Birth of
a Profession - September 18, 1895
Modern chiropractic
emerged from a discovery by turn-of-the-century
healer Daniel David Palmer. Harvey Lillard, a maintenance
man working in Dr. Palmer's building, related to
Palmer how he had become partially deaf many years
earlier when, as he worked in a twisted position,
he heard something "pop" in his spine.
Palmer examined him and found a vertebra that was
apparently displaced. He repositioned the bone and
Lillard's hearing improved immediately. Within a
week it had almost completely returned.
Palmer began
to explore his new discovery which he named chiropractic
- a combination of the Greek words cheir and praktikis,
meaning "done by hand." His son B.J. went
on to develop the theory and art of chiropractic
and laid the groundwork for contemporary practice.
Although
the act of replacing vertebrae into their proper
position had been practiced for thousands of years,
Palmer was the first to articulate the connection
between the interference these misaligned bones
caused to the nerve system and interference to the
functioning of the body.
He reasoned
that the body is controlled through the brain and
nerve system by thousands of messages sent every
second to control each structure and function within
the body. The spinal cord is the road over which
these messages travel. Palmer discovered that the
bones of the spine that protect the spinal cord
can, if misaligned, put pressure on the cord and
small spinal nerves. This pressure can distort and
block information coming from the brain. Ultimately,
these misalignments, or vertebral subluxations,
lessen the body's ability to function by disrupting
communication over the nerve system.
Chiropractic
focuses on the body's inborn capacity to maintain
and restore its own health. This inborn wisdom,
or innate intelligence, helps the body constantly
adapt to changes in its internal and external environment
to help the body survive and thrive in changing
conditions. The nervous system (through the brain
and spinal cord) coordinates and controls the function
of all of the body's organs and systems, and even
the function of its myriad cells.
Misalignments
in the vertebrae that make up the spinal column
can interfere with the transmission of information
from the brain, over the spinal cord to the spinal
nerves and, ultimately, to all systems of the body.
These misalignments, called vertebral subluxations,
can disrupt proper nerve function and lead to decreased
performance and health.
Chiropractors
locate, analyze and gently correct vertebral subluxations
by using a broad range of adjusting techniques.
By restoring proper nerve flow, the chiropractor
helps people enjoy more of their full potential
for health and optimal performance.
Chiropractic
involves the study of philosophy, science and art.
Philosophy considers the fundamental nature of existence,
of human beings and of their interaction with the
environment. The sciences deal with human biology
- especially the relationship between the spinal
segments and the nerve system, and the effect this
relationship has on the body's innate striving to
express and maintain its own health. Chiropractic's
art is the expression of its philosophy and is concerned
with locating and correcting vertebral subluxations.
Ultimately,
chiropractic is concerned with improving the body's
expression of life and health.
