The First Chiropractic Adjustment | Est. 1885

"The preservation of HEALTH is easier
than the cure of DISEASE."

-B.J. Palmer (Founder of Chiropractic)

On September 18, 1895, Dr. Daniel David (D.D.) Palmer delivered the first adjustment to Harvey Lillard, a janitor in Dr. Palmer's building in Davenport, Iowa.

Seventeen years earlier, Mr. Lillard lost his hearing due to a workplace accident. Dr. Palmer asked Mr. Lillard if he could examine him to determine precisely why he could no longer hear. Mr. Lillard agreed and allowed Dr. Palmer to examine and care for him.

After extensive examination, Dr. Palmer found that Mr. Lillard's symptom of hearing loss was a result of a subluxation despite the fact that he was not in any pain. The root cause of Mr. Lillard's hearing loss was due to a nerve not functioning at its full potential because his C2 vertebra (the second bone in his neck) was out of alignment, pressing on the nerve, disrupting the communication between his brain and the hearing organs in his ear. So Dr. Palmer adjusted that bone—and after only two adjustments, Mr. Lillard's hearing returned!!

This marked the beginning of the Chiropractic Profession. Two years later, Dr. Palmer opened the first school of chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, which his son, Dr. BJ Palmer, took over at the age of 20. Dr. BJ Palmer continued to build upon his father's ground-breaking work, researching, selling, and defending the chiropractic profession until he passed in 1961.

Clairpointe Family Chiropractic continues to help heal Grosse Pointes and surrounding communities with chiropractic adjustments and celebrates chiropractic's accomplishments and development.

Interested in becoming a patient? Call Clairpointe Family Chiropractic at (313) 886-8030 or visit our website today! www.clairpointe.com

D.D. Palmer | Founder of Chiropractic

D.D. Palmer developed the theory that the misalignment of the spine was an underlying cause of all "dis-ease." He developed a new discipline called Chiropractic and opened the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, in order to teach his Chiropractic techniques to others. After his incarceration, he passed on the school to his son B.J. Palmer in 1906 and moved west to open new chiropractic schools in Oklahoma, California, and Oregon. Palmer died in Los Angeles of typhoid fever in 1913.

B.J. Palmer | Son of D.D. Palmer

Bartlett Joshua Palmer (B.J. Palmer) took over the school in 1906. B.J. was known as the developer because he was a charismatic man and a skillful orator. Through his outreach, he helped spread chiropractic worldwide. He traveled around the world promoting chiropractic and even hobnobbed with celebrities in Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s.

B.J. Palmer was also a prolific writer and started a printery at Palmer. He created the WOC (World of Chiropractic) radio station. He passed away in 1961.

Harvey Lillard | The First Chiropractic Patient

Harvey Lillard was a janitor who cleaned the building where D.D. Palmer's office was located. He suffered from hearing loss after an incident 17 years prior when he was in a cramped, stooping position and felt something pop in his spine. He immediately noticed the hearing loss and sought the advice of many doctors over the years. None of those doctors could help him until he met Dr. Palmer, who adjusted his C2 vertebra (the second bone in his neck) and restored his hearing.