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History
The history of the chiropractic profession dates back as far as 17,500 BC. Hippocrates believed that a misaligned spine contributed to the health of an individual. Modern day chiropractic goes back over 100 years, when the first adjustment was given by Dr. Daniel Palmer on September 18, 1895.
Dr. Palmer, born in Canada in 1845, was very much interested in the healing arts and first learned magnetic healing. This form of healing focused on the electro-magnetic fields of the body. In 1886, Dr. Palmer opened his first office of magnetic healing in Burlington, Iowa. From there, he went on to open a second office in 1887.
His major interest was in finding the cause and effect of sickness. He went on to discover what causes sickness and what effects illness has on the human body. The first chiropractic adjustment he gave in 1895 was performed on a man who had lost his hearing 17 years previously. He reported to Dr. Palmer that when he lost his hearing, he had strained his neck and had heard a noise in his neck when this happened. Suspecting that there could be a spinal misalignment, Dr. Palmer examined him and did find a vertebra that seemed out of alignment. Dr. Palmer adjusted the vertebra back into position and the man's hearing did improve.
This proved Dr. Palmer's theory that if the spine is aligned correctly, the nerve flow to all parts of the body will work correctly and thus, the body will be healthy and free of disease. Dr. Palmer was excited to think that he may have discovered a cure for all sickness.
Criticism of this new healing technique came from many, especially the medical community, as it did not involve the traditional medical theory of disease. For years, chiropractic was discredited and even referred to as quackery. But through extensive research and susequent clinical evidence of its efficacy, chiropractic soon became an accepted form of health care. In fact, in the early 1970s, insurance companies started to recognize chiropractic as a legitimate health care discipline and allowed claims to be paid for chiropractic services.
In 1897, Dr. Palmer opened his chiropractic school in Davenport, Iowa, calling it the Palmer Infirmary and Chiropractic Institute. The name was later changed in 1907 to Palmer School of Chiropractic. Enrollment at first was low, with only 24 students in 1906, but today there are over 20 chiropractic colleges with enrollment of over 10,000 students.
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