While I was going to chiropractic school there was a day we would celebrate called Founder's Day. It involved food trucks, games, and getting out of school early. But what was it for? It was to help celebrate when Chiropractic was founded. It was around this time over a hundred years ago that chiropractic was founded by a man named D.D. Palmer. The date was September 18th, 1895.
Chiropractic originates around the story of the first adjustment. The adjustment involved a patient named Harvey Lillar. Harvey was a janitor that was working in the same building as D.D. Palmer. Where was this building you may ask? In Davenport, Iowa. Harvey was troubled hearing and had complained of feeling like he went deaf after feeling an injury and pop in his back. D.D. Palmer took it upon himself to examine Harvey and found a misalignment in his spine in his cervical spine (neck). This led to D.D. performing the first adjustment.. This adjustment led to Harvey reporting a significant improvement in his hearing. This in turn started Chiropractic as a profession. Fun fact, there is a plaque standing to this day in Davenport stating where the first adjustment was performed in Davenport
After the adjustment and the success of the adjustment, D.D. started to study the body and more specifically the spine and nervous system. D.D. founded the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport shortly after in 1897. However, he faced a lot of backlash as the profession grew and became more popular. There were many chiropractors early on that were arrested for treating medicine without a license. This didn't stop D.D. or any of the other chiropractors. They fought to legalize and expand chiropractic as a profession. D.D.'s son B.J. Palmer led the school years later in the early 1900's. He is quoted as being the person who took chiropractic to the next level. He helped expand the education, refine the techniques, and create a more structured program that included education, philosophy and practice techniques. If it wasn't for B.J., Chiropractic as a profession and medical technique wouldn't be where it is today.
Chiropractic care has come a long way from the beginning. It has grown to become a globally accepted and recognized form of health care. There are 18 different chiropractic schools across the country, with Palmer College of Chiropractic still being located in Davenport, IA. However, it looks a little different now. Dr. Jessi is an alumni of Palmer. Meanwhile, Dr. Kenton went to Logan University in Chesterfield, Missouri. These colleges and universities provide a thorough education of medical academics, clinical training, philosophy, and chiropractic techniques. There are currently over 100,000 licensed chiropractors around the world, and chiropractic is in the top 100 fastest growing professions.
It is thanks to people like our patients and other supporters who have helped grow our profession from a single adjustment to what it is today. Your trust in us to help take care of your health and wellbeing will always be appreciated by us. Chiropractic as a profession and form of health care has come a very long way, but if it wasn't for D.D. Palmer and the sacrifice of early providers fighting for a new form of health care, chiropractic may have never been founded. With that all being said, Happy Founder's Day everybody!