Chiropractic was discovered by Dr. DD Palmer of Davenport, Iowa in 1895. Dr. Palmer learned that his building’s janitor, Harvey Lillard, had become deaf after being in an accident 17 years prior. The accident produced a slight distortion in his spine.

Dr. Palmer asked Mr. Lillard to lie down on a bench and gently guided the distortion back into alignment. Mr. Lillard’s hearing returned.

Dr. Palmer was intrigued by this spine-disease relationship. His next patient had a heart condition and when Dr. Palmer located and “adjusted” his spine, the heart condition was relieved.

Soon hundreds of people began to flood his office for “Dr. Palmer’s hand treatments” as they were then known. Dr. Palmer began to teach his methods and so began the profession of chiropractic.

Learn more about the Palmer family at Palmer College of Chiropractic.