Our Story: The Thorpe Family Legacy
Generations of care. A tradition of trust.
More Than a Name on the Door
For more than seven decades, the chiropractic practice that would become Thorpe Chiropractic has been part of the Central New York community. But our story isn't simply about how long an office has been open. It's about the people who have walked through its doors, the relationships that have developed over generations, and a father and son who share a commitment to caring for their neighbors.
From a small chiropractic office in East Syracuse to our present home in Fayetteville, our history has always been about something greater than chiropractic alone. It's about family. It's about community. And it's about taking care of people.
Every Family Story Has a Beginning
The Journey of Dr. David Thorpe
Dr. David Thorpe didn't grow up knowing he would become a chiropractor.
As a young pre-medical student at Syracuse University, he was exploring his future in healthcare when a friendship helped change the direction of his life.
During his freshman year, David met fellow student Tim Schaub, whose parents, Drs. William and Ruth Schaub, were chiropractors. After experiencing chiropractic care himself through Dr. William Schaub, David became increasingly interested in the profession. By his junior year, he had narrowed his career choices to optometry and chiropractic. The relationships he had developed with the Schaub family helped him recognize the opportunity chiropractic offered to work directly with patients and make a difference in their lives.
In 1976, David and his high school sweetheart, whom he had married, set off across the country to begin a new chapter in California. He attended Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, graduating in December 1979. Although the experience took them far from home, it also reinforced something that would shape the rest of their lives: the importance of family. After nearly four years in California, they returned to Syracuse to build their future close to the people they loved.
February 29, 1980 — A New Beginning
On Leap Day in 1980, Dr. David Thorpe began his chiropractic practice after purchasing an established office from Dr. Mert Partridge.
The practice itself had roots extending back to the early 1950s, when it was originally established by Dr. Mel Dewey. David's first office was located at 7262 Manlius Center Road in East Syracuse, on the lower level of a split-level home. It was a humble beginning.
There were just two treatment rooms, a small waiting area, an X-ray room, and a reception desk. What the office lacked in size, it made up for in opportunity. David began seeing approximately 75 to 100 patient visits per week. As more families came to know him, the practice steadily grew, eventually exceeding 200 weekly visits.
The office would move several times over the following decades, ultimately finding its home on Highbridge Street in Fayetteville.
Through every move and every change, the most important part of the practice remained the same. The patients.
The Families Who Became Part of Ours
Ask Dr. David Thorpe what stands out most after more than four decades in chiropractic, and his answer isn't a professional award, a publication, or a business accomplishment. It's the people. Over the years, he had the privilege of caring for three generations of some Central New York families.
He watched children grow up, become parents, and eventually bring their own children into the office.
Some relationships extended far beyond chiropractic appointments. He attended weddings, sporting events, parties, and family celebrations.
He also shared in the difficult moments that come with knowing people over a lifetime.
Those relationships became part of the fabric of the practice.
Even today, after stepping away from direct patient care, one of his favorite things is unexpectedly hearing someone recognize him and say:
"Hi Doc."
Two simple words. Decades of memories.
For David, those relationships are among the greatest rewards of his career.
A Career That Reached Beyond Fayetteville
While caring for patients remained central to his professional life, Dr. David Thorpe's interests eventually took him into a broader world of healthcare.
During the 1980s, a patient who worked as an industrial nurse asked him to help educate employees about preventing back injuries. That request opened the door to occupational health, workplace safety, and professional education.
He pursued additional training, helped establish what would become WorkRite Safety, and became increasingly involved in helping employers protect their workers.
Over time, he also became an educator and professional leader.
His work included serving as president of national chiropractic occupational health organizations, contributing to the development of DOT medical examiner education, authoring professional training materials, and teaching healthcare providers throughout the country. Dr. Thorpe estimates that he has trained more than 15,000 healthcare professionals during his career.
In 2017, he founded Pass My Physical, expanding his work in education and technology for DOT Certified Medical Examiners. It was a career that reached far beyond the small office where it began. Yet through all those accomplishments, Central New York remained home. And Thorpe Chiropractic remained an important part of the family story.
Like Father, Like Son — But His Own Path
Dr. Kent Thorpe
Growing up around a chiropractic practice gives you a different perspective on healthcare.
For Dr. Kent Thorpe, the office wasn't simply where his father worked. It was part of the family.
He saw the long hours, the relationships with patients, the challenges of running a small business, and the satisfaction that came from helping people. But becoming a chiropractor wasn't something his father expected or demanded. In fact, when Kent announced his decision to enter the profession, David was surprised. He had always wanted his children to choose their own paths. When Kent graduated as a Doctor of Chiropractic in 2011, it became one of the proudest moments of his father's life.
What followed was something neither had necessarily planned: the opportunity to work side by side. They brought different experiences, perspectives, and ideas to the practice. They didn't always approach every challenge in exactly the same way, but they learned from each other.
Their differences became strengths, helping them navigate the changing healthcare landscape while maintaining the values that had shaped the practice. More than anything, they shared an understanding of what it meant to care for the people who placed their trust in them.
July 14, 2023 — Passing the Torch
After more than 43 years leading Thorpe Chiropractic, Dr. David Thorpe passed the practice to his son on July 14, 2023. There wasn't a dramatic ceremony or a grand announcement. As David described it, the time simply came when it was time.
For Kent, taking ownership meant more than assuming responsibility for a business.
It meant continuing a practice that had been part of his family for most of his life.
It meant honoring the patients who had trusted his father for decades while building relationships with new generations of families.
And it meant finding his own way forward.
Today, Dr. Kent Thorpe leads Thorpe Chiropractic with an approach centered on conservative, individualized musculoskeletal healthcare, patient education, and helping people return to the activities that matter most to them.
While David remains active in occupational health consulting and DOT medical examiner education, Kent continues the family's chiropractic tradition in Fayetteville.
Different generations. Different experiences.
A shared commitment to the people they serve.
The Things That Never Change
Healthcare has changed dramatically since Dr. David Thorpe opened his doors in 1980.
The technology is different. Insurance has changed. Treatments and clinical knowledge have evolved.
Thorpe Chiropractic has changed with the times, too.
But some things are worth holding onto.
We believe patients deserve to be listened to.
We believe healthcare should be personal, thoughtful, and guided by the best available evidence.
We believe patients should understand their conditions and have a voice in their care.
And we believe a family-owned practice should always feel like a place where people are welcome.
These are the values that helped shape Thorpe Chiropractic's history.
They're the values we carry forward today.
Our Story Is Still Being Written
From Dr. Mel Dewey's original practice in the early 1950s, through Dr. David Thorpe's decades of service, to the next chapter under Dr. Kent Thorpe, our history has been shaped by the people of Central New York.
We've been fortunate to share in the lives of generations of families.
And we hope to continue doing so for many years to come.
Because at Thorpe Chiropractic, our greatest legacy isn't the name on the building.
It's the people who have trusted us to care for them.
From our family to yours, thank you for being part of our story.
Thorpe Chiropractic — Fayetteville, New York
Generations of Care. A Tradition of Trust.