THE FIRST ADJUSTMENT
One hundred and thirty years ago the first chiropractic adjustment was performed by a visionary named D.D. Palmer. Palmer had a passion for health and had travelled the world learning various healing techniques including various bone setting techniques from Asia and Africa.
D.D. Palmer also had the scientific background to understand the connection between the spine and nervous system and the idea that the central nervous system, or at least some part of it (later to be dubbed “Innate Intelligence”) was in control of the organization and function of every aspect of the human being. D.D. postulated that dysfunction in the spinal nerves could lead to dysfunction and disease of the human body.
On September 18, 1895 the janitor named Harvey Lillard in D.D. Palmer’s building approached him and communicated that he had lost hearing after hearing a loud pop in his neck. Palmer, having more guts than me, decided he’d have a go at it and cracked Lillard’s back… or as we say in chiropractic… “adjusted” Lillard’s back. D.D. claimed he adjusted the T4 vertebra, which is located in the mid-back which restored Lillard’s hearing.
Legend has it Lillard jumped up and proclaimed he could hear the horses clomping in the streets… that he had regained his hearing.
This is the story of legends and conspiracies. It certainly is an interesting history. The story’s validity has been questioned multiple times, and the accuracy has been questioned, even by D.D.’s son, B.J. Palmer.
WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED?
D.D. Palmer is credited with founding the profession and starting the first chiropractic college (Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa) while his son B.J. Palmer has been called the “Developer of chiropractic” as he is credited with creating the chiropractic profession.
B.J. Palmer did an incredible amount of research and he wrote volumes of books discussing his findings. Over years of practicing it was B.J.’s assertion, later in his career, that the only true subluxation of the spine was the top vertebra, C1 or what we call Atlas. The specifics of this are intricate but the basic idea is that the position or malposition in this case of the C1 vertebra has a direct effect on the function of the central nervous system which governs virtually every aspect of one’s existence.
It was B.J.’s work that led to what we now call upper cervical chiropractic. B.J. made the claim that his father, D.D., did not adjust the T4 vertebra on Harvey Lillard but rather adjusted the C1 vertebra. From a neurological perspective this makes more sense as the neurology surrounding C1 can have a direct effect on the nerves that govern hearing. B.J. claimed that his father claimed it was the T4 vertebra simple because at the time it was illegal to manipulate the C1 vertebra due to its proximity to the brain stem. It was B.J.’s assertion that D.D. didn’t want to get in trouble and thus wrote in his documentation that he adjusted T4.
PATH TO ATLAS ORTHOGONAL CHIROPRACTIC
In my 20 years of practice, I have come to the same conclusion as B.J. Palmer. The upper cervical spine is the heart and soul of the nervous system. Not to downplay the importance of the rest of the spine, but what is happening up at C1/C2 is on a whole other level. Watching people restore their health by a gentle and specific chiropractic adjustment to the C1 vertebra is always an incredible thing to witness.
For these reasons I have pursued my expertise in Atlas Orthogonal upper cervical chiropractic. Atlas Orthogonal chiropractic is an incredibly specific, gentle and effective technique for correcting the position, motion and function of the upper cervical spine which has a direct effect on the function of your nervous system.
Here’s what this means for you: less pain, more function, fewer migraines and headaches, less neck pain and neck stiffness, less dizziness, less head fog… among many other things. In many to most cases we are able to completely resolve the problem… all without drugs… all without surgery… not just masking symptoms but actually correcting the cause.
UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTOR IN BALLANTYNE / CHARLOTTE
If you are suffering with migraine headaches, tension headaches, neck pain or neck stiffness, upper back pain or upper back stiffness, dizziness or head fog and tired of trying to hide the symptoms with medication, then it’s time to take a look at Atlas Orthogonal upper cervical chiropractic.
Dr. David Ritchie DC is a board-certified Atlas Orthogonist. What this means is that he is an expert in evaluating and correcting problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck) that might be causing your migraines, neck pain or other symptoms.