Born in 1895: The Wild, True Origin of Chiropractic Care

The moment that started it all—and why it still matters today

Before adjustments became part of everyday health, before the term “chiropractor near me” meant anything, there was one quiet hallway in Davenport, Iowa... and one man named Harvey Lillard who couldn’t hear.

In 1895, Lillard—a janitor—had lost his hearing after bending in an odd way. Enter Daniel David Palmer, a magnetic healer with a radical idea: what if something was misaligned in Lillard’s spine… and that was blocking his hearing?

Palmer performed a spinal adjustment. And legend has it, Harvey’s hearing came back.

🪄 From the Doctor’s Desk

I love sharing chiropractic care in the modern world—but it’s also important to look back at where it all began. This story might sound wild, but it’s 100% real. It’s also why I believe chiropractic isn’t just treatment—it’s tradition. This week’s post unpacks the history of chiropractic care, the origin of chiropractic, and how it all began with one adjustment that changed everything.

🔍 How One Adjustment Created a Movement

That one moment in 1895 sparked something. Palmer called his new discovery chiropractic, from the Greek cheir (hand) and praktos (done). In short: “done by hand.”

What followed was nothing short of revolutionary—and controversial.

Palmer opened the first chiropractic school just two years later. But because chiropractic challenged mainstream medical thinking, early chiropractors were jailed for practicing medicine without a license. Still, they kept adjusting. Kept helping people. Kept growing.

By the early 1900s, chiropractic had become a full-blown movement—with followers, schools, and state-by-state legal battles.

💥 Why This Origin Story Still Matters

Today, chiropractic is often grouped in with massage, acupuncture, or physical therapy. But the origin of chiropractic was never about trends—it was about restoring health by restoring alignment.

The early chiropractors believed the body could heal itself if the nervous system was free of interference. They were mocked, challenged, even arrested—but they saw results. That commitment laid the foundation for what you experience in your chiropractor’s office today.

When you lay on that table, you're part of something more than a quick fix—you're participating in a piece of living health history.

🧠 Who Invented Chiropractic?

Here’s a fast breakdown for the curious minds:

• Daniel David (D.D.) Palmer: Founder of chiropractic. Delivered the first adjustment in 1895.

• Bartlett Joshua (B.J.) Palmer: D.D.’s son. Took chiropractic mainstream by expanding research, education, and practice reach.

• Their legacy? Over 100,000 chiropractors practicing today across the globe.

That’s one heck of a ripple effect from a janitor, a healer, and one bold adjustment.

🤔 What Can We Learn From This?

Sometimes healing doesn’t come from a pill. Sometimes it comes from hands.
From alignment.
From listening.
From challenging what the “norm” says is possible.

Chiropractic care has always been about looking at the body as a system. Not a set of symptoms.

And that perspective started over a century ago with one adjustment no one expected to work—and everyone remembers.

👊 Want to Help This Story Live On?

Here’s a simple way: Share this post.
The more people understand the chiropractic history we come from, the more they respect and value the care they receive now.

Got questions about chiropractic’s roots? Comment below—I’d love to hear your take.