The story of chiropractic began by a man named Daniel David Palmer on September 18, 1895.  A man named Harvey walked in and told Palmer his history.  Harvey had been deaf in one ear for 17 years.  He had leaned over and lifted a bucket when he heard a pop in his neck and lost his hearing.  Palmer considered the idea that the spine might be involved and that properly realigning the spine may fix the cause of the problem.  Palmer knew that the brain and nervous system controlled all actions of the body; therefore it made sense that if there was interference to the nervous system then it might be corrected by adjusting the spine.  Harvey lay down and Dr. Palmer gave a quick and precise push to his neck that created an audible pop like the one Harvey had heard when he lost his hearing.  Soon after the adjustment Harvey’s hearing returned.  Word of the adjustment spread and people came from all around to see if their ailments could be helped.  This new method of treatment became known as “chiropractic”, meaning “done by hand,” and became widely known for helping sick people get well and preventing well people from getting sick.   

Chiropractic became so successful that medical doctors began to notice they were losing money because people were choosing this new treatment over medicine.  Medical doctors only get paid if people are sick and need medicine, so they did not like this new method that got people better without the use of medication.  In the 1960’s that AMA launched a propaganda campaign to destroy the chiropractic profession.  The AMA discredited chiropractic for over 25 years until an anti-trust lawsuit was filed stating that the AMA conspired to destroy the profession (Wilk vs American Medical Association).  The Supreme Court ruled in favor of chiropractic, however 25 years of spreading lies about the profession had done a lot of damage.  Chiropractic has helped millions of patients over the years, however animosity still exists due to various misunderstandings.  More and more patients are using chiropractic in today’s society and the link between doctors of chiropractic and medical doctors is improving tremendously as the health care model is moving toward overall health and wellness.   

Chiropractic works because it focuses on the nervous system.  The brain and nervous system control everything in the body.  Everything.  If your nerves do not work right then you do not work right.  The brain sends messages down the spinal cord that exit out through peripheral nerves to all the cells of your body.  Think of it like a power plant sending electricity out through power lines to all the homes in a community.  If something interferes with the pathway, for example a tree falls on the line, the lights in your home will flicker and go out.  Similarly physical, chemical, and emotional stress may interfere with the nerve signals exiting out of the spine.  Misalignments of the spine may interfere with normal nervous system function and cause pain, sickness, and other health problems.  Doctors of chiropractic refer to these misalignments in the spine as subluxations.     

Subluxations are bad for your overall health and can result in some serious health issues.  Unfortunately in many cases patients are unaware of a problem because subluxations can be a silent condition, much like diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure issues.  Subluxations can also cause symptoms such as headaches, pain, numbness & tingling, etc., but perhaps the worst symptom is having no symptoms at all because subluxations can silently rob you and your family of your health and vitality.  Yes, that is right your family, because your kids are not immune to subluxations either.  The average toddler falls over 30 times per day and think about the tremendous stress placed on the body during the birth process, not to mention all the other slips and falls along the way.  Perhaps the best way to view the negative effects of subluxations is to observe older patients who have poor posture, extensive arthritis, and are walking pharmaceutical companies.  The aging process is not supposed to be miserable, however if you combine a lifetime of subluxations with stress, improper posture, poor diet, and lack of physical activity you end up with poor overall health.  

Chiropractors are the only healthcare professionals in the world that are trained to detect and correct subluxations.  Chiropractors have similar training as medical doctors, however chiropractors elect to treat using manual methods to bring the body back into normal balance and alignment to promote proper nervous system function whereas medical doctors elect to treat using medication.  I’m not saying medications are bad.  Medicine serves an important role in our society, just like chiropractic.  But is important to understand that taking medications does not make you a healthy person and often times the side effects can make your situation even worse.  Think about the drug commercial the next time you watch it – where it takes longer to list the possible negative side effects than to tell you what the medicine may be able to help.   

Chiropractic promotes health and wellness through good nutrition, adequate exercise, positive attitude, drinking plenty of water, proper stretching and last but certainly not least taking care of your spine and nervous system.  Chiropractic is a lifestyle choice much like diet and exercise.  You don’t exercise or eat nutritious food for one day and expect to be healthy the rest of your life.  The same is true for chiropractic.  You cannot expect to be perfectly healthy after just one treatment.  Chances are your body has years of wear and tear that cannot be corrected with just one visit.  Chiropractic is something you should do regularly if you want to get the maximum benefit.  Remember health and wellness come from within and your chiropractor can help you achieve your individual goal of better health.  How long you decide to benefit from the advantages of chiropractic is ultimately up to you, but I recommend getting regular treatments because you and your family deserve a long healthy life full of energy and vitality.   

Find out more about chiropractic and how it can benefit you and your family by stopping by our office located on the square in Greenwood Arkansas.  996-7693