Over a hundred years ago the founder and developer of chiropractic were considered odd fellows. While most pursued the treatment of diseases based on the germ theory, the Palmers took a different path.
They wanted to know why some people got sick and others didn’t.
Why was it that when people were exposed to germs, some got sick but others didn’t? Rather than suppressing the symptoms of the sick—the direction taken by traditional medicine, chiropractors looked deeper.
Was there something other than the presence of germs that could predispose someone to illness and disease?
Why yes there was.
In fact, it is the foundation on which chiropractic is based. It’s why student chiropractors spend so much time studying anatomy and nervous system physiology. In the early days this was called “nerve tracing.”
Nerve tracing is the art of tracing sensitive, inflamed nerves from the spinal cord to the affected organ or tissue. This tracing revealed that many health conditions could be traced back to nerve irritation from the spinal column.
Disease, as the result of neurological compromise, got the attention of an open-minded medical doctor. In particular, Dr. Henry Windsor of the University of Pennsylvania.
His research was published in the November 1921 issue of Medical Times. After conducting 50 autopsies, Dr. Windsor isolated a total 139 diseased organs. In each case he traced the nerve supply back to the spine.
Was there any correlation to the diseased organ and the condition of the spine?
Yes. Dr. Windsor found misalignments and changes in normal spinal curves linked to 128 of the 139 diseased organs. In the other 10 he found issues in the spinal segment above or below the primary site.
Dr. Windsor summed up his findings this way. “The disease appears to precede old age and to cause it. The spine becomes stiff first and old age follows. Therefore, we may say a man is as old as his spine.”
Today, many patients seek chiropractic care because of a specific spinal complaint. That’s great. However, chiropractors see the body as a whole. In our practice you’