Alumni Spotlight: Cass Thielen
Dr. Cass Thielen is a 2012 graduate of Elkhorn South High School. She grew up riding and showing horses. Initially, Dr. Cass planned to become a veterinarian until her horse needed chiropractic care and she saw the benefits it could provide. Dr. Cass began seeing a chiropractor herself shortly after and found relief from daily headaches. She also noticed when she and her horse were well-adjusted, they performed better and placed higher. She realized the benefit of chiropractic care for all spines and began her chiropractic career.
Dr. Cass received her Bachelors in Animal Science from Iowa State University and graduated top of her class with her Doctorate of Chiropractic from Northwestern Health Sciences University. She received her animal chiropractic certification from Options for Animals. Dr. Cass is certified in animal chiropractic through the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA) and is a licensed chiropractor and animal therapist in Nebraska.
She is trained in caring for all the spines from kids to grandparents to animals. She believes every body deserves to be adjusted whether they have four legs, two legs, or no legs.
In her free time, Dr. Cass enjoys reading, hiking, cooking, hanging out with her husband and their daughter, and riding and showing her horses.
Q: What were some of your best memories at ESHS?
A: Playing basketball was probably my favorite part. I loved the competitiveness and being with the team, traveling on the bus to and from games. The classes I TA’d for were with friends, and I loved getting to hang out with friends (while getting work done) and getting to know the teachers better and hearing their life stories.
Q: What are some activities you were involved in?
A: I played basketball all four years (two at EHS, two at ESHS), was in the National Honors Society and FBLA, and worked as an office aide and TA for various teachers. I think there were more throughout the years, but those were the ones I remember being involved with all four years.
Q: Did any classes in high school lead you to choose your career path?
A: No classes specifically led me to my career, but some reinforced my passion for science. AP Chemistry was one of my favorite classes. I learned during that class I really am a huge science nerd and actually enjoyed figuring out chemical reactions and formulas. Mr. Specht made the class entertaining and I still remember some of the experiments we did. Anatomy class was another favorite. Understanding how the body works together and how form affects function is fascinating.
My other favorite classes (that had nothing to do with my field of study) were AP Lit with Mrs. Simons and AP US History with Mr. Bahe. I’ve always been a passionate reader, and Mrs. Simons selection of books for the class introduced me to new authors and genres I never would have tried otherwise. Two of the books we read in her class are in my top five favorite books of all time and ones I recommend to anyone looking for a good book to read. Mr. Bahe taught the most entertaining history class I have ever taken and the first time I enjoyed US history more than world history.
Q: What were those favorite books?
A: My all time favorite is The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, followed closely by Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. Pride and Prejudice and The Power of One were the two I read in Mrs. Simons class, and I reread Pride and Prejudice every year. I would reread The Power of One more often but my copy has been lent out more than it has been in my possession the last 10 years.
Q: How did you get started on the path of animal chiropractic?
A: My horse started getting adjusted when I was in high school. He always had issues collecting to the left, and after getting adjusted he would collect and bend well in both directions. I learned from our equine chiropractor that horses and riders tend to mirror the same issues. I started seeing a chiropractor and discovered I had a transitional lumbar vertebrae, meaning my last vertebrae forms a pseudojoint with my sacrum on the left, affecting my biomechanics and how my spine and pelvis move. My altered biomechanics affect my horse’s, which is why he never collected as well to the left. Once we both started getting adjusted regularly, he performed better consistently and we placed higher at shows. I knew from that moment I was going to be an animal chiropractor (who also worked on people).
Q: What is the certification process like for the IVCA (International Veterinary Chiropractic Association)?
A: You first have to be a licensed doctor of chiropractic (DC) or doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM), then graduate from an accredited animal chiropractic program. After graduation, you must pass the certification exam for the IVCA. There are continuing education requirements to maintain the certification, along with maintaining an active license.
Q: How long does it take to get results from animal patients vs human patients? Is it the same?
A: Animals actually tend to respond more quickly to chiropractic care than people do for a couple reasons. Because people have a higher consciousness and more developed brain, we tend to become our diagnosis and develop what I call a conscious block to recovering. Animals don’t have that, so they tend to respond pretty quickly to chiropractic. Babies and children actually respond more quickly than adults in most cases for the same reason. Another reason animals respond more quickly is people tend to wait until pain becomes unbearable before they seek treatment, and pet parents usually seek treatment as soon as their pet starts exhibiting signs of pain or disease. The earlier you start treatment, the quicker you see results.
Typical treatment plans for people are 10-20 visits and for animals 4-8 visits. Obviously each patient is different and how they respond to care depends on a variety of factors, so each patient may take more or less visits to get results and meet their goals.
Q: Some animals have health insurance- does animal insurance cover chiropractic care?
A: Most pet insurance companies do cover chiropractic. I recommend checking with your plan as to what the coverage is and who can perform the care. Unfortunately, some insurance companies only cover care done by a veterinarian. There are chiropractors actively working to change this though so any care your pet receives from a licensed provider is covered by insurance.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you, is there even a typical day?
A: I wouldn’t say there’s really a typical work day. On days I work with people, I work with a variety of conditions, from neck and back pain and headaches to plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, and TMJ dysfunction, among others. My patients range from a few weeks old to their mid-90s.
On days I work with animals, my clinic is mobile so I drive most of the day seeing dogs, horses, cats, and some cattle. Common conditions I work with are IVDD/spondylosis (arthritis) in dogs, general back or neck pain, performance concerns, behavior issues, and nervous system disorders or deficits. I also see a lot of general wellness patients as chiropractic is a great tool to help improve overall health and well-being. I can work on any animal with a spine, so I’m hoping to add more exotics to my patient base through the years!
Q: Since you work with animals and people, is there a split or percentage you feel you work with people and animals?
A: Currently, my animal/people split is about 50/50. I’m working toward doing mostly animal chiropractic though!
Q: What advice do you have for current high school students thinking about what to do with their future?
A: Whatever you may be interested in, explore it! Don’t limit yourself or think you have to have it all figured out in high school. Keep your options open. You have so much time left to figure out what you really want to do. Shadow as many professions as you think you may be interested in, and shadow multiple professionals in each field. Everyone works a little differently and will have a different perspective on their job. Definitely find what you are passionate about because going to work stays enjoyable.
