Ancient writings from China and Greece, dating between 2700 B.C. and 1500 B.C., mention spinal manipulation and maneuvering of the lower extremities to ease low back pain. In fact, Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician who lived from 460 to 357 B.C., published a text detailing the importance of manual manipulation. In one of his writings he declares, “Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases.” Evidence of manual manipulation of the body has also been found among the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Babylon, Syria, Japan, the Incas, Mayans, and Native Americans.

But the origin of chiropractic as a specific practice can be traced back to September 18, 1895, in Davenport, Iowa. A practitioner by the name of Daniel David Palmer had practiced in the community for many years as a “magnetic healer.” Harvey Lillard, a hard-of-hearing janitor who worked in Palmer’s building, had informally attributed his deafness to a traumatic event where he felt a pop in his upper back area.

Palmer felt around the area that Lillard claimed to have popped, and reasoned that perhaps the asymmetrical protrusions he found resulted from that event. He convinced Lillard to let him try to reduce the irregularity, placed his hands on the protrusion, then forcefully thrust upon it. The result was that Lillard claimed to “hear the wagons on the street,” something he could not do prior to receiving the treatment.

Palmer, excited by his discovery, proceeded to learn more about and expand the types of body manipulation techniques for treating different illnesses. He named his newly discovered approach to health care “chiropractic,” from Greek meaning “by hand.” He established the Palmer School of Chiropractic at Davenport to train others in the new approach to health care and, in so doing, established the chiropractic profession.