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Story
of Chiropractic Care
by
Dr. Paul Sinnott
Chiropractic
is many things to many people. Chiropractic was officially
discovered, developed, and taught starting in 1897.
Like most discoveries, chiropractic -- an American original
healing technique - was a stumble-upon. A local grocer
named D.D. Palmer, a student of magnetic healing, asked
a janitor why he couldn't hear very well. The janitor,
Harvey Lillard, explained that he felt a "pop"
in his neck as he was lifting something. From that day
on, his hearing was poor. D.D. asked Harvey to step
into his study to see what the connection could be.
D.D. saw a bump in Harvey's neck and asked him to lay
down on his stomach and turn his head so that the bump
was upright. Based on his study of anatomy, D.D. gently
pushed on the lump in the direction he thought was right
for the spine. They both heard another "pop",
and all was well again.
After
that day, D.D. spent much of his time in his study drawing
conclusions to the results of the discovery. He knew
that throughout history, "bone settlers" would
manipulate joints of the body to improve function of
the joint as well as enhance vitality. Upon further
thought about Harvey's hearing change, D.D. concluded
that spinal orientation must affect neurology. Chiropractic
was born on that day.
D.D.
went on to develop techniques for correcting spinal
imbalances. He opened a public clinic and built the
first chiropractic college in Davenport. Chiropractic
was given its name by a friend of D.D.'s and can be
translated into "practice by hand" from the
Greek and Latin roots. D.D.'s son, B.J. Palmer, was
credited as the developer of chiropractic as he brought
chiropractic to the country with his passion for research,
education, and evolution. A fan of P.T. Barnum's style
of recognition, B.J. utilized the power of radio to
broadcast the development of chiropractic. He further
went on to begin the process of legal recognition and
allowance for the profession. Years of surviving battles
in the court system led to the acceptances and government
licensure of the Doctor of Chiropractic. As recently
as the 1980s, the chiropractic profession won a Supreme
Court decision in its antitrust suit against the American
Medical Association (A.M.A.). The Supreme Court declared
that chiropractic was a recognized and legitimate health
care profession and further determined that the A.M.A.
must share in the relationship of open referrals when
indicated.
So,
that's chiropractic - a great story that continues to
be written with each spinal adjustment. I encourage
everyone, young and old, to consider the benefits of
chiropractic are and incorporate them into their lifestyle.
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