Dr. Derek St.Thomas, DC, Cert. MDT is a highly specialized Doctor of Chiropractic. He is the only Credentialed McKenzie Chiropractor in Manhattan and has developed the unique ability to blend an array of techniques to allow for effective and personalized treatment plans.
Dr. Derek St.Thomas, DC, Cert. MDT
Welcome, and thank you for visiting this page. Instead of proving a basic, boring bio that reverberates the same story on every other site - I decided to give you a glimpse into who I actually am as a person because I think it is vital to understand the type of person that is treating you.
I am fortunate enough to be extremely passionate about my career. In the lines below, you will find a synopsis that enables you to digest what type of person I am and hopefully illuminate the why behind my approach.
I am fortunate enough to be extremely passionate about my career. In the lines below, you will find a synopsis that enables you to digest what type of person I am and hopefully illuminate the why behind my approach.
There is nothing more frustrating than waiting an unreasonable time for a doctor's visit, only for them to finally enter the room and not pay attention or give you the time of day to hear what is actually going on... I experienced this on a first hand basis as both patient and observer prior to ever becoming a doctor. This is one of the experiences that helped shape my "lens" of how I wanted to practice.
One of the original inspirations for my philosophy and style of practice happened at an ENT appointment in Los Angeles. At the time, I was running a custom jewelry business that was successful, but didn't exactly fuel my passion. I brought my wife to an appointment and was absolutely blown away by the attentiveness, the respect, the intention and the candor of the doctor. He sat and listened to my wife explain her entire history and he didn't interrupt her once! This was a stark contrast to the 3 minutes of broken eye contact, to end up only with a prescription for something and no explanation of why it was prescribed. Having been to countless doctors in our lifetime - my wife and I were both fascinated by not only how well he listened, but consequently how effective he was in devising a treatment strategy that solved the issue. Truth be told, I had actually already enrolled in school and was preparing to begin my first semester to become a doctor. It was in that appointment that I realized, "that is the kind of doctor I want to be!" My foundational goal walking into school was to be able to create that response in others in the same way that Dr. Osborne had for us. The additional benefit of taking this approach was that by allowing the patient to speak freely, they essentially mapped out all of the info necessary in order to properly diagnose.
Despite being a native of Boston, MA the origin story for practicing as a doctor began in Los Angeles - Westlake Village, CA to be exact. Having spent 10+ years in LA and having practiced there for nearly two years, my wife and I were faced with an important decision that we knew would shape the trajectory of our lives as a family. Our boys, Devan and Gavin (identical twins) had just turned 5 years old and we knew that uprooting them in the middle of elementary wouldn't be fair, so we decided to transition back to the East coast. As odd as it may sound to some, we both feel very much at home and although LA had much to offer, it simply wasn't for us. Long story short, the decision ended up being one of the best we could have made and we have absolutely loved being apart of the NY community.
Prior to being a doctor, I ran a successful jewelry business in Beverly Hills which then transformed into my own custom jewelry business. Having a background in managing the day to day has been remarkably helpful because it prepared me to run my practice the way that I want - with ingenuity and integrity. My goal in providing high quality care to patients stems from having been a patient myself and struggling with injuries from playing competitive hockey and soccer. Interestingly enough, the blend of practitioners that helped me rebuild my body after grueling injuries were 2 chiropractors, an orthopedic surgeon and a physical therapist. Being able to take the best parts from each of them and fuse them into one coherent "lens" is essentially how I created my approach.
My treatment philosophy in practice can be summed up in the following phrase: “if you have a good idea, then you may be able to apply it to a concept… but when you truly understand a concept and how it works, you never run out of ideas.” That is how I am able to adapt treatment strategies and synthesize solutions for each individual.
"We are a reflection of the collection of emotional and physical traumas that we have endured in the course of our lives."
The first step towards progress is determining whether or not a treatment plan even makes sense based on the symptomatology, history and prior treatments. My approach encourages checks and balances to ensure that my patients are receiving the most comprehensive care possible, which includes a determination of whether referrals prior to treatment are indicated. Patient safety and respect for what someone is going through is a paramount principle to establishing whether or not that individual belongs in my office.
