Chiropractor Alexis Thode gives a spinal adjustment to Patty Krenik at Hulsebus Chiropractic in St. Peter. (Pat Beck/southernminn.com)
Associate Alexis Thode (left) and owner Laura Hulsebus team up as young chiropractors at Hulsebus Chiropractic in St. Peter. (Pat Beck/southernminn.com)
Chiropractor Laura Hulsebus treats scar tissue on the foot of Patty Krenik at Hulsebus Chiropractic in St. Peter. The grafting improves circulation and mobility. Krenik had surgery with a bunion. (Pat Beck/southernminn.com)
Owner Laura Hulsebus and associate Alexis Thode are making an impact on their community on and off the job at Hulsebus Chiropractic at 206 W. Walnut St. in St. Peter.
Chiropractor Alexis Thode gives a spinal adjustment to Patty Krenik at Hulsebus Chiropractic in St. Peter. (Pat Beck/southernminn.com)
Besides helping patients to get well, they are giving back by volunteering their time, talents and treasures.
Asked about what she enjoys about the profession, Hulsebus said, “It’s really fun helping people get the most out of their life by feeling well. That’s the most rewarding part.”
Echoing her partner, Thode said she enjoys helping people get back to doing things that they like and be pain free while doing them.
Husebus and Thode have been active in the community in different ways.
Husebus, who has owned the business since purchasing it from Craig Hartman in 2008, has spent a lot of time at St. Peter Chamber of Commerce events, volunteering on the chamber board , the St. Peter hospital commission and the Women Celebrating Women Committee. She has been a guest speaker at clinics on health and wellness at Gustavus Adolphus College. She allows college interns, who might be in the athletic training program, and high school students a chance to shadow her and Thode as they care for patients.
“It’s nice to give back to people that are still learning, whether it’s the chiropractic profession or health and wellness,” Hulsebus said. “Our kids are in the public schools and one plays basketball and one plays on the hockey team. We get into a lot of events just from our kids being in programs.”
Hulsebus, 40, who lives in St. Peter with her husband, Joey, and their two sons, 11 and 6, also impacts the community by giving money locally, whether it be advertising and marketing, printing the fire department calendar, or sponsoring golf tournaments or the high school.
Associate Alexis Thode (left) and owner Laura Hulsebus team up as young chiropractors at Hulsebus Chiropractic in St. Peter. (Pat Beck/southernminn.com)
“Community events, I find that’s more important than thinking on a bigger national scale,” Hulsebus said. “Where I put my donations for advertising means a lot to me because there is always opportunities to spend money as a business owner. I always evaluate where the money is going and who it is benefitting, and I always put that money toward local events.”
Thode, 28, who is single, lives in Wells and is in her second year working with Hulsebus, has impacted the community more by getting involved in St. Peter and giving time.
Thode serves with the Chamber of Commerce Diplomats which conducts ribbon cuttings at new businesses. Last year she started working with the St. Peter Soccer Club in coaching goalkeepers. She played goalkeeper in college.
“They reached out to me, so I got to work with kids from the age of 5 all the way to high school with their goalkeeper skills,” Thode said.
Specializing in sports injuries, Thode has become popular with athletes.
In her internships while earning her doctorate of Chiropractic from Northwestern Heath Sciences in Bloomington, she worked with professional athletes (Minnesota Vixen women’s football team) and different semipro and pro teams in the Twin Cities area who would come to her school.
“I have a background of working with a lot of athletes,” said Thode, who also earned a bachelor of science in exercise science and psychology from Washington State University in Pollman, Washington. “I’m working on getting additional certification which makes me more specialized in that field.
“Every chiropractor has their own spin on it. We all go to school and learn chiropractic, but our passions drive what we do in our care. Like Laura, she really likes pediatrics and pregnancies. And I like more of the sports side, so I do more with the knees, the shoulders and the ankles, like things that aren’t the spine.”
Hulsebus, who also earned her doctorate of Chiropractic from Northwestern Heath Sciences and her bachelor of arts degree in biology and chemistry from Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall, said many people like coming to their office because they don’t do the same thing for every person. “We look at their issues and try to attack it from every avenue that we feel would be best to help them heal and feel better.”
“And sometimes that’s a team approach from both of our brains,” Thode said. “There are some patients that prefer the way she adjusts the upper back but how I adjust their hips. So depending on what problems they’re having that day, it’s who they will pick to see.”
Chiropractor Laura Hulsebus treats scar tissue on the foot of Patty Krenik at Hulsebus Chiropractic in St. Peter. The grafting improves circulation and mobility. Krenik had surgery with a bunion. (Pat Beck/southernminn.com)
Hulsebus said, “Although we have our subspecialties, we really like helping everyone get better so that they have a better quality of life.”
Hulsebus said 60 percent of the injuries they treat are athletic injuries, although some of those may be people doing an athletic type of job with a repetitive motion such as manual labor or a weekend warrior including spring and summer golfers or marathoners.
In addition to Chiropractic services, Hulsebus also offers massage therapy by Certified Massage Therapist/Certified Yoga Instructor Nadia Guenette.
St. Peter native Patty Krenik serves as the office manager.
Hulsebus added Thode as an associate in May of 2020 because of the demand.
“I wasn’t able to treat all the people that were calling,” Hulsebus said. “I needed extra help. And we can be open longer and it gives more flexibility to run after my kids events but also serve more people in the community with chiropractic care.”
The business, which George Hays started in his house across the street, continues to grow, although it took a setback like many businesses did during the COVID-19 pandemic virus.
Hulesbus didn’t shut down, but patients weren’t willing to come in because of the spreading pandemic.
Without care for a long time, people’s aches and pains became bigger.
“The headache people probably suffered the most because I have a lot of people who get adjusted routinely to prevent and help with their headache symptoms, so they weren’t coming in to get adjusted,” Hulsebus said. “Their headaches got much worse, so it’s hard to get them back down to their regular day plan. That was the biggest thing I noticed. “
©Copyright 2021 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Delivered Tuesday through Saturday mornings.
Delivered Wednesday and Saturday.
Delivered Wednesday and Saturday.
Delivered Tuesday morning.
Delivered Tuesday through Saturday mornings.
Delivered Tuesday through Saturday mornings.
Delivered Tuesday through Saturday mornings.
Delivered Wednesday and Saturday.
Delivered Wednesday and Saturday.
Sign up with
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Invalid password or account does not exist
Sign in with
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.
Secure & Encrypted
Secure transaction. Cancel anytime.
Thank you.
Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
A receipt was sent to your email.