Doctor of Chiropractic (DC)

Chiropractic care (which comes from the Greek word meaning "done by hand") dates back to 1895. It was developed by Daniel David Palmer, a self-taught healer in Davenport, Iowa. Palmer wanted to find a cure for disease and illness that did not use drugs. He studied the structure of the spine and the ancient art of moving the body with the hands (manipulation).

Palmer first treated a local janitor who complained of deafness after performing heavy labor in a stooped position. When he examined the man, Palmer noted a lump on the janitor's back that he believed was caused by a displaced bone of the spinal column (vertebra). Shortly after Palmer manipulated the janitor's back, his hearing was restored.

Later Palmer claimed to successfully treat a man's heart condition using spinal manipulation. Based upon his success with these two cases, Palmer concluded that disease can be the result of a poorly aligned spine.

As more people began to seek Palmer's care, he refined his theory to state that many ailments were caused by the vertebrae pressing on the nerves of the spine. Palmer called such interference with normal nerve signals "subluxations." He believed that manipulating or adjusting to correct the alignment of the vertebrae would restore normal brain and nerve transmission and help the body's natural ability to recover from illness.

Today, most practicing chiropractors mix spinal adjustments with other therapies, such as hot or cold treatments, nutritional counseling, and exercise recommendations. They also often use new technologies to find and treat subluxations.

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Chiropractor profession Prevention

Review Date: 06/13/2010
Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)