Since no two problems are exactly alike, each person’s treatment plan must be customized in order to optimize results. In my time as a doctor, I've been successful in treating a plethora of musculoskeletal conditions. I credit this to two vital aspects; (1) understanding how to correctly diagnose the source of the problem and (2) having a firm grasp on the fact that not everyone responds to the same type of treatment.
“Diagnostics guide every successful treatment plan -- which means if you are not adept in correctly identifying the problem, then your treatment plan will land outside of what the patient needs to get better."
Yet another lesson learned through first hand experience of seeing how some people respond well, while others do not. My wife has suffered from more than one autoimmune condition, which is why she has been one of my most challenging patient. I've also learned a succintly valuable lessons from her - not everyone responds to the same cookie cutter treatments. That is why as a doctor, you must be incredibly versatile and even vulnerable to understand the reality of the world - every-body is different. Thus, the key to effective treatment is having a diverse set of tools and flexible state of mind to ensure you are doing whatever you can to help that patient.
"A doctor should mold and adapt treatment strategies around the patient's needs... not the other way around."
Through that "lens" I have been able to develop strategies that blend the best parts of different techniques to treat the body (and the person) as a whole. Thus, my lens includes techniques for identifying, calibrating and retraining the 3-D system that elevates the understanding of how things are truly connected in our bodies. The myofascial systems are linked through a “global” connection and when you understand how the connection are created (or disrupted) then you can make remarkable changes for the better. It is vital to gain an understanding that the myofascial system is built to provide “GPS” for your brain. Every time you move your body, chemicals are sent to help indicate where each part of your body is in space. If you have a decrease in this chemical conversation, then your GPS signaling will not be crisp – this leads to sprain/strain injuries, tendon ruptures, disc herniations and so many other common injuries that occur due to a lack of GPS signaling. This is especially true when injuries are described as happening, "out of nowhere," which is incredibly common.
Many people in today’s “world of wellness” encourage better patterns and thousands of different tricks to keep yourself healthier and happier… However, there is nothing more potent for your health than having a sound education of how your body is designed to work. In a world inundated with ever-advancing technology, sometimes it can be easy to overlook the potential of the most powerful technology on the planet – the human nervous system.
Complex and stubborn cases are also a specialty of St.Thomas Chiropractic. If you have struggled with progress in other areas, please feel free to email your story and I will consider taking your case or provide suggestions for an appropriate referral.
One of the original inspirations for my philosophy and style of practice happened at an ENT appointment in Los Angeles. At the time, I was running a custom jewelry business that was successful, but didn't exactly fuel my passion. I brought my wife to an appointment and was absolutely blown away by the attentiveness, the respect, the intention and the candor of the doctor. He sat and listened to my wife explain her entire history and he didn't interrupt her once! This was a stark contrast to the 3 minutes of broken eye contact, to end up only with a prescription for something and no explanation of why it was prescribed. Having been to countless doctors in our lifetime - my wife and I were both fascinated by not only how well he listened, but consequently how effective he was in devising a treatment strategy that solved the issue. Truth be told, I had actually already enrolled in school and was preparing to begin my first semester to become a doctor. It was in that appointment that I realized, "that is the kind of doctor I want to be!" My foundational goal walking into school was to be able to create that response in others in the same way that Dr. Osborne had for us. The additional benefit of taking this approach was that by allowing the patient to speak freely, they essentially mapped out all of the info necessary in order to properly diagnose.
Despite being a native of Boston, MA the origin story for practicing as a doctor began in Los Angeles - Westlake Village, CA to be exact. Having spent 10+ years in LA and having practiced there for nearly two years, my wife and I were faced with an important decision that we knew would shape the trajectory of our lives as a family. Our boys, Devan and Gavin (identical twins) had just turned 5 years old and we knew that uprooting them in the middle of elementary wouldn't be fair, so we decided to transition back to the East coast. As odd as it may sound to some, we both feel very much at home and although LA had much to offer, it simply wasn't for us. Long story short, the decision ended up being one of the best we could have made and we have absolutely loved being apart of the NY community.
