Meet the Team

Richard J. Thomas grew up on a farm near Kansas City, Missouri. After high school, he immediately followed his father’s footsteps and started his career as an iron-worker, building high-rise structures in Kansas City. After falling from a building in 1984, and after pursuing medical help for his injuries, Dr. Thomas discovered Chiropractic as the “miracle cure” that he couldn’t find anywhere else. It was this experience that led him to begin his education to become a Doctor of Chiropractic himself.

Education

Dr. Thomas graduated from Cleveland Chiropractic College of Kansas City in August of 1991. With no more than his car and a small overloaded U-haul, he drove to Colorado to start his career. Many experiences and events have transpired since that time which led Dr. Thomas to North Idaho and to start Life Chiropractic Center. Now with a new facility and a growing staff, he is able to realize his dream of serving as a chiropractor in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

Dr. Thomas is a licensed chiropractor in Idaho and Colorado and has been practicing in Kootenai County since 1995. He completed a FICPA Certification with the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association in August of 2000 which allows him to care for pregnant mothers, infants, and children in a more specialized manner.

Dr. Thomas has been a member of numerous chiropractic associations throughout his career and continues to educate himself on the latest techniques and research to better his practice. He is a wellness chiropractor interested in more than just sore backs but strives to see his patients reach their full potential and become free of any need for medication if possible. Seeing major improvements in the quality of his patients’ lives is his passion and goal.

Dr. Thomas’ main objective is to restore health and wellness to sick and hurting people.

Jeannie started working at Life Chiropractic Center in September of 2022 as Dr. Thomas' assistant. She assists him with new patient exams, chart notes and takes X-rays when needed. She also does administrative work such as scheduling, answering phones, communicating with patients about their accounts or any questions they may have. She enjoys being around people and helping care for them. Jeannie is an advocate for living a healthy productive life. She enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and their families. She enjoys working in the yard and playing with her dogs.

Ashlee is the patient care coordinator for Life Chiropractic Center. She verifies and communicates insurance benefits with each patient, goes over doctor's care plan with patients, coordinates patient flow, and does many front desk administrative tasks. Ashlee will be one of the first faces you see at LifeCC. She has been on her health journey for several years now with a focus on the mind and body connection. She is an advocate for mental health awareness and believes that physical exercise, meditation, and nutrition are key components for a healthy mind. When not working at Life Chiropractic Center, she can be found working out, training to be a Fitness Coach, and hanging out with her family. She enjoys the outdoors and loves to hike/camp with her husband Devon, and their two boxer dogs, Modi, and Nova. PSALM 139:14

Larisa joined the LifeCC family in February of 2024. She has been a massage therapist for 4 years. Larisa oversees Apex Spine, an active form of spinal decompression that allows the spine to stretch while the movement and therapies are simultaneously applied. She also offers a 15-minute trigger point therapy where she does soft tissue work on a specific region that may be tight and is causing pain. Larisa goes over any corrective exercises and stretches that may encourage function and balance in the body. She loves to help people feel better and enjoy their life to the fullest with less aches, pain, and stress. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 4 children, camping, hiking, or just hanging out at the lake. She is also a big animal lover.

Cheryl began her massage career in 2015 after already starting her family. She has 9 kids. She loves the outdoors and was an athlete in high school. She is trained in deep tissue, myofascial, along with multiple other styles of massage, and works to help you be more functional and balanced in your movement patterns. Cheryl loves massage therapy because of the many ways she can help, and impact people's lives and she is looking forward to being able to help you on your journey back to movement.

Rita is an Idaho native and a 2001 Post Falls High School graduate. She attended Northwest Noetic School of Massage, graduating in 2005. Rita has spent most of her career working with chiropractors but also has experienced working in a relaxing spa environment. She specializes in injury rehab and chronic pain management but also loves providing the perfect relaxation massage. Rita believes massage therapy has been her calling since she was a little girl, as she has always loved giving her parents and grandparents shoulder rubs, receiving such gratification from helping them feel better. Her passion for helping people improve their overall health and wellness continues and her goal is to help as many people as possible. Whether it be relaxation, chronic pain or acute injury, she strives to improve your overall quality of life and achieve the highest level of rehabilitation. Rita also has a passion for horses and has completed 100 hours of Equine massage and studies. In her personal life she enjoys the great outdoors in hiking, paddle boarding, swimming, riding horses and snowboarding. She is a proud mother to one son, loves animals and enjoys spending her free time doing all the things she loves.

Maddison found her love for massage while being a patient herself to both physical and massage therapy. She knew how much it helped her and wanted to help others who were struggling. From relaxation to injury rehab to pre-natal, she loves working on each and every one of her patients and using different techniques to help them along to a healthy and pain free life. Maddi became a licensed massage therapist in June of 2022. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and other loved ones, spending the day at the lake, fishing or enjoying a good book.