WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC?

What is Chiropractic?

The word 'chiropractic' was derived from several Greek Words by the Reverend Samuel Weed, an early patient and strong chiropractic advocate.

1.'Cheir' or 'Kire' meaning 'The hand' and

2.'Praktos' meaning 'Done by'

3. 'Chiriatry' the science and art of hand healing.

Thus 'Chiropractic' (pronounced Ky-ro-prac-tic) means 'The science and art of doing by hand'.

Chiropractor means 'A hand practitioner'.

http://www.lifechiropractic.co.uk/new-chiropractic-patients.html

D D Palmer - Discoverer of Chiropractic (1845-1913)

What is chiropractic - defined.

No firm definition of Chiropractic was coined by the early chiropractic pioneers as 'the baby' was still embryonic and developing and indeed the first book on the subject was not written until 11 years after the discovery amidst considerable controversy between DD Palmer (the Founder of Chiropractic) and his son, BJ Palmer (the Visionary & Developer). That said, both pioneers agreed that:

1. Chiropractic is an art, philosophy and science of Life.

2. There are some very clear principles which distinguish chiropractic from any other healing art in existence.

3. It is a systematic method of adjusting the segments of the spine for the resolution of the cause of 'dis-ease' or loss of 'tone' in the nervous system(both terms represent a lack of balance in the nervous system which can lead to lowered health levels manifesting over a period as symptoms and disease)

4. The cause of the 'dis-ease' is a vertebral subluxation (misaligned spinal bone which puts pressure on a nerve fibre and restricts the transmission of mental impulse from the brain to the organs of the body).

5. Chiropractic is unique in the healing professions as a non-therapeutic (does not treat symptoms), non-mechanistic science, art and philosophy (the phenomena of healing occurring from within through the body's own vital forces).

Confusion exists today as individuals and organisations with vested interests and belief systems indoctrinated in other therapeutic practices have generated their own definitions of chiropractic since the principles of chiropractic were first discovered over 111 years ago. In many cases a lack of understanding of the profound implications of the chiropractic principles has been brought into the interpretations. As such, many definitions resemble the original healing art, philosophy and science of Chiropractic in name alone.

What is Chiropractic? A look at the History of Chiropractic will help.

B J Palmer - Chiropractic Visionary and Developer

References:

1. The Chiropractor (1914), DD Palmer p13-15

2. The Science of Chiropractic Vol 1 - Its Principles and Philsophies (1920) B J Palmer, DC PhC p6-15