130 Years Of Chiropractic: The Untold History
1895 – The First Adjustment
After much convincing, D.D. Palmer performed the very first chiropractic adjustment on a janitor in his building, Harvey Lillard. He hypothesized that an adjustment to the spine would restore Harvey’s ability to do something he hadn't done for a long time… what do you think that was?
Hearing! After the adjustment, Harvey was able to hear horse hooves clopping on the street outside. This helped prove D.D. Palmer’s belief that the spine, protecting the nervous system, could also be adjusted to influence its performance.
Fun Fact: Chiropractic means “done by hand.”
1897 – First Chiropractic School Opens
After witnessing the success of his first adjustments, D.D. Palmer knew he couldn’t keep this knowledge to himself. He opened the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa—the very first school dedicated entirely to teaching this new form of care.
He invited others curious about the body’s innate ability to heal to come learn, but not everyone was ready to believe it. Imagine walking into a classroom in 1897, where the lessons weren’t about pills or surgery, but about the spine, the nervous system, and the body’s own intelligence. Over 125 years ago, people were learning how to unlock the body’s natural power to heal—long before modern medicine caught on.
From the very beginning, chiropractic was about honoring the body’s intelligence, empowering the whole person, and restoring the natural flow of health, laying the foundation for a profession that would stand strong through over a century of opposition.
1918 – Flu Pandemic Proves Chiropractic’s Power
The world was in crisis. The Spanish Flu was sweeping across the globe, and hospitals were overwhelmed. Medicine at the time offered little beyond isolation and hope (sound familiar?).
Chiropractors stepped in, using nervous system-focused care to support the body’s ability to heal. The results were remarkable:
In cities where chiropractic care was available, 95% of chiropractic patients survived the flu, compared to just 70% under conventional care.
Patients under chiropractic care had a death rate of 25 per 10,000, compared to 950 per 10,000 under conventional medical care.
When thousands were dying, chiropractic patients were surviving at rates 38 times better than those under hospital care. Imagine the hype that surrounded chiropractic with those results… (a little foreshadowing for you).
1922 – Chiropractic Psychopathic Sanitarium Opens
By the early 1920s, chiropractic was beginning to show its potential to help the body heal in ways that conventional medicine couldn’t. In 1922, this vision took a bold step forward with the opening of The Chiropractic Psychopathic Sanitarium in Davenport, Iowa — one of the first facilities dedicated to caring for patients with mental health challenges using chiropractic adjustments and natural lifestyle approaches.
At the time, many people with conditions like schizophrenia or severe mood disorders were sent to traditional psychiatric hospitals, where “treatment” often meant heavy sedatives, electroshock therapy, or even lobotomies. At the Chiropractic Psychopathic Sanitarium, the approach was radically different:
Nervous-system–focused chiropractic adjustments
Access to fresh air and natural nutrition
An environment designed to support healing rather than control symptoms
The results were extraordinary.
65% of patients with schizophrenia were discharged and able to return to society.
Patients with affective disorders (like bipolar disorder) and other brain syndromes also saw remarkable improvements.
For comparison, traditional psychiatric institutions of the era, such as the North Dakota State Mental Hospital, reported cure and discharge rates as low as 10–27% — a fraction of what was achieved through chiropractic care.
These groundbreaking outcomes challenged the medical norms of the time and sparked fear and resentment among mainstream authorities, who saw the success of chiropractic-based facilities as a direct threat to their dominance.
1924 – AMA Smear Campaign Begins
Have you ever heard the term quack used outside of chiropractic? Why do you think that is? Have you ever noticed that people have strong opinions on chiropractic, even if they’ve never been to one? Their beliefs don’t come from experience—they were inherited from decades of propaganda.
By the early 1920s, chiropractic was proving itself powerful enough to threaten the status quo. In 1924, the AMA launched a coordinated campaign to discredit chiropractic, branding it “quackery” and warning the public against it.
Some myths that still linger today include:
Chiropractors aren’t real doctors
Chiropractors are quacks
Chiropractic is a cult
Chiropractic is pseudoscience
Chiropractic causes strokes
Chiropractors weren’t attacked because what they did was dangerous—they were attacked because it worked and threatened billion-dollar industries. That’s why words like quack and other myths still exist today.
1920s–1970s – Chiropractors Jailed for “Practicing Without a License”
Imagine leaving your family, your home, and your life behind — not because of danger or crime, but because you believed so strongly in helping people heal that you were willing to risk everything.
That was the reality for hundreds of chiropractors, especially during the 1920s, when the American Medical Association (AMA) felt deeply threatened by the rise of chiropractic. Out of fear of losing control over healthcare, they pushed for aggressive crackdowns, leading to thousands of arrests nationwide.
Chiropractors were jailed for “practicing medicine without a license” — even though they weren’t practicing medicine at all. Their only “crime” was adjusting patients who wanted and desperately needed their care.
Many chiropractors chose jail over paying fines, standing firm in their conviction that chiropractic must remain separate and distinct from medicine. Some even adjusted patients through jail cell bars, refusing to abandon the people who relied on them.
Though the peak of persecution was in the 1920s, the struggle didn’t end there. Arrests slowed down over the following decades as states gradually began to legalize chiropractic, but they persisted until 1974, when Louisiana became the final state to license chiropractors, officially ending the era of imprisonment.
Chiropractic survived decades of fear, control, and legal persecution because its principles are powerful, undeniable, and worth fighting for — and generations of chiropractors proved it with their courage.
1976–1987 – Lawsuit Against the AMA & Historic Victory
In 1976, chiropractors filed Wilk v. American Medical Association, the landmark lawsuit challenging the AMA’s decades-long campaign against chiropractic. This was about justice, truth, and defending the right to provide care.
After more than a decade, the court ruled in 1987 that the AMA had engaged in an unlawful conspiracy to eliminate chiropractic. Chiropractors also won in part because they never claimed to be “practicing medicine”; they were providing their own distinct form of care focused on the nervous system and the body’s innate ability to heal. The campaign wasn’t based on truth—it was designed to suppress competition.
Even after the ruling, the AMA’s campaign left lingering effects:
Many patients—and even some doctors—still carry skepticism toward chiropractic.
Some medical doctors hesitate to associate, refer, or collaborate with chiropractors because of decades of fear and propaganda.
Hospitals and insurance networks were slow to fully embrace chiropractic, leaving access barriers for patients.
This wasn’t just a legal win—it was a validation of the profession. Chiropractic care was safe, effective, and had been unfairly targeted simply because it worked.
2012 – The First Ability Chiropractic Opens
After over a century of perseverance, legal battles, and unwavering dedication, chiropractic continues to thrive—and in 2012, we opened our first Ability Chiropractic location in Worthington, Ohio.
This wasn’t just the start of a clinic; it was the continuation of a legacy built by generations of chiropractors who fought for the right to provide care, stood up to misinformation, and refused to abandon patients. Every adjustment we perform today is connected to that history—a commitment to empowering the body’s natural intelligence, supporting real health, and restoring movement and vitality.
At Ability Chiropractic, we carry that legacy forward through our value: Spark Revolution. Just like the chiropractors who challenged the status quo before us, we question outdated beliefs, challenge the norms of healthcare, and empower our patients to take control of their health. Every visit is a small revolution in action—a rebellion against limitation, dependency, and anything that disconnects you from who you truly are.