Throughout the month of October, Palmer Chiropractic is teaming up with Wrangler clothing company to raise $1 million in contributions for breast cancer research. Starting on Oct. 1, Palmer Chiropractic will donate $1 for every chiropractic adjustment performed during the month to Wrangler. Pink bracelets with the Wrangler slogan for this endeavor, “Tuff Enough to Wear Pink,” will be available for $1. Come on in and show your support for breast cancer awareness and research.Almost exactly 110 years ago, in 1895 in Davenport, Iowa, D.D. Palmer performed what has become recognized as the first chiropractic adjustment.On a September day, a man walked into Palmer’s clinic. He had been deaf for 18 years. His name was Harvey Lillard, and he worked as a janitor in the same building where Palmer practiced.Historical accounts report that Harvey Lillard told Palmer he had stooped over in a closet under a staircase to lift an object and as he did, he heard a “pop” in his neck and felt a lump. He gradually lost his hearing. Palmer examined Lillard and felt what he thought was a misaligned bone in the man’s spine. He reasoned that if Lillard had exerted hard enough to cause a popping sound, that sound must have been a spinal bone moving into an incorrect position.He hypothesized that if he were to move the spinal bone again, Lillard’s hearing should be restored if the spinal misalignment was corrected.After some persuasion, Lillard allowed Palmer to work on his spine. The chiropractic adjustment was born. After three adjustments, Lillard said he could hear the clack of the horses’ hooves on the streets below – his hearing was restored!It may be surprising for most to learn that the first chiropractic patient did not have neck or back pain. The discovery of chiropractic was based on the principle that the nervous system controls all the functions of the human body. This discovery was not by accident.Palmer had this theory for years before he encountered Harvey Lillard. The body does not function properly when the spine misaligns and interferes with messages the nervous system sends to every part of our body. In the case of Harvey Lillard, nerve interference to the ears was the cause of his deafness. Once that interference was removed, his hearing was restored.Chiropractors are the only health care professionals whose primary purpose is to correct vertebral misalignment, thereby allowing the nervous system to function properly. Chiropractic is not a treatment for disease. In some people, the improved function of their nervous system may result in the return of health; in others, it may mean less suffering, less drugs and a better quality of life. When a misaligned vertebra is corrected, stress is removed from the nervous system and the body can function better. If you use chiropractic correctly, it can help you be healthier. I like what one of my colleagues, Dr. Dennis Nikitow, says, “Like using a fork – you can’t eat soup with it, but when used correctly, it is a great tool.”Palmer Chiropractic494-1395www.palmer-chiropractic.com
