Since ancient times humanity has recognized a close relationship between the spine and health. Spinal care—the basis of chiropractic—has been practiced thousands of years in nearly all parts of the world.

Hippocrates, the "Father of Western Medicine," was really a natural healer. He stressed diet, exercise, natural remedies, AND spinal adjustments for curing disease and maintaining health. As he said: "One or more vertebrae of the spine may...go out of place...they are likely to produce serious complications and even death, if not properly adjusted."

Chiropractic itself is credited to a Dr. Daniel David Palmer in Davenport, Iowa...in 1895. It is said that he inquired as to how his deaf janitor (Harvey Lillard) lost his hearing. Mr. Lillard said 17 years earlier while working in a cramped, stopping position, something "gave" in his back...and immediately became deaf. When Dr. Palmer examined his spine, he found what appeared to be a misaligned vertebra. With Mr. Lillard's permission, he placed him face down on a bench to study his spine. Dr. Palmer placed his hands over the misaligned vertebra, and carefully thrust along the man's spine. Dr. Palmer wondered if that misalignment was the cause for deafness. Well, the rest is history! Because Mr. Lillard got up, walked over to the open window, and turned to face Dr. Palmer with a smile. After 17 years he could hear again!!!

Consequently, Dr. Palmer thought he learned how to cure deafness. Not all true as he learned from another case when he examined the spine of a person with heart trouble who was not improving. What he noticed here was another misaligned vertebra. He began adjusting that...with improvement finally. Now Dr. Palmer began to reason if 2 diseases, so dissimilar as deafness and heart trouble, came from a pressure on nerves, were not other diseases similar? Not long after that, individuals with all kinds of health problems were responding. So it began!