Chiropractors treat many maladies by adjusting the spine.
In the last century, chiropractic has claimed many adherents but also garnered numerous critics. This controversial therapy is based on the idea that many ailments can be cured by manually adjusting the spine. Chiropractors eschew drugs and surgery, instead focusing on spinal misalignments called "subluxations."
Ancient Greek Origins?
The inspiration for chiropractic comes from ancient Greece.
Chiropractors cite ancient Greece as the inspiration for their practice. The Greek physician Hippocrates emphasized the importance of the spine for overall health. Early Greek and Chinese writings suggest spinal manipulation for relieving back pain. The physician Herodutus prescribed exercises for patients suffering from spinal troubles. If they were too weak to do the exercises, he manipulated their backs for them.
Daniel David Palmer
The modern practice of chiropractic was founded by Daniel David Palmer. Formerly a beekeeper and raspberry seller, Palmer enjoyed reading medical journals. In 1885, he became interested in the work of Paul Caster, a magnetic healer. Palmer studied with Caster in Ottumwa, Iowa, before opening his own Palmer Cure & Infirmary in Davenport, Iowa.
Palmer's First Adjustment
Palmer was intrigued by the plight of Harvey Lillard, a janitor in his office. The man had normal hearing all his life, until one day his back popped and suddenly he couldn't hear. Palmer suspected the popping noise and the man's deafness must be connected. Upon examining Lillard's spine, he was able to lever a misaligned vertebra back into space. Lillard's hearing was instantly restored.
First Chiropractic School
News got around, and people with various maladies flooded Palmer's office. At first he called his spinal manipulations "hand treatments." Later, he invented the term "chiropractic." "Chiro" is the Greek word for hand, and "practic" means practice or operation. He renamed his establishment the Palmer School and Infirmary of Chiropractic. His first students enrolled in 1898.
Troubles with AMA
Many doctors doubted the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment.
The rest of the medical establishment doubted that chiropractic was a legitimate treatment modality. By the 1920s, the American Medical Association was waging war against the chiropractic profession. AMA secretary Morris Fishbein described chiropractors as "rabid dogs" whose unscientific, unsafe methods jeopardized their patients. By the 1960s, the AMA's Committee on Quackery had concocted a plan to prevent both accreditation for chiropractors and coverage by Medicare for chiropractic treatment. Chiropractors responded by accusing doctors of hoarding the profits. They alleged that medical prefessionals caused many of the illnesses they purported to cure.
1976 Lawsuit
In 1976, five chiropractors filed an antitrust lawsuit against several healthcare groups, including the American Medical Association. Known as the Wilkes Case, this and other lawsuits launched by chiropractors pressured the AMA to back down. The AMA modified its code of ethics to allow individual doctors to choose whether or not to refer patients to chiropractors.
Current Status of the Profession
While some individual doctors still doubt the efficacy of chiropractic treatment, many others embrace it. Chiropractic students may intern in medical centers. Chiropractic and other alternative treatments, often called "complementary medicine," flourish in medical clinics and hospitals throughout the country.
Tags: chiropractic treatment, adjusting spine, American Medical, American Medical Association, ancient Greece, Daniel David