Dr. Andy Allen and massage therapist Jana Derry provide care for patients of all ages while continuing a longtime tradition of chiropractic service.

Michelle Heckman, Karla Van Winkle, Jana Derry and Dr. Andy Allen.

By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times, May 2026

For a long time, people have been walking into the building at 108 N. Third St. in Guthrie Center and then walking out feeling better, Dr. Andy Allen explained.

“I purchased the practice from Dr. Schramm, and he was here for 42 years, all in the same building, and now I’ve been here 19 years,” Dr. Allen said. “So, it’s been a chiropractic office in this location for over 60 years.”

During his tenure at the location, Dr. Allen has continued to use familiar chiropractic methods while also keeping up with new advances.

“There’s been some minor stuff. Nothing dramatic has changed,” Dr. Allen said. “Dr. Schramm had pretty much only been using the instrument called an activator, which is a light force adjusting technique. We have gradually incorporated more tools with that. We do manual traditional chiropractic, and I had some background in college with some physical therapy modalities. The practice has evolved a little bit as healthcare has.”

Dr. Allen shows one of the adjusting tables for patient treatments.

Dr. Allen noted that while chiropractic offices in metropolitan areas often specialize, he has found that in a rural area, it makes more sense to provide general chiropractic care.

“We can see everybody from infants to the elderly and kids with sports injuries. It’s been a pretty good fit for the community,” Dr. Allen said. “We can do X-rays, which not all chiropractors offer. There’s nothing that we specialize in, but I would say we’re very well rounded.”

Dr. Allen shared his education and path to Guthrie Center.

“I grew up in Albia, down in southeast Iowa, and then I went to UNI for undergraduate, and then Palmer College for chiropractic school,” Dr. Allen said.

When asked about things the public might not realize about chiropractic care, Dr. Allen explained that some may not understand the wide array of issues chiropractic can address.

“A lot of times, people don’t know we can work on pregnant women or on kids and infants. Kids that have earaches or kids with colicky issues, constipation. Bedwetting is another one that people don’t know we can help with,” Dr. Allen said.

Dr. Allen noted that there is no such thing as someone too young for chiropractic care. He explained that the birthing process or how an infant sits in a car seat can lead to a need for gentle chiropractic adjustment.

Another issue Dr. Allen often sees with school-age patients relates to electronic device usage.

“Posture, and the way kids are on their phones or iPads, that has changed in the last 15 years. Backpacks may not be as heavy anymore, but that can still be an issue,” Dr. Allen said.

According to Dr. Allen, one of the most commonly seen issues is back pain.

“I’ve had men come in during the winter without socks on because they can’t bend down to put them on. Or, I remember a time when a high school girl literally crawled in here,” he said. “So, the back pain is the most common thing and probably the one we have the most success with.”

Understanding that pain can sometimes be an urgent issue, Dr. Allen strives to get patients in as soon as possible.

“The way we schedule, we can usually get people in within a day. That varies a little bit with new patients. They take a little longer. But nobody has to wait too long around here,” Dr. Allen said. “And if they don’t know much about chiropractic, we’re happy to answer questions.”

One recent change at Allen Family Chiropractic is the addition of massage therapy. Licensed massage therapist Jana Derry recently joined the staff to help meet patient needs.

“We’re excited to have Jana. She had her own practice in Coon Rapids. She’s got a history of being a really good massage therapist, so it’s a big bonus for us,” Dr. Allen said.

Derry brings more than a decade of massage experience.

“I graduated in 2005 and worked for about 12 years, then took a break and now I’m back. For 10 of those years, I had my own shop in Coon Rapids. I built a clientele by word of mouth to over 500 people, and that’s pretty big for a small town,” Derry said. “I started here in the beginning of April. I’m pretty much fulltime, as much as needed. It’s starting to fill in by word of mouth.”

As with Dr. Allen’s chiropractic treatments, Derry’s massage services are available to people of all ages and conditions, including infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly.

“I try to make every massage different. If you have specific injuries or places that are hurting, that’s what we work on. I listen to your body and go from there,” Derry said.

The staff at Allen Family Chiropractic also includes office staff members Michelle Heckman and Karla Van Winkle. Anyone interested in learning more or scheduling an appointment is invited to call the office at 641-747-8247. n