Local chiropractor to retire after 27 years of business in Butler
For the past 27 years, Ram Parikh has been helping patients achieve their goals to enjoy life to its fullest.
After helping countless patients for nearly three decades, the owner of Discover Wellness Center in Butler and seasoned chiropractor said he will close his practice at the end of April. His last day of business was April 30.
“At the end of the day, no one wants to live in pain, and people want to do what they want to do on their time and not feel like they can’t do it,” said Parikh, who holds a doctor of chiropractor degree. “Our goal is to help them accomplish their goals of what they want to achieve in life — from being able to go golfing without hurting, to walks with their wives and playing with grandchildren. What gives us the most joys are experiences and relationships in life.”
Parikh described his practice at 227 S. Chestnut St. as a way to help patients through “natural means” all the way from the medical side to the chiropractic side.
“We also have another business here called the Pain Relief & Longevity Center, where we do medical weight-loss and stem-cell therapies,” Parikh said. “We have done that the last eight years or so.
“The second business kind of goes hand in hand because we are trying to help patients naturally to avoid surgery, so we have the stem cells, regenerative medicine and things like that.”
The Florida native came to Butler in 1999 after graduating from Logan University near St. Louis in December 1998.
Parikh was drawn to the field due to his strong desire to help people and through some encouragement from his mother as a young boy.
“When I was about 10 years old, my mother got a headache. She always made me rub her neck, and it felt great for her,” Parikh said. “She said I always had great hands, so chiropractic care kind of fell into place. First off, it’s a natural way of helping patients, and at the same time, you are not dealing with the long hours as a medical doctor.”
He initially tried to open a practice in Cranberry Township, but after not being able to find an office space, a real estate agent pointed him toward Butler.
“It made sense because it’s the center of the county and all the roads lead to Butler,” Parikh said. “I liked the vibe of the city. It kind of just picked me.”
The business has remained at the same location since it opened in 1999. Over the years, Butler has become home to Parikh.
“I have lived here more than anywhere else,” he said. “I like the people. I love being part of the community, and we have supported a lot of different things in the area. But it was the people that made me fall in love with the area.”
Being fresh out of college when he came to Butler and opened his practice, Parikh found early success after going door to door meeting people and visiting local health fairs to get his name out there.
“I was nervous, excited and scared all at the same time,” Parikh said.
He said over the years, chiropractic care has not changed much. However, the public’s vision of the practice has changed to a more positive vibe.
“Before it was pretty negative, but after more research came out, they are more open to chiropractic care,” Parikh said. “There is a time and place for medicine, but if you can help it and correct the problem, it’s a more natural way of helping the body.”
On March 30, Parikh announced on Facebook he would be closing the practice. Since then, patients have given him strong testimonies as to how he has helped them over the years.
“From people in a wheelchair with disc problems to people not being able to walk without a cane,” Parikh said. “People with migraines and helping with that. That is what gives me the most joy is making a difference in people’s lives.
“I am eternally grateful for their trust in me. From when I first started to the last days, I will never forget their trust and I truly enjoyed helping every single one of them.”
He also is thankful for the staff he has had over the years, some of which have been with him since close to the beginning of the practice.
Parikh plans to retire from chiropractic care. He will initially take some extended time off to enjoy time with his wife. He expects to get back into the medical world in one fashion or another, but he isn’t sure yet how.
“I will be doing some consulting and whatever comes my way,” Parikh said. “Not chiropractic related.”
