History of Chiropractic

Chiropractic was discovered by Daniel David Palmer in 1895. Harvey Lillard was a janitor in his building, and Harvey had lost his hearing after a fall. When Harvey described the bump that formed on his back after the fall, Daniel suggested that pushing the bump back into place might restore Harvey´s hearing. So, Daniel gave a mighty thrust onto the bump on Harvey´s back. The bump went away, and Harvey´s hearing returned. Chiropractic was born.

There are documents that go back thousands of years that speak of manipulation or maneuvering of the spine and extremities for the relief of back pain. Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician who lived between 460 and 357 A. D. published a text that emphasized the importance of manual manipulation. One of the documents says “Know the spine, for this is essential for the cure of many diseases.” In the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Babylon, Syria, Japan, Incas, Mayans and native Americans, we have found evidence of manual manipulation of the body.

What Daniel David Palmer discovered was the effect of a rapid specific adjustment to the spine. He continued his study and development of this new found healing art, and in 1897 D.D. Palmer opened the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. To date, this school continues to train doctors of Chiropractic. D.D. Palmer is considered the founder of Chiropractic, and throughout the 20^th Century, the Chiropractic profession has received considerable recognition and scientific support.

Chiropractic has been on the front line of health for over 100 years. Besides the research done by the Palmer´s, independent research clearly demonstrated the importance of Chiropractic: reducing the costs of health care, keeping healthy people healthy, increasing the rates of recovery of physical conditions, and the level of patient satisfaction among chiropractic patients is exceptional. One of the major studies conducted in 1993 in Canada, entitled “The Study of Manga”, concluded that the care chiropractors can save hundreds of millions of dollars annually in expenses related to physical disabilities and in costs, direct in health care. Other major studies carried out by the US Government, one the Rand Corporation, also demonstrated the incredible efficacy of chiropractic adjustments.

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