Dr. Thomas White in the Spine by Design office at 19 Sheepscot Road in Newcastle on opening day, Friday, July 14. (Maia Zewert photo)
A chiropractor with more than 20 years of experience who practiced in Nobleboro from 2013-2015 recently reopened his renamed practice in Newcastle.
Dr. Thomas White and his wife and practice manager, Annee White, own Spine By Design at 19 Sheepscot Road in Newcastle.
The Whites operated The Chiropractic Office at 24 Center St. in Nobleboro from September 2013 until December 2015, when they closed the practice to take care of Annee’s ailing father.
“It was wonderful to be able to be there for him and take care of him, but we felt bad for leaving so quickly,” Annee said.
Thomas continued practicing while in Michigan, but the plan was always to return to Maine, he said. The couple recently returned to the Midcoast and found a commercial space with the help of former patients.
“When we knew we were coming back, we started asking a few of our old patients if they knew of any place that would be available,” Thomas said. “That’s the thing about Maine – you just need to ask around.”
The space at 19 Shepscot Road, next to Hair Frolicks, perfectly fits Spine By Design’s needs, Thomas said. The office has a treatment office, an X-ray room, and a waiting room, where the Whites’ dogs greet visitors.
Annee thought up the new name of the business, which more accurately portrays what Thomas does, he said.
“Each spine is different, and so we have to design a different treatment for each individual,” Thomas said.
Thomas, a former mechanical engineer, uses what is known as the Gonstead approach to chiropractic care. The method, named for Dr. C.S. Gonstead, focuses mainly on treating the spinal disks, Thomas said.
The Gonstead approach is an analytical and manual method, and there are few chiropractors who use it, Thomas said. He became interested in the field when he was a teenager, after he saw a chiropractor to treat an injury.
“Over time I stopped thinking about it as a patient and started thinking about it more as a career,” Thomas said.
Annee said one of the misconceptions about chiropractic care is that the field only deals with the spine and neck, but in order to get patients well, the whole body needs to be taken into account.
People of all ages and walks of life can benefit from treatment, Thomas said. According to Annee, some of Thomas’ patients have been able to avoid surgery after receiving treatment.
“We really have a wonderful working relationship with medical professionals in the area because we’re all working to find what can best benefit the patient,” Thomas said.
Spine By Design reopened for business Friday, July 14, much to the appreciation of its patients.
The office of Spine By Design, a chiropractic office now open at 19 Sheepscot Road in Newcastle. (Maia Zewert photo)
“We’ve gotten a lot of hugs,” Thomas said.
The practice is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday, and from 8 a.m. to noon Friday. White also accommodates patients who need an appointment outside regular business hours.
“Here in Maine everyone works so hard with their bodies – the lobstermen, guides, servers – and that really takes a toll,” White said.
Spine By Design accepts all commercial insurance as well as Mainecare and Medicare.
“We don’t want that to be a barrier from people getting the care they need. It’s important to us to help everyone we can get well,” White said.
For more information about Spine By Design, go to spinebydesign.net or find the business on Facebook.
