September 18th, 1895 was the birth of the first Chiropractor. Dr. D.D. Palmer was the very first Chiropractor in Davenport, IA. Let it be known that the very first Chiropractor did not adjust low back pain. Harvey Lillard was a custodian who worked in the Ryan Building in Davenport, IA. Dr. Palmer noticed that Harvey had lost his hearing and that, in fact Harvey lost his hearing performing a motion that many of us perform on a consistent every day basis. Harvey was in a bent over, “stooped” position and heard something “pop” in his back. Immediately following the motion and the “popping” sound, Harvey realized that his sense of hearing was lost/diminished.
Dr. Palmer took to Harvey and exaamined his spinal vertabrea and noticed that there was a vertabrea out of position. The spinal vertabrea is now what Chiropractor’s call a vertebral subluxation. A vertebral subluxation is when a bone moves out of position with the one below. The vertebral subluxation acts upon (puts pressure) nerves thus creating signs and symptoms of dis-ease: loss of hearing, hypertension, vertigo, infertility, gerd, etc, etc. Dr. Palmer proceeded to apply pressure to the spinal vertabrea and adjust the spinal bone with the right amount of force. After the first adjustment, Harvey’s hearing came back to him. Thus, creating the first chiropractor : Dr. D.D. Palmer.
Dr. Palmer’s rationale in applying a force to the spinal vertabrea was that the bone was inhibiting communication for the nerves to function properly. Hmmm, sounds like he was onto something. A chiropractor school was started and the beginning of a science, art, and philosophy that focused on keeping people healthy, and getting the sick well was born. Palmer College of Chiropractic is the fountainhead of chiropractic. Both chiropractor’s (Dr. Carlson and Dr. Basler) attended school at Palmer College of Chiropractic. We are happy to share with you this amazing day and look forward to telling you more! Remember, the very first Chiropractor did not adjust a patient for lower back pain, but for so much more.
