Dr. Megan Buhle, the founder of Buhle Chiropractic and Wellness in downtown Valparaiso, has firmly committed herself to making Valpo residents healthier, and, as a result, happier. Buhle wants her clinic, which opened last August, to be a place where patients can find relief and feel that they are valued.
“I hope that everyone who comes into the office realizes that they're not just another number,” Buhle said. “Our office isn't a conveyor belt or a cattle crossing for people. I want them to know that they are being heard. Even though all chiropractors learn the same adjustments, we each put our own flavor on it. I want my personal flavor to be defined by helping a lot of different people and making them feel heard. I want to educate my patients and help them get better so they don't have to come into the office every day.”
Buhle, a Valpo native, has been an athlete since she was very young. She was a gymnast for 11 years, having taken it up while still a preschooler. She started playing volleyball in the second grade and later took up diving as well. Buhle continued to play volleyball after she began attending Valparaiso High School and even went on to earn a full-ride Division 1 volleyball scholarship from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Not only was Buhle the first female athlete from Valparaiso High School to receive a Division 1 scholarship, she was also the first female athlete to letter for athletic achievement 12 times. She pursued a degree in multidisciplinary studies while she played volleyball for the university.
Buhle suffered from chronic pain as a result of participating in intensive athletics for most of her life. After pushing herself a bit too hard during her early volleyball career, she sustained some critical injuries. Buhle received shoulder surgery when she was 18 and even underwent spinal surgery a year later. As she continued to play volleyball upon recovering from her surgeries, she began to realize that she had developed a new passion.
“I found a chiropractor and a physical therapist who listened to me and helped me,” said Buhle. “I enjoyed seeing the insanely cool things that these people could do to make me feel better and get me back on the court. I don't know what I would have done without them. Seeing them work and helping me learn about what worked best for my body made me say, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I don’t love to study, but it was totally worth it. I love what I do.”
After graduating from University of Texas at El Paso in 2008, Buhle went on to earn a second degree in biology. In 2015, she earned a doctorate from National University of Health Science in Lombard, Illinois. Buhle worked alongside another doctor in Schererville doing post-surgical rehabilitation for several years. She then established 360 Chiropractic, a Valpo-based athletic training and personal training business.
After doing occasional chiropractic work for about five years, Buhle had the opportunity to establish Buhle Chiropractic and Wellness, fulfilling a lifelong dream of having her own practice. Her husband, Jon Buhle, does much to support Buhle as she continues to make her dream a reality.
“I don't know what I would do without my husband,” said Buhle. “I'm so grateful that he helps with the little things at the clinic. I’ll call and say that I need something fixed in the office, and he's right there. Even my patients have gotten to know him. Whenever I have to stay late at the clinic, he's the one who takes care of the children. I truly could not do this without him.”
Buhle joked that, as a busy mother of three, her hobbies are sleeping and taking care of her kids. However, she claims that her true hobby is spending time with her family. One of her greatest pleasures is vacationing with her family at her in-laws’ lake house on Bass Lake. She especially enjoys watching her nephews and her daughter do wakeboard tricks on the water. Although Buhle enjoys traveling to places like Bass Lake for the family getaways, Valpo will always hold a special place in her heart.
“I was lucky enough to see a lot of the country when I played ball at other schools, but I love Valpo’s small-town feel,” Buhle said. “I was born and raised in Valpo, and I only left for a little bit when I went to school in Texas. I love being here. It's like ‘Cheers’ – everybody knows everybody. Being an entrepreneur is difficult, but I’m thankful for the support that the clinic has received from family and friends. It's the coolest.”
Buhle’s clinic has already made a positive impact on the Valpo community in the six months it has been open. She looks forward to doing even more to help each of her patients learn how to improve, not just their health, but also their quality of life.