What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is technically described as "the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of conditions that affect the neuro-musculoskeletal system." Through a series of special examination and manipulative techniques, chiropractors can diagnose and treat numerous disorders associated with the nerves, muscles, bones, and joints of the body. The emphasis chiropractors put on the spine has led many people to believe that the therapy is useful only for treating back pain. In fact, skilled therapists can treat almost every structural problem from headaches to ankle problems. In 1895, Daniel David Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, treated his office janitor for deafness by realigning some small bones in his spine. Fascinated by this discovery, Palmer moved from his native Canada to Davenport, Iowa, where he developed the principles upon which chiropractic is based. In particular, he devoted considerable attention to the spine, noting that it is integral to all three functional elements of the human body: it surrounds and protects the spinal cord, a major factor in the nervous system; it supports a great number of individual muscles; and in that it actually consists of an entire series of linked bones, it also therefore has virtually as many joints. Palmer believed that any damage, disease, or structural change of the spine can affect the health of the rest of the body, and that through manipulation, chiropractors can not only improve structural problems such as sciatica or the effects of injury but also help with conditions such as asthma, which can be helped by easing tension in the chest muscles. He then went on to develop the use of spinal adjustment to treat disease, discovering that by gently moving back into place those bones that appeared to be misaligned he could reduce many of his patients' symptoms without recourse to drugs or surgery. Daniel Palmer established his first chiropractic school in Davenport in 1895. In the same year, W.C. Roentgen invented the X-ray machine, which early chiropractors found useful for making accurate spinal assessments. In 1907, Bartlet Joshua Palmer took over his father's fledgling infirmary. His name is now primarily associated in the United States with those chiropractors who use chiropractic as their sole therapy for ailments.