History of Chiropractic

Chiropractic was founded in 1895 by Daniel Davit Palmer, who was a magnetic healer.
Hearing wailing sirens outside during the night, Dr. D.D.Palmer ran into a janitor who did not react to the sound at all. He explained to Dr. Palmer that he had injured his back 17 years ago and he also lost his hearing at that time. Dr. Palmer explained to him that the injury and his hearing loss were related. Dr. Palmer examined his back with his consent and found a bump. He pushed on the spot with gentle pressure. The bump disappeared and his hearing improved. His hearing returned to almost perfect within 2 treatments.
“I was deaf 17 years and I expected to always remain so, for I had doctored a great deal without any benefit. I had long ago made up my mind to not take any more ear treatments, for it did me no good. Last January Dr. Palmer told me that my deafness came from an injury in my spine. This was new to me; but it is a fact that my back was injured at the time I went deaf. Dr. Palmer treated me on the spine; in two treatments I could hear quite well. That was eight months ago. My hearing remains good.” - Harvey Lillard, 320 W. Eleventh St., Davenport, Iowa, (Palmer 1897).
This incident made Dr. Palmer look into research of the relation between the spine, nervous system, and pain or disease. This lead to what we currently call chiropractic.
Hearing wailing sirens outside during the night, Dr. D.D.Palmer ran into a janitor who did not react to the sound at all. He explained to Dr. Palmer that he had injured his back 17 years ago and he also lost his hearing at that time. Dr. Palmer explained to him that the injury and his hearing loss were related. Dr. Palmer examined his back with his consent and found a bump. He pushed on the spot with gentle pressure. The bump disappeared and his hearing improved. His hearing returned to almost perfect within 2 treatments.
“I was deaf 17 years and I expected to always remain so, for I had doctored a great deal without any benefit. I had long ago made up my mind to not take any more ear treatments, for it did me no good. Last January Dr. Palmer told me that my deafness came from an injury in my spine. This was new to me; but it is a fact that my back was injured at the time I went deaf. Dr. Palmer treated me on the spine; in two treatments I could hear quite well. That was eight months ago. My hearing remains good.” - Harvey Lillard, 320 W. Eleventh St., Davenport, Iowa, (Palmer 1897).
This incident made Dr. Palmer look into research of the relation between the spine, nervous system, and pain or disease. This lead to what we currently call chiropractic.