Prior to being a doctor, I ran a successful jewelry business in Beverly Hills which then transformed into my own custom jewelry business. Having a background in managing the day to day has been remarkably helpful because it prepared me to run my practice the way that I want - with ingenuity and integrity. My goal in providing high quality care to patients stems from having been a patient myself and struggling with injuries from playing competitive hockey and soccer. Interestingly enough, the blend of practitioners that helped me rebuild my body after grueling injuries were 2 chiropractors, an orthopedic surgeon and a physical therapist. Being able to take the best parts from each of them and fuse them into one coherent "lens" is essentially how I created my approach.
My treatment philosophy in practice can be summed up in the following phrase: “if you have a good idea, then you may be able to apply it to a concept… but when you truly understand a concept and how it works, you never run out of ideas.” That is how I am able to adapt treatment strategies and synthesize solutions for each individual.
"We are a reflection of the collection of emotional and physical traumas that we have endured in the course of our lives."
The first step towards progress is determining whether or not a treatment plan even makes sense based on the symptomatology, history and prior treatments. My approach encourages checks and balances to ensure that my patients are receiving the most comprehensive care possible, which includes a determination of whether referrals prior to treatment are indicated. Patient safety and respect for what someone is going through is a paramount principle to establishing whether or not that individual belongs in my office.
Since no two problems are exactly alike, each person’s treatment plan must be customized in order to optimize results. In my time as a doctor, I've been successful in treating a plethora of musculoskeletal conditions. I credit this to two vital aspects; (1) understanding how to correctly diagnose the source of the problem and (2) having a firm grasp on the fact that not everyone responds to the same type of treatment.
“Diagnostics guide every successful treatment plan -- which means if you are not adept in correctly identifying the problem, then your treatment plan will land outside of what the patient needs to get better."
Yet another lesson learned through first hand experience of seeing how some people respond well, while others do not. My wife has suffered from more than one autoimmune condition, which is why she has been one of my most challenging patient. I've also learned a succintly valuable lessons from her - not everyone responds to the same cookie cutter treatments. That is why as a doctor, you must be incredibly versatile and even vulnerable to understand the reality of the world - every-body is different. Thus, the key to effective treatment is having a diverse set of tools and flexible state of mind to ensure you are doing whatever you can to help that patient.
"A doctor should mold and adapt treatment strategies around the patient's needs... not the other way around."
Through that "lens" I have been able to develop strategies that blend the best parts of different techniques to treat the body (and the person) as a whole. Thus, my lens includes techniques for identifying, calibrating and retraining the 3-D system that elevates the understanding of how things are truly connected in our bodies. The myofascial systems are linked through a “global” connection and when you understand how the connection are created (or disrupted) then you can make remarkable changes for the better. It is vital to gain an understanding that the myofascial system is built to provide “GPS” for your brain. Every time you move your body, chemicals are sent to help indicate where each part of your body is in space. If you have a decrease in this chemical conversation, then your GPS signaling will not be crisp – this leads to sprain/strain injuries, tendon ruptures, disc herniations and so many other common injuries that occur due to a lack of GPS signaling. This is especially true when injuries are described as happening, "out of nowhere," which is incredibly common.
Many people in today’s “world of wellness” encourage better patterns and thousands of different tricks to keep yourself healthier and happier… However, there is nothing more potent for your health than having a sound education of how your body is designed to work. In a world inundated with ever-advancing technology, sometimes it can be easy to overlook the potential of the most powerful technology on the planet – the human nervous system.
Complex and stubborn cases are also a specialty of St.Thomas Chiropractic. If you have struggled with progress in other areas, please feel free to email your story and I will consider taking your case or provide suggestions for an appropriate referral.
"If you want to live your life to the fullest, and enjoy more movement and less pain, then you must work with someone who is passionate about helping others and has a deep understanding for how the body works. When this is combined with the ability and willingness to think outside the box, then we are better equipped to connect the dots of both the diagnosis and the treatment."
Thank you for visiting and I wish you unlimited success in your journey for better health.
-Dr. Derek St.Thomas, DC, Cert. MDT
-Dr. Derek St.Thomas, DC, Cert. MDT
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