Sometimes we will have a patient ask us about the history of chiropractic and its origins. Daniel David (D.D) Palmer is widely credited with giving the first modern chiropractic adjustment in 1895 when he evaluated and adjusted a janitor that had lost his hearing after falling off a ladder some years earlier. D.D. reported that the janitor regained partial hearing after the adjustment and named his new technique chiropractic (which in Greek means “done by hand”). He began to adjust the spines of and experiment with other patients and found that people reported having pain relief and improved function from many different symptoms. He called the misaligned vertebrae that he found subluxations. He discovered that chiropractic care was often able to help with back pain, headaches, neck pain, migraines, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, shoulder pain and many other conditions by adjusting these spinal subluxations. D.D. Palmer founded the Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1897 in Davenport, IA. Palmer College still exists today and is the school that I attended from 2004-2007 before beginning my practice in Sioux Falls.
Growth and Development of Chiropractic
As the profession grew it began to need regulation and oversight, and the first state license was issued in 1913 by Kansas. Since then, it has grown to be present in all 50 states as well as many foreign countries around the world. Chiropractic has evolved with over 100 different techniques and styles that are used to treat or adjust patients. As a profession, chiropractors typically try to focus on natural options to help their patients. An individual chiropractor may choose to focus and refine their skills in one specific technique or to use a variety of methods. There are currently over 15 different chiropractic colleges in the USA and over 70,000 chiropractors that are licensed in the United States to practice. In the over 125 years since chiropractic was started it has grown rapidly, and chiropractors have been able to serve millions of patients. While I can’t predict the future, I believe that chiropractic care will continue to evolve and become more accessible in both the United States and foreign countries to help more people.
Chiropractic History with Insurance
In 1972 Medicare first included chiropractic adjustments as a covered benefit. Since then, chiropractic has also been added to most major health insurance plans as a benefit to their members. Chiropractors are utilized by most major professional sports teams to help their athletes recover from injuries and to reach their full potential when competing. Also, the USA Olympic team has chiropractors on their training staff to serve the athletes. Many VA hospitals now have chiropractors on staff to help serve veterans’ health care needs. Our office is part of the VA Community Care program that will refer veteran patients that request chiropractic care to private practice clinics in the Sioux Falls area.
Our History of Chiropractic in Sioux Falls
Dr. Adam Renelt opened Back in Balance Family Chiropractic in 2008 in Sioux Falls and has practiced full time since then. Dr. Ashley joined the practice after finishing school in 2009 and now practices on a limited basis. Since then, we have been blessed to provide over 50,000 adjustments to individuals of all ages in our community. We are in-network with most insurances, including South Dakota Medicaid and Medicare, and also accept patients for Worker’s Compensation or Automobile Injury cases. We are accepting new patients and are excited to continue to help patients improve their health. If you have questions about chiropractic care or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact our office. Our Sioux Falls chiropractors would welcome the opportunity to serve you naturally through chiropractic care.