September 18, 1895:
Dr. DD Palmer performed the first chiropractic adjustment to Harvey Lillard (a man who was completely deaf). While checking Mr. Lillard’s spine, he felt that one of the spinal vertebrae was slightly out of its normal position. Because he had been studying the connection between the spine and the central nervous system, he knew that Harvey’s spine needed to be corrected. Dr. Palmer gently adjusted the vertebra back into its normal position. At that moment, Harvey Lillard’s hearing was restored.
Sound like hocus pocus? That’s what most people thought in 1895.
With advancements in research and knowledge of the human body, we know that spinal misalignments (no matter how slight or severe) can have an effect on the central nervous system.
While bone-setting dates back to early Greece and Egypt, we are celebrating the 118th anniversary of the first chiropractic adjustment. DD Palmer and his son BJ Palmer formed and developed the chiropractic profession based on the science of the spine and nervous system, the art of adjusting, and the philosophy of the body’s natural ability to heal from the inside.