D.D. Palmer and the Founding Principles of Chiropractic
D.D. Palmer, Founder of Chiropractic, once wrote, “The principles which compose the science of chiropractic have existed as long as animals have had backbones.”
In the mid-1880s, D.D. Palmer sought to understand why some people suffered from symptoms and disease, while others in the same community and conditions maintained better health. He desired to learn what set the two apart — the causes of disease.
The development of the philosophy, science, and art of chiropractic stemmed from Palmer’s quest to understand the body’s physiological functions, not just the study of anatomy or structure.
The Beginning of Chiropractic
D.D. Palmer founded a new profession, rooted in principles related to well-being and biological life, that focused on health and what interferes with normal function. Early viewpoints on health equated the body’s normal function to health, and signs of disease to being unhealthy. In these early viewpoints, health was viewed as the non-entity and disease as the entity.
To illustrate this, think of darkness and light. Darkness is the non-entity and light the entity. Darkness only exists in the absence of light. Similarly, disease is the absence of health, much like darkness is the absence of light.
Palmer’s viewpoint, however, was different. He proposed that disease was not the entity, but rather a process that had deviated from health, which was the true entity.
For example, when you use the dimmer switch to lower the amount of light, disease (darkness) has more room to manifest. So, health (light) is the entity, and disease (darkness) is the absence of health.
The Chiropractic Viewpoint on Health and Disease
Palmer spent years of research and clinical practice to establish a profession with a new perspective: disease, or infirmity, is the non-entity, and health, or function, is the entity. Disease or infirmity is present when health or function is absent.
The body has an innate intelligence for self-healing, self-coordination, and self-function. It desires to express normal function, but it needs a complete state of structure, position, or functional efficiency to do so.
Functional efficiency refers to how the body operates as the entity, and how much vital force is present within. Modern health care, including the chiropractic profession, now recognizes that health is not simply the absence of disease, but rather the presence of functional efficiency.
Vitalistic and Mechanistic Views in Chiropractic
The chiropractic viewpoint merges vitalistic and mechanistic ideas about biological processes. The 1948 definition of health by the World Health Organization supports Palmer’s teachings, defining health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
D.D. Palmer founded chiropractic on the idea that biological life within the human body is guided by an innate intelligence. This principle has existed as long as animals have had backbones, and it continues to guide the philosophy of chiropractic today.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trent Scheidecker, DC | ChiroWay of Woodbury | Owner & Chiropractor
Trent Scheidecker, DC frequently visited his chiropractor when he was in high school and knew the benefits he experienced were worth the time and investment to become a chiropractor. He wanted to help his community experience a higher quality of life through regular chiropractic care. In 2010 Trent founded ChiroWay in Woodbury and since that time has served over 3,000 clients. He has been named “Best of Woodbury” in Woodbury Magazine seven times. Trent has also mentored colleagues in practice and franchised ChiroWay in 2012. Today, there are 8 ChiroWay locations throughout Minnesota.
