Occasionally, patients at my chiropractic office in Ann Arbor ask me about the origins of chiropractic and this is what I tell them. The word chiropractic comes from the Greek words cheir which means “hand” and praktos which means “done”. So, chiropractic can be translated into “done by hand.”.Danial David Palmer founded chiropractic in Davenport Iowa and performed the first chiropractic adjustment in 1895. He opened Palmer college of Chiropractic in 1897. Palmer was a avid reader of all things scientific and understood that people for thousands of years have been healed by having there spinal bones manipulated. Palmer could see that even though there was a long history of spinal manipulation used to heal people there was no research, no scientific understanding of it or specific/formal methodology in which chiropractic could be taught and performed. Palmer went on a quest to develop the science, art and philosophy of chiropractic ultimately starting Palmer College of Chiropractic.

Palmer's first chiropractic adjustment took place in Davenport. Palmer had befriended a janitor, named Harvey Lillard, who had mentioned to Palmer that his hearing was reduced for no apparent reason after he had bent over to pick up something off the ground. Palmer noticed that Mr. Lillard had a misalignment of the spinal bones in his neck. Mr. Palmer proceeded to adjust Mr. Lillard's neck vertebrae back into place. Mr. Lillard then mentioned that he could hear considerably better then before the adjustment, saying that “ I can now hear the horses walking in the street.” As s side note here, I have treated people at my Ann Arbor Chiropractic office who have mentioned that there hearing improved after being adjusted.

The first state to license Chiropractors was Kansas in1913. Now there are approximately 60,000 active licensed chiropractors in all 50 states. In addition, many countries including Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, Great Britain and Switzerland recognize chiropractic.

The majority of people who use chiropractic these days do so to get rid of neck pain, back pain, headaches and tingling and numbness in their arms and legs. Some, however, use chiropractic to help them with more organ related issues like asthma, fertility and bladder problems. Finally, people go to chiropractors because it has been shown to be an extremely effective form of health care that doesn't use drugs or surgery.

If you have questions about this blog post, neck pain, back pain, headaches or chiropractic I can be reached at my Ann Arbor office at [email protected].