The healing art and science of Chiropractic was founded in Davenport, Iowa in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer. Palmer believed that virtually all disease was caused by displaced vertebrae that disrupted the function of spinal nerves innervating the organs and tissues of the body. His new practice caught on. By 1897 he had established the Palmer School of Chiropractic, and by 1906 he was charged with practicing medicine without a license.
Given that chiropractors used no drugs, and practiced no surgery - hardly practicing medicine - it was clear that the real complaint of the medical community in Iowa, was that doctors of chiropractic (DCs) were a competitive threat.
Dr. Palmer had hitched his wagon to something big. Turns out that cultures around the world had successfully used spinal manipulation for millennia. While it was far from correct to think that most all diseases were caused by spinal problems, it was spot on to recognize that aberrations of spinal mechanics can negatively influence the function of related organs and tissues, and can cause or contribute to a wide range of diseases and dysfunctions.
As the next century rolled by, the chiropractic profession grew; a lot. In the 1960’s the American Medical Association (AMA), in collusion with other medical groups, created and carried out plans to boycott and destroy the chiropractic profession. Surprisingly, justice was served in 1987 when in federal court the AMA was found guilty of antitrust violations in its attempt to eliminate the chiropractic profession.
It is important to know that from the early 1900’s there were medical doctors who valued chiropractic, referred patients for chiropractic care, and received chiropractic treatment themselves. In many instances, medical societies made it difficult for these MDs and scorned or threatened them for associating with chiropractors.
Things are better today in 2011. Why just today I treated a medical doctor and her daughter.
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