of ailments, including allergy, headaches, skin con-
ditions, back pain, sciatica, vision and hearing prob-
lems, muscle spasms, asthma and other respiratory
disorders, peripheral joint injuries, osteoarthritis,
herniated disk, and various other musculoskeletal
disorders, bursitis, morning sickness related to
pregnancy, menstrual problems, sinusitis, whiplash,
otitis media, insomnia, colic, bladder infections,
carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress
disorders, scoliosis, depression, addiction, and other
dysfunctions.
Chiropractors also work with the concept of the
body’s innate intelligence and ability to heal.
Palmer suggested that innate intelligence flowed
throughout the nervous system—which corre-
sponds and communicates with every other part of
the body—and could be blocked by a subluxation.
When the subluxation is relieved, the body has the
opportunity to heal itself. This form of chiropractic,
now referred to as “straight,” adheres to Palmer’s
original idea of performing only spinal manipula-
tion. “Mixed” chiropractic refers to spinal manipu-
lation and other forms of treatment, including
nutritional and exercise counseling, traction,
orthotics, ultrasound, diathermy, cryotherapy,
massage, and physiotherapy.
The Canadian-born Dr. Palmer, who eventually
founded the Palmer College of Chiropractic in
Iowa, first reported that after he had performed
spinal manipulation on a patient who had been
deaf for 17 years, the man’s hearing was restored.
Apparently the man had a subluxated vertebra that
corresponded to an injury he had suffered to his
upper spine just before he lost his hearing. Palmer
adjusted that specific area, thereby correcting the
blockage in the nerves that caused the deafness.
The college’s first graduates were medical doctors
who were convinced of Palmer’s philosophy, and
case after case seemed to support chiropractic’s suc-
cess despite the fact that there has long been a
dearth of scientific study to prove its fundamental
principles to the conventional medical community.
The New Zealand Royal Commission of Inquiry
into chiropractic in 1979 noted, among many, the
case of “Duncan C.” Duncan, an active, easygoing
boy of 11, from February 1977 complained of stiff
knees. The stiffness progressed rapidly to his hips
and all joints. His doctor saw no active disease in
Duncan’s system or joints and recommended 300
milligrams of aspirin four times daily for sympto-
matic relief. But the pain progressed until the child
cried, was unable to dress himself, and was stooped
over as if he was an elderly man.
Further hospital test findings proved negative.
Emotional trauma was suggested as the cause of
Duncan’s pain, but no explanation was found there,
either. The boy’s desperate parents finally took him
to a chiropractor. After the first adjustment, Duncan
felt sick. Three hours later, however, Duncan was
walking “without my knees flapping together,” he
said. By the next day, his hands were pain-free.
After each adjustment, Duncan made considerable
progress until he was totally back to normal. He
described as a “numb” feeling the absence of the
pain to which he had grown accustomed.
Since chiropractors are trained to advise patients
when to seek conventional medical care and
because there is overwhelming anecdotal evidence
of success of chiropractic as an alternative or com-
plementary modality, the spring 1982 issue of the
International Review of Chiropractic stated: “The
Supreme Court has upheld the right of medical
doctors to form partnerships or engage in group
practice with alternative health care providers,
such as chiropractors.” An estimated 30 million
people in the United States seek and receive chiro-
practic treatment, and many leading insurance
providers include visits to a chiropractor in their
coverage plans. A commonsense and holistic
approach with an emphasis on prevention and
wellness, chiropractic is considered the second-
largest primary-health-care field in the world.
Chiropractic adjustments are given during office
visits and are considered safe, painless, and nonin-
vasive. Patients may be lying supine or prone or sit-
ting up, depending upon which type of adjustment
is appropriate. One’s first visit to a chiropractor often
requires acute care (the first level of chiropractic),
that is, relief of aggravating symptoms or pain. The
second level is the restorative phase, which involves
maintenance of the realigned spinal column through
individualized, repeated adjustments. The wellness
phase, or third level of chiropractic care, entails peri-
odic visits to prevent occurrence of new subluxa-
tions. More information is available by contacting
the American Chiropractic Association, 170128 chiropractic