own. The computerized traction machine alternates between pulling and relaxing cycles. This gentle pumping action floods the damaged discs with fresh oxygen, water, and nutrient-rich fluids, accelerating your body’s natural cellular repair process.

The Dr. Brad Difference

Unlike older traction beds that cause your muscles to seize up, the advanced system Dr. Brad uses bypasses your body’s natural muscle-guarding reflex. It gently tricks your nervous system into relaxing, making the treatment completely painless and often so soothing that our patients fall asleep during their sessions.

Dr. Brad Bourne and our team at Littleton Chiropractic specialize in providing highly effective, non-surgical relief for herniated and bulging discs. Instead of relying on invasive surgeries or temporary pain injections, Dr. Brad uses advanced spinal decompression technology to target the root cause of your disc pain.

Here is a brief look at how Dr. Brad uses spinal decompression to heal your herniated or bulging discs right here in our office:

1. Relieving the Pressure (The Vacuum Effect)

Dr. Brad positions you comfortably on our computerized decompression table. The system applies precise, gentle, and automated pulling forces tailored to your body. This targeted stretching separates the vertebrae, creating a negative pressure vacuum directly inside the damaged disc.

2. Retracting the Disc Material

When a disc is bulging or herniated, its jelly-like center pushes outward, pinching nearby nerves and causing severe back, neck, or radiating limb pain. The vacuum effect Dr. Brad creates helps draw the bulging or herniated disc material back into its proper boundaries. This instantly takes the physical pressure off your sensitive nerve roots

3. Accelerating Natural Cellular Repair

Spinal discs naturally lack a direct blood supply, which makes healing incredibly slow. The decompression machine gently alternates between pulling and relaxing cycles. This pumping action floods the injured disc with fresh oxygen, water, and nutrient-rich fluids, giving your body the essential resources it needs to repair the disc from the inside out.

Safe, Painless, and Effective

The state-of-the-art system Dr. Brad uses is smart enough to bypass your body’s natural muscle-guarding reflex. This means your muscles won't tense up or spasm during treatment, making the process completely painless, comfortable, and highly effective.

Dr. Brad Bourne and our team at Littleton Chiropractic specialize in targeted, non-surgical recovery for whiplash injuries sustained in auto accidents. When a car crash forces your head to whip violently forward and backward, it causes severe structural damage to the cervical spine, tears soft tissues, and destabilizes the neck.

To ensure complete healing and prevent chronic, long-term pain, Dr. Brad utilizes an advanced combination of therapies tailored specifically to your auto accident injury:

1. Advanced Shockwave Therapy for Muscle & Ligament Tears

Whiplash causes micro-tears in the delicate muscles and ligaments supporting your neck. Dr. Brad uses non-invasive Shockwave Therapy to send acoustic pressure waves deep into these damaged soft tissues. This technology breaks down painful scar tissue, flushes out localized inflammation, and accelerates cellular repair to quickly restore your range of motion.

2. Cervical Spinal Decompression for Disc & Nerve Damage

The extreme force of a car crash often compresses the cervical spine, causing discs to bulge or herniate. Dr. Brad utilizes computerized spinal decompression to gently stretch the neck. This creates a negative pressure vacuum that pulls herniated disc material away from pinched nerve roots, instantly relieving radiating pain, numbness, and whiplash-induced headaches.

3. Gentle Cervical Adjustments (Completely Optional)

Misaligned neck vertebrae from a collision cause acute pain and restricted movement. Dr. Brad performs highly precise, low-force adjustments to realign your cervical spine and restore mobility. However, because whiplash can leave the neck incredibly tender, adjustments are never a requirement—we can easily focus entirely on our advanced, non-manipulative therapies.

4. Targeted Rehab Exercises for Long-Term Neck Stability

To prevent the neck muscles from improperly healing in a weak, shortened position, Dr. Brad guides you through specific car-accident rehabilitation exercises. These targeted movements rebuild the deep postural muscles of the neck, stabilize the cervical spine, and ensure you regain full, pain-free mobility without lingering stiffness.

At Littleton Chiropractic, Dr. Brad Bourne utilizes non-invasive Shockwave Therapy to accelerate healing in damaged soft tissues, muscles, and ligaments. This state-of-the-art technology treats the root cause of chronic pain and stubborn injuries through a highly effective biological process:

1. Delivering Acoustic Pressure Waves

Dr. Brad applies a specialized, handheld device directly to your skin over the injured area. The machine generates high-energy acoustic soundwaves (not electrical shocks) that travel deep into your muscles, tendons, and connective tissues

2. Breaking Down Scar Tissue and Calcifications

Injuries from car accidents, poor posture, or repetitive strain often heal improperly, creating dense patches of scar tissue and adhesion. The intense pressure waves delivered by Dr. Brad safely break up these painful, rigid adhesions and calcified deposits, unlocking tight muscle knots and instantly improving flexibility.

3. Flooding the Area with Blood Flow

The micro-trauma created by the soundwaves triggers a powerful healing response from your nervous system. Your body responds by dilating local blood vessels and forming new ones (angiogenesis). This massively increases circulation, flooding the injured area with fresh oxygen, nutrients, and the body's natural healing cells.

4. Triggering Rapid Cellular Repair

By stimulating the release of growth factors and stem cells, Shockwave Therapy forces long-standing, chronic injuries to enter an acute healing phase. Dr. Brad uses this technology to turn off chronic inflammation signals, drastically lower daily pain, and trick the body into rapidly rebuilding healthy, flexible tissue.