The History of Chiropractic

The word chiropractic is of Greek origin. It’s a combination of “chiro-” — or “cheiro-” — which means hand, and “praktos,” which means done. So, chiropractic literally means done by hand. But the history of chiropractic as a medical practice is much younger.

The name was selected by the founder of chiropractic, Dr. Daniel David Palmer (pictured below), in Davenport, Iowa in 1895. Essentially, chiropractic is a hands-on way to realign your spine, improve your nervous system and — ultimately — your overall body functionality.

Since 1895, more and more research has surfaced proving Dr. D.D. Palmer’s original theory:

When the spine loses its normal position, it irritates the nervous system, which can cause problems of varying degrees to the organs and muscles attached to the affected nerves.  

In a research paper by JT Freeman called “Posture in the Aging and Aged Body” from the Journal of the American Medical Association, he wrote:

“Deviations in the body’s center of gravity caused poor posture, which resulted in intestinal problems, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, osteoporosis, hip and foot deformities, poor health, decreased quality of life, and a shortened life span.”

That’s quite a lot that can result from a deviation in your spine — i.e. misaligned vertebrae pinching a nerve.

The entire premise of chiropractic was built on this data, and it’s this underlying principle that drives millions of people to reach out to chiropractors every day.

If you have lower back pain, neck pain, sciatica, shoulder pain, poor posture, headaches or even if you feel like your body is not performing at an acceptable level, you probably have some deviation, or misalignment, in your body’s center of gravity. And, with that, a pinched nerve.

Hippocrates, a famous Greek Philosopher once said, “look well to the spine for the cause of disease.” Well, he was right. And reaching out to your local chiropractor and inquiring about a spinal adjustment could be the first step toward attaining a long-term, ailment-free life.

For residents in the St. Louis area, please contact us to schedule an appointment today.