Chiropractic and Hippocrates.

In 1895 the study of Chiropractic was born.  Chiropractic is a combination of two Greek words 'Kiro' and Praktik which when translated means 'Done by Hand', to honor Hippocrates the father of all doctors.  Hippocrates had 2500 years earlier discovered the link between the body and the brain and called it the nervous system.  Through observation and crude manipulations performed on this subjects he discovered that by removing what he called 'Lesions' from the spinal column illnesses cleared up much more quickly. Those who came to him feeling well felt better and stayed well and were sick much less often than his subjects that came only when something was wrong.  Hippocrates is quoted: "Look well to the Spine for the Cause of Disease"

 Since Hippocrates many cultures have employed 'bone setters' as healers. Galen was a Roman Physician who had studied Hippocrates works and took the studies of the spine and the nervous system further still.  He was dubbed 'Prince of Physicians' by a Roman Senator who had been injured in battle, leaving his arm numb and useless.  By the time Galen attended to him his arm had been curled up next to his body for several months.  Galen upon examining him and using the diagram created by Hippocrates adjusted the thoracic and cervical vertebrae that innervated the arm.  With a loud 'crack' the Senators neck was adjusted by Galen and in minutes the arm uncurled and the senator was able to use it.

History is replete with such stories. Captain Cook who discovered the Sandwich Islands, known today as the Hawaiian islands was stricken with arthritis and was using a cane when he first landed on the Island of Hawaii. The king noticed and called his 'bone setters'.  They consisted of a group of large Polynesian women. As he later noted he was 'set upon' by these women and his body wracked an all manner of noise and cracking emanated from his body.  After 30 minutes of this he stood and was pain free and able to walk without his cane.  He smiled and asked for more.

 Since 1895 Chiropractic has been seeing to the 'wellness' of our patients by reducing what Hippocrates called 'lesions'.  Chiropractors call them 'Subluxations' or partial dislocations of the Spinal segments which causes nervous system interference.  It is this simple concept that has enabled Chiropractic to gain ground and become the largest non-medical health care system on the planet.  Use chiropractic as a tool to keep yourself well by visiting your chiropractor regularly.  Prevention, prevention, prevention. 

 Dr. B