Chiropractic & massage center opening in Eagle Point

By Margaret Bradburn

For the Independent
Published May 24,2011

Five years ago, Dr. Thaddeus Gala came home to the Upper Rogue after graduating from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange, Florida. Today, Gala is completing the final details of his Eagle Point health center, Complete Care Chiropractic and Massage, projected to open in mid-June. As the 1999 Eagle Point High School graduate pointed out during a tour, he has gone full circle and is happy to be back in Eagle Point where he spent much of his youth.

While building his practice after college, Gala shared the offices of Dr. Bob Bennett at Shady Cove Chiropractic. In chiropractic college and in Shady Cove, Gala saw the value of taking the whole body approach to health that includes complete physical, social and mental or emotional well-being.

Because of that, Gala’s clinic will include a nurse practitioner, Julie Bogden, a mental health counselor, Ruth Anne Alexander and a massage therapist, Sarah Reynolds-Gordon. The group offers complete care under one roof, a concept reflected in the name thought up by office manager, Megan Jones.

The clinic has the latest in X-ray equipment. DMX, a digital, motion X-ray machine takes pictures of moving body parts to pinpoint causes of motion related injuries. It is a video fluoroscopy that allows the doctor to view the painful or damaged area in real-time motion. The TV series, Bones, recently showed a DMX during an episode, said Gala.

The building has 4,500 sq. ft. with 2,700 sq. ft. for the clinic and 1,800 sq. ft. available for lease. The environmentally conscious Gala used as much green technology as he could to minimize the impact on the environment. The end result is a low R rating of around 42 to 45. “It has been great working with Batzer Construction. We came up with some really neat ideas that neither of us would have come up with entirely on our own,” Gala enthused.

Utilities are a key factor. Walls of 12-in thick SIP (structural insulated panels); extra insulation in the ceiling, solar panels on the roof and triple-paned windows will keep heating and cooling costs down. The thickness of the windows will also keep highway and other noises to a minimum, said Gala.

Daylight sensors on overhead lights will brighten and dim in response to available natural light from the many windows that overlook pretty vistas. Solar tubes over the reception desk, in bathrooms and hallways also lower utility costs. The bathrooms, even on a dark rainy day, have sufficient illumination for minimal use of lighting.

The bathrooms feature low-flow toilets with dual-flush, giving the option of using less water to lower the impact on water and sewer services.

Dr. Gala standing at the new reception desk of Complete Care Chiropractic and Massage. --Photo by Margaret Bradburn

With good health at the heart of his vocation, Gala designed the clinic to be ergonomic. The reception area and Jones’ office have counter tops at standing height. Gala said standing is so much healthier than sitting. “When you are standing during the day there is a much higher tendency to be moving and active and burn more calories. We tried to make the clinic healthy all around,” Gala said. For those times when needed, however, there will be stools to sit on.

The clinic is unique in that there will not only be three closed therapy rooms but open treatment areas, as well, to serve patients desiring privacy or those who prefer a non- medical room approach, said Gala.

An area in the front will feature a large-screened TV for videos, evening health lectures, couples massage classes and more. Education is the big key. “Being healthy takes work,” Gala pointed out. When patients are healthy and pain free they will enjoy life much more. “We are here as their coach, not their critic,” he stressed. “The thing that fills my cup is when a patient has an ‘ah ha’ moment, when the light bulb goes on, during a lecture or when talking with them. To me that’s what it is all about.” Gala also mentioned satisfaction when a patient in pain crawls into the office and after treatment leaves doing jumping jacks (a slight overstatement).

While Gala was explaining clinic features, gardeners were seen outside planting trees and shrubs to give a welcoming ambience. The enticing landscape was designed by EZ’S Landscape & Construction, LLC. Owner Israel Figueroa was also the general contractor of the new Centennial Plaza in Eagle Point. A Red Sunset Maple, a Magnolia tree, a large bank of pink creeping phlox, Stella D’Oro daylilies, holly and many other varieties of ornamental shrubs are sure to offer beauty year-round.

Opening his own clinic with complete care all under one roof is a dream come true for Thaddeus Gala. He gives credit to his patients for necessitating the move to larger quarters. Gala said, “We have been blessed that enough people trusted in us with their health. It is the community that enabled us to open this clinic.” The clinic is at 1296 S. Shasta Avenue. For more information call 541-830-4325.

Reprinted in full, with permission from the Upper Rogue Independent.  Thank you!