Cold Laser Therapy
Low-level light applied to irritated tissue to support the body's own recovery process, with no incision and no medication.
Often used for: Inflamed soft tissue, slow-healing strains, localized pain
Meet Dr. Dean Younker, D.C.
A Grand Junction Chiropractor Who Takes the Time to Figure Out What's Really Going On.
When you've been hurting for a while, or you've already tried treatments that didn't give you the results you hoped for, you don't need another one-size-fits-all approach.
You need someone who will listen.
Dr. Dean Younker has been caring for patients in Grand Junction since 1997, helping people understand what may be contributing to their pain and finding an approach designed around the individual, not just the symptom.
At Peak Performance Chiropractic, the goal isn't simply to get you through another appointment. It's to help you get back to the life pain has been interrupting.
Dr. Dean Younker, D.C., Peak Performance Chiropractic, Grand Junction, Colorado. Serving the Grand Valley since 1997.
Where it started
For Dr. Dean Younker, Chiropractic Is Personal.
When I was ten years old, I watched my dad suddenly lose his ability to fully engage with his life and his family.
He injured his back and sought chiropractic care. But on his third visit, something went terribly wrong.
Dad came home bent over and unable to stand up straight. He could barely get into his truck. He spent his evenings lying on a mattress on our living room floor just so he could watch TV with us.
And as a ten-year-old boy, I watched the dad I knew slowly disappear from the things he loved. He couldn't come to our games. He couldn't take me hunting. He was a private pilot, but he couldn't fly. Even the simple parts of everyday life became difficult.
Pain hadn't just affected my dad's back. It had taken him away from his life.
The turning point
“I Tried Chiropractic. It Didn't Work for Me.”
My mom encouraged Dad to see her uncle, a chiropractor in Casper, Wyoming, about 400 miles away. Dad didn't want to go.
After what he'd experienced, his response was understandable: “I tried chiropractic, and it didn't work for me.” He was ready to give up on chiropractic altogether.
Several weeks passed before Mom finally put Dad in the car and drove him to Casper. Her uncle, who we called Uncle Doc, evaluated Dad and worked with him. After that first appointment, Dad was able to stand upright again.
And something changed. Not just physically. Hope came back. Dad continued making the trip to Casper for care, and I remember thinking that when someone makes that kind of difference in your life, you're willing to drive 400 miles to see them.
Inside the practice
Listening First. Examining Before Treating. Explaining Everything.
Care at Peak Performance starts with a conversation, continues with a careful evaluation, and always includes a clear explanation of what we find.
Every new relationship starts with your story.
A careful evaluation before any treatment begins.
You deserve to understand what we find.
My path
That's Where My Story Really Began.
In between those trips to Casper, Uncle Doc showed me how to “block” my dad. I was just a kid helping my dad the way I'd been shown. But looking back, I think that's when my path really began.
Over time, I watched Dad return to the things he'd lost. He flew again. He took me hunting again. He came to my games again.
What happened changed his life. But it changed mine too. I knew I wanted to spend my life helping other people get back to the things, and the people, they love.
I got my dad back.
The person behind the practice
Get to Know Dr. Younker
Credentials tell you where someone trained. These tell you who you're actually sitting across from.
Why he became a chiropractor
At ten years old, he watched his father have a bad chiropractic experience and nearly give up on it, until the right chiropractor gave him his life back. That moment decided his career.
Why Grand Junction
He took over Peak Performance Chiropractic in 1997 and has called the Grand Valley home ever since, caring for the same families and communities for nearly three decades.
The cases he enjoys most
Difficult ones. People who have been hurting for months or years, or who tried chiropractic before and didn't get the results they were hoping for.
What he wishes patients knew
Chiropractic isn't one single technique. A poor experience with one approach doesn't tell us how you'll respond to a different one.
Community and professional life
A member of the Colorado Chiropractic Association and the local Grand Junction chiropractic community, he has spent his career inside the profession, not on its sidelines.
