Chiropractic’s first patient didn’t have low back pain?
Chiropractic traces its roots back to just before the turn of the last century. The first chiropractic adjustment was performed in September 1895 by Dr. Daniel David Palmer, a Canadian-born teacher and healer. At that time, Dr. Palmer was studying the cause and effect of disease. His patient was Harvey Lillard, a janitor who worked in the same building with Dr. Palmer. Mr. Lillard had complained of hearing problems for the past 17 years following a fall and subsequent injury. Mr. Lillard allowed Dr. Palmer to examine his spine. During this exam, Dr. Palmer found a “lump” on Mr. Lillard’s back and suspected that a spinal vertebra might be out of place. Dr. Palmer repositioned this vertebra with a quick, gentle hands-on adjustment. After several similar adjustments, much of Mr. Lillard’s hearing was restored.
