Menu

Although “spinal manipulation” has been documented in China and Greece as far back as 2700 B.C., modern chiropractic was founded in 1895 by D.D. Palmer. He was an anatomist who adjusted his janitor, Harvey Lillard, who was deaf. The cervical adjustment restored his hearing. Two years later, he began the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. Chiropractic was founded on the idea of a “subluxation”. Most chiropractors tell their patients that the bone is “misaligned” or “out-of-place”. These are very poor choice of words. 

The term “subluxation” can be confusing because the medical term directly translated means dislocation or partially dislocated. Many chiropractors say that the bone is “out of place,” which gives the false impression that chiropractors are actually moving bones. Adjustments affect the range of motion within a joint and the function of the joint, not the actual position of the bone. A subluxation is a joint that has lost some of its normal range of motion, which results in altered biomechanical, neurological, and physiological function. These “stuck” joints result in altered function that results in pain, weakness, or decreased range of motion. I prefer using the term “restriction” because it is less confusing and more accurate. Chiropractic safely corrects these restrictions and restores full function  to the joint.

DD_palmer.jpg