Dr. Casey Runnels and a Decade of Healing in Wayne County
Some people choose their calling. For Dr. Casey Runnels, it chose her — one relentless migraine at a time.
Long before she was a DC, Casey Runnels was simply a young woman searching for relief that medication couldn't give her. Chronic headaches had become an unwelcome constant in her life. It wasn't until she experienced her first chiropractic adjustment that something shifted — quite literally. The relief was real, and so was the question it left behind: What if I could do this for other people?
Today, that question has a ten-year answer. In August 2025, Runnels Chiropractic in Richmond, Indiana, celebrated a decade of serving Wayne County. Dr. Runnels has become one of the community's most quietly influential small business leaders — a distinction that feels especially fitting during National Women's Small Business Month, a time set aside to honor the "makers and leaders who power local economies."
From Associate to Owner: A Deliberate Climb
Dr. Runnels didn't rush toward ownership. She earned her way there.
After graduating from Indiana University and completing her doctoral studies at Palmer College of Chiropractic — one of the most respected chiropractic institutions in the country — she spent years working as an associate chiropractor in three different offices before opening her own. It was a deliberate apprenticeship.
"I always knew I wanted to own my own chiropractic office," she says. "I just needed to learn as much as I could before doing so."
That patience paid off. When Runnels Chiropractic opened its doors, it did so backed by hard-won experience — the kind that only comes from watching how different practices serve, struggle, and succeed. A decade later, the practice has become a Wayne County institution built on a mission that reads less like corporate copy and more like a promise: customized chiropractic care, delivered in a professional, friendly atmosphere where every patient is treated as an individual.
"We would not be here without them," Dr. Runnels says of her patients. "They are not just a number. They are family, friends, business owners, coaches, teachers, first responders, and the list goes on. They are all pieces of the big puzzle that makes up Wayne County."
Leader, Not Boss
Ask Dr. Runnels about her leadership style, and she doesn't hesitate.
"There is a big difference between a boss and a leader," she explains. "Leading by example to build a team that also cares about your business provides long-term growth, not just daily output."
It's a philosophy that shows up in the culture at Runnels Chiropractic — built not on top-down directives, but on shared investment. It has also helped carry the practice through the inevitable turbulence of a decade in business.
"A major challenge I've faced, and continue to face, is maintaining confidence in myself and my business when growth changes," she admits. Her strategy when uncertainty creeps in? Step back. Look at the whole picture. Evaluate, strategize, and get back on track. It's the kind of steady resilience that doesn't make headlines — but it builds decade-long businesses.
Roots That Run Deep
Dr. Runnels' community involvement is anything but understated. Over the years, Runnels Chiropractic has sponsored nonprofits, fundraising golf outings, schools, youth sports teams, and scholarship foundations. The practice has also supported organizations like the Wayne County Foundation and the Women's Fund — groups that pour resources back into the community Dr. Runnels has called home throughout her career.
That commitment runs even deeper than sponsorships. Runnels Chiropractic recently received a grant to help preserve and maintain the history of its building — a tangible investment in Richmond's legacy, and a sign that Dr. Runnels sees her business as part of something larger than her practice alone.
She's also investing in the next generation of chiropractors through internship and externship programs — giving young people the same formative exposure to the field that once redirected her own life.
"I remember how influential it was for me to work in a chiropractic office at a young age," she says. "I am thankful that I now get the opportunity to do that for others."
Looking Ahead
As a female small business owner, Dr. Runnels is quick to credit the women who shaped her journey. "Women are honest, helpful, supportive, and insightful," she says. "They will succeed with you, not in spite of you." When asked what she'd tell her younger self, her answer is direct: "Don't doubt yourself."
Ten years in, she isn't looking to reinvent what works. She's focused on deepening it.
"We plan to stay the course and keep providing great chiropractic care to those in our community," she says. "We aren't going anywhere anytime soon."
It's a fitting outlook for a practice built on patience, consistency, and genuine care — the same qualities that carried a young woman searching for migraine relief all the way to becoming one of Wayne County's most respected small business leaders. As her favorite quote reminds us: "It takes less time to do a thing right than it does to explain why you did it wrong." A decade of loyal patients suggests she's been doing it right all along.
Experience personalized chiropractic care from Dr. Casey Runnels and her team. Visit Runnels Chiropractic in Richmond, Indiana, and discover why Wayne County has trusted this practice for over a decade.
