HAPPY 125th BIRTHDAY CHIROPRACTIC!
This September we celebrate the 125th birthday of Chiropractic! Back in 1895, Dr. DD Palmer delivered the first chiropractic adjustment to Harvey Lillard, a janitor in his building. Rather than just tell you what happened, let’s share Harvey’s own words about his experience as the First Chiropractic Patient:
“I was deaf 17 years and I expected to always remain so, for I had doctored a great deal without any benefit. I had long ago made up my mind to not take any more ear treatments, for it did me no good. Dr. Palmer told me that my deafness came from an injury in my spine. This was new to me; but it is a fact that my back was injured at the time I went deaf. Dr. Palmer treated me on the spine; in two treatments I could hear quite well. That was eight months ago. My hearing remains good.”
– HARVEY LILLARD, 320 W. Eleventh St., Davenport, Iowa
Harvey was blessed with restored hearing, and he continued his Chiropractic Care until his death in 1925. Given that Harvey had given up on other treatments, where do you think he would have been otherwise?
Harvey Lillard’s testimony was the First Chiropractic Testimony, and it illustrates that Chiropractic was born out a need to improve function in the body, not to control pain. As the profession matured, technological advances and innovations brought about tools to help identify subluxations, which often inhibit the flow of nerve communication from the brain. Dr. BJ Palmer, Dr. DD Palmer’s son, advanced the profession with the use of x-rays to assess the condition of the spine and identify subluxation. He also brought thermographic and other neurological testing to the forefront of the profession. All subsequent advances in the profession are due to the research and dedication of great minds who have been committed to bringing true health and healing to the world.
Over the years, however, people have turned to Chiropractic Care only when they are in pain, and the goal has been to get out of pain. While that is important, it remains true that Regular Chiropractic Care will do so much more than make you feel better….
It will make you HEAL BETTER.
Take one practice member with Multiple Sclerosis who fell and gave herself whiplash six months prior to coming to Rising Chiropractic. Her goal was to make her bed again. Not only was she in pain, she had a low tolerance to heat and extreme fatigue. We identified several subluxations in her spine, which required a period of corrective care. After a few months of care, she was making her own bed every day. However, for this practice member, the greatest change in her life was her increase in energy that allowed her to better tolerate the hot weather and regulate her sleep cycle!
Then there is one of our young practice members. She was a 6-year-old child who dealt with daily anxiety. After identifying the presence of subluxation in her young spine, we began adjusting her on a regular basis. After her corrective care, her mother reported that she was easier going about schoolwork and experienced less worry, which has improved her ability to function in school and make friends.
The goal of Chiropractic is to remove the barriers to optimal function in the body, without the use of drugs, injections, surgeries, or other outside-in approaches. By focusing on removing subluxations that prevent the nervous system from controlling and coordinating the functions of the body, we help your body HEAL BETTER. Then you can FUNCTION BETTER. When you function better, YOU LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE!
Who doesn’t want that??
So, when you come in for your Chiropractic Adjustment, take a moment to stop by our History Wall and learn more about how our profession came to be what it is today. And join us in wishing Chiropractic HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
