The history of chiropractic began in 1895, when Daniel David Palmer performed an adjustment on a partially deaf janitor, Harvey Lillard. Palmer noticed in an examination that a Lillard had a vertebra that was out of position and he performed a spinal adjustment. Lillard’s hearing was restored and the word began to spread about the power of a spinal adjustment.

D.D. Palmer later, asked his patient and friend, Rev. Samuel Weed to help him name his discovery and Rev. Weed suggested combining the Greek words, cheiros and praktikos, meaning “done by hand.”

While Palmer gave chiropractic care it’s name, the importance of spinal health to whole body health was nothing new! Hippocrates, the Greek physician who lived from 460 B.C. to 357 B.C. said, “Get knowledge of the spine for this is the requisite for many diseases.”

Due to the success of Palmer’s patients, he was inspired to teach others his method. His efforts would become Palmer School of Chiropractic (now Palmer College of Chiropractic) and among the first graduates was his son, B.J. Palmer. It was his son B.J. Palmer that took interest in his father’s work and assumed the responsibility for the school following his graduation.

Together, both Palmer’s wrote and published a series of 46 books called the “Green Books,” with the first book called, The Science of Chiropractic; Its Principles and Adjustments.

Chiropractic’s growth has been a grassroots movement since the beginning. Its organized effort was undertaken by a group of individuals, in and around Iowa, who sought and fought for the right to give people a healthy alternative to available healthcare. Also, it was around this time in 1903 that the publication called The Neward Advocate, in a piece titled, “The Edison Wizard,” that Thomas Edison addressed his concern for the healthcare of his time. In the piece Edison stated, “The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” This idea remains in the hearts and minds of chiropractors to this day.

The early years of chiropractic brought many challenges. Medical politics grew tougher and in 1907, “practicing medicine without a license” led to many chiropractors being jailed, including D.D. Palmer. When Palmer was asked why he didn’t just pay the fine, he responded, “I am not in a cell for lack of principal, but for an abundance of principle.” Palmer was not practicing medicine. He was practicing chiropractic.

Over a period of 15 years, 30 more chiropractic schools opened. It was B.J. Palmer’s passion, innovation, and entrepreneurial genius that propelled the profession forward. He wanted to bring the power of chiropractic to the masses, which he did through radio, seminars, advertising, and politics. Chiropractic graduates followed suit. All of the hype that chiropractic was getting alerted local medical communities, who had the power of the state at their disposal, and immediately had them arrested. In the first 30 years of chiropractic’s existence, there were more than 15,000 prosecutions, with about 20% resulting in incarceration.

Being under this scrutiny, built a warrior mentality into many of the early chiropractors who were greatly inspired by chiropractic patient success stories, which often came following medical failures. Chiropractic results were fantastic and reproducible. This created a chiropractic culture of patient results that still exists today.

Fast forward to 1963, the American Medical Association (AMA) created a massive, slander focused campaign that was almost exclusively against chiropractors. By this time, chiropractic had secured separate licensing statutes in all 50 states, to grant chiropractic licenses and regulate the practice of chiropractic, so the motives of the AMA are interesting to say the least. Was it because of the growing successes in the chiropractic community that the AMA create a slander campaign??? Was it jealously or greed?

The AMA’s efforts to slander chiropractic went on until 1976, another 13 years, before an Illinois chiropractor Chester Wilk, and four other Doctors of Chiropractic filed a lawsuit agains the AMA. Then, it wasn’t until 11 years later, on August 27, 1987 when victory was won. The AMA was found guilty in the United States District Court for having conspired to destroy the chiropractic profession. Evidence presented during the trial showed how the AMA and other defendants actively and covertly tried to:

1. Undermine chiropractic educational institutions.

2. Hide evidence of the uses and benefits of chiropractic care

3. Undercut insurance programs for patients of chiropractors.

4. Subvert government inquires into efficacy of chiropractic care.

During the lawsuit, it was also found that the AMA participated in a large-scale disinformation campaign to discredit  the chiropractic profession. Chiropractors at this time were constantly fighting for survival and they were unable to generate resources (such as money) for research. In 1975 the National Institute of Health brought chiropractors, osteopaths, medical doctors, and PhD scientists together in a conference to develop strategies to study the effects of spinal health. In 1978, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics was launched and included in the National Library of Medicine’s Index, Medicus. The AMA boycotted this journal until losing the 1987 case.

This much needed boost to the chiropractic industry allowed Chiropractic colleges and associations to begin forming their own research teams to explore the vitalistic results that chiropractors were seeing in practice.

Chiropractic began with D.D. Palmer who wanted to know “why two people sitting at the same table, eating the same food, breathing the same air, and one would get sick, and one wouldn’t.” Today, more and more people are questioning allopathic medicine and looking for help in supporting their body’s innate intelligence, self-healing, self-regulating qualities, and human potential.

As more and more people shift their values in this direction, it has created a greater need of chiropractors. Today there are 19 chiropractic schools in the US, and 20 more around the world. Approximately 35 million American adults and children receive chiropractic care each year. Today, chiropractors are taking the lead and becoming the first choice of many for healthcare because of their safe and holistic approach to healing.

It is indisputable that a healthy spine and nervous system are essential to living a healthy and long life. Simply eating right and exercising are not enough if your spine and nervous system are not healthy. Degeneration of the spine can be devastating and since the nervous system is directly affected with spinal degeneration, the consequences to lack of care are more than just musculoskeletal. They are systemic.

Chiropractic is not about treating symptoms and it’s everything about optimizing the function of the nervous system.

This chiropractic journey has prevailed and overcome so many obstacles, with much thanks to the chiropractors that fought for the truth, for hope, for healing, and ultimately for you. A healthy spine and nervous system is your greatest asset and chiropractic is the ultimate opportunity to protect, heal, and nourish it.

The information in this blog is from the magazine, Pathways to Family Wellness, Issue 79, in an article by Dr. Eric Plasker called The Chiropractic Journey. I was taught most of this in 2016 during my time at Sherman College of Chiropractic, however the timeline was forgotten, and I appreciate the article’s wonderful refresh on chiropractic history, hardship, truth and triumph. Thank you!