What he tells every new patient
You don't need to know which technique you need before you walk in. That's what the evaluation is for.
What I see
Engage With Your Life Again.
That experience is why I don't simply see a person with “back pain” when someone walks into my office.
I see the game you aren't attending. The grandchild you're hesitant to pick up. The hunting trip you're missing. The airplane you're not flying. The hike you've stopped taking. The workday you're struggling to finish. The nights you aren't sleeping.
Pain can make your life smaller without you even realizing how much you've given up.
My goal is to help you understand what's happening and, when chiropractic care is appropriate, develop a personalized approach that helps you move toward doing the things that matter to you again.
Because feeling better is important. Living better is the goal.
Already tried chiropractic?
Dr. Younker Wants to Hear About It.
Maybe you've already been adjusted. Maybe you've tried physical therapy, massage, injections, medications, exercises, or other approaches. And you're still hurting.
Don't assume that means you're out of options.
Dr. Younker particularly enjoys evaluating challenging cases and working with people who have tried chiropractic before but didn't get the results they were hoping for. Why? Because chiropractic isn't one single technique. He has spent decades developing experience with different approaches, therapies, and technologies so he has options when a patient's body doesn't respond to one particular method.
Instead of asking “How do I fit this patient into my treatment?” the better question is “What approach makes the most sense for this patient?”
Dr. Younker wants to know
What happened?
How long has this been bothering you?
What makes it worse?
What makes it better?
What have you already tried?
What is this keeping you from doing?
Continuity
One Doctor. One Relationship.
Healthcare can sometimes feel like you're starting over every time you walk through the door. That's not how Peak Performance Chiropractic works.
The doctor who examines you is the doctor who treats you.
You aren't passed between a rotating roster of chiropractors. Dr. Younker gets to know your history. He knows what has worked. He knows what hasn't. He can see how you're progressing and adjust your care accordingly.
That continuity matters, especially when you're dealing with a problem that isn't simple.
How care is built
Why Dr. Younker Doesn't Use the Same Technique on Everyone.
There is no single chiropractic technique that's right for every person or every condition. Your care should be based on what Dr. Younker finds during your evaluation, not simply on what's easiest to provide.
Some patients prefer or respond well to traditional chiropractic adjustments. Others may need a gentler approach. And some problems may benefit from additional therapies. The technology isn't the point. Having options is.
COX Flexion-Distraction
A gentle, table-assisted technique that decompresses segments of the spine through controlled motion rather than force.
Often used for: Disc-related pain, sciatica, low back pain
Diversified Adjusting
The precise, hands-on adjustment most people picture when they think of chiropractic, applied to restore joint motion.
Often used for: Restricted joints, general back and neck pain
Gonstead Technique
A detailed analysis of a single spinal segment before adjusting it, using exam findings and, when indicated, imaging.
Often used for: Focal segment problems, recurring complaints
SOT (Sacro Occipital Technique)
A low-force approach that works with the relationship between the pelvis and the base of the skull.
Often used for: Patients who prefer or need gentler care
Massage Therapy
Soft tissue work offered alongside adjustments so muscles are not fighting the changes being made.
Often used for: Muscle tension, recovery, mobility
In his words
Why I Still Say I Witness Miracles Every Day.
A miracle doesn't have to mean something dramatic. Sometimes it's watching someone do something they had quietly decided they would never do again.
Going for a walk.
Sleeping through the night.
Returning to work.
Getting back in the gym.
Taking a trip.
Playing with the grandkids.
Hunting.
Golfing.
Hiking.
Or simply getting through an ordinary day without organizing everything around how they feel. I've had the privilege of watching moments like these throughout my years in practice, and they still mean as much to me today as they did when I watched my dad climb back into an airplane.
That's why I do what I do.
Honesty first
What If Dr. Younker Doesn't Think Chiropractic Is Right for You?
Then you deserve to know that too.
The purpose of an evaluation isn't to convince every person who walks through the door that they need chiropractic care. It's to better understand what's happening and determine whether the services available at Peak Performance are appropriate for you.
If something doesn't fit, that matters. Trust begins with giving you an honest assessment of your options.
Education and experience
Nearly 30 Years of Caring for the Grand Valley
My journey eventually took me to the University of Northern Colorado, where I received my Bachelor of Science degree, and then to Cleveland University in Kansas City, where I earned my Doctor of Chiropractic degree.
In 1997, I took over Peak Performance Chiropractic in Grand Junction. Nearly three decades later, I'm still here doing what that ten-year-old boy first felt called to do: helping people feel better and function better so they can live their lives better, today and tomorrow.
But the accomplishments that mean the most to me aren't hanging on the wall. They're walking out the door. They're the patients who tell me, “I can do that again.”
Bachelor of Science
University of Northern Colorado
Doctor of Chiropractic
Cleveland University, Kansas City
Practicing in Grand Junction
Since 1997, at Peak Performance
Professional memberships
Colorado Chiropractic Association
Grand Junction Chiropractor Association
Local roots
A Chiropractor Who Calls Grand Junction Home
For nearly 30 years, Dr. Younker has had the privilege of caring for people throughout Grand Junction and the surrounding Grand Valley.
This isn't a national franchise or a revolving group of providers. It's a local practice built around long-term relationships with the people and families who call Western Colorado home.
Grand Junction
Fruita
Clifton
Palisade
Redlands
Your next step
Your First Visit With Dr. Younker
You don't need to know which technique you need. You don't need to know whether decompression, laser therapy, chiropractic, shockwave, or another approach is right for you. And you don't need to diagnose yourself before you call.
That's what the evaluation is for.
Come prepared to tell Dr. Younker what's happening, what you've already tried, and what you'd like to get back to doing. We'll take it from there.
Ready to Engage With Your Life Again?
You may have been hurting for a few days, or dealing with the same problem for years. Either way, the next step doesn't have to be complicated. Let's find out what's going on.
Dr. Dean Younker
Peak Performance Chiropractic
Grand Junction, Colorado
In their words
Patients on working with Dr. Younker
“With significant degenerative disk disease in my lower back and neck, I found myself unable to work out, enjoy a walk, and was having difficulty driving. After our consultation, Dr. Younker developed a personalized treatment plan for me. I began to see improvement right away and soon returned to the gym, my workouts, and can drive without pain. I have been able to engage with and enjoy life again.”
Bob B. · 2020
“I started seeing Dr. Younker for chronic and increasing neck pain that I have been experiencing for over 15 years. I tried physical therapy, but that only gave me temporary relief. It took only one treatment from Dr. Younker for me to feel better. Dr. Younker was understanding, and the staff was pleasant.”
S.M. · 2019
“I had been experiencing lower back pain for about three months and really suffered being on my feet, especially when walking. The office staff was very professional, friendly, and treated me with excellence. Since seeing Dr. Younker, my pain has improved, and I am able to be more active.”
Daniel W. · 2018
FAQ
Common Questions
How long has Dr. Younker practiced in Grand Junction?
Since 1997, when he took over Peak Performance.
Where did he go to school?
He received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Northern Colorado and his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Cleveland University in Kansas City.
Does he work with complex or long-standing cases?
He has said he likes working with people who have difficult situations or who have given up on chiropractic care, though appropriateness is always determined by examination.
What if he doesn't think chiropractic is right for me?
Then he will tell you. The evaluation exists to determine whether the services at Peak Performance are appropriate for you, not to convince everyone that they need care.
Related Pages
Next step
You Don't Have to Keep Planning Your Life Around Pain.
If pain is affecting the way you sleep, work, exercise, travel, or spend time with the people you love, it is worth finding out what is going on. Let's start with a conversation.
Engage With Your Life Again.