The Superior Express -

Thomas J. Owen, D.C. is the new chiropractor in Mankato. He grew up in Winner, South Dakota, and earned his bachelor of science degree from Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska. Owen then went to Parker Chiropractic College at Dallas, Texas.

Owen has been practicing chiropractic medicine for 12 years. After school, he practiced in South Dakota for a year, and then moved to Beloit in 2012, when he purchased Meyer Chiropractic from Dr. Adrian Meyer. He opened his practice in Mankato because he saw an opportunity to grow his business and help more people. "I have had several patients from the Mankato area travel to my Beloit office in the past years," Owen said. The Mankato office is in the building where Tyler Chiropractic was. The office will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and from 1 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

Through mutual friends in Beloit, Owen met Jayme, whom he married six years ago. Owen and his wife have two children, Olivia and Braxton. They also have Nacho and Chip, the family's two black labs.

When not in the office, Owen enjoys being outdoors, playing golf, fishing in the summer and bird hunting in the winter. Owen also enjoys going to his children's sporting events.

Owen began college with plans of going into the medical field. "I had observed a dentist and a physical therapist," Owen said. He even thought about being a veterinarian like his dad, but at a college rodeo practice two weeks before the national finals, Owen injured his neck. Owen's team sports physician was a chiropractor. "I thought I had a season ending injury," Owen said, "but he was able to get me out of pain and to the finals." After being in the team sports physican's office almost daily, Owen started staying and watching him work on all types of cases from high school and college athletes to elderly patients. "I soon realized where I wanted to fit into the medical field," Owen revealed.

Before becoming a chiropractor, Owen helped with farming and ranching during the summers and between semesters at college. "I still really enjoy helping friends and family with harvest here," said Owen. When possible, Owen goes back to South Dakota to help his family with cattle and fencing.

Owen is looking forward to meeting new people and helping them in his Mankato office. He wants the community to know that he took a 200 hour post graduate program at the end of chiropractic school to learn how to do chiropractic on dogs and horses along with people. Owen said if he could retire tomorrow, he and his family would stay in the midwest, with possibly traveling south for the winters.

Advice Owen gives for patients is to stay active and keep moving. "Eat less sugar and maintain a healthy weight," Owen added. He advises individuals who aspire to be chiropractors, "Go shadow and observe as many chiropractors as you can. There are several different treatment methods and types of services that chiropractors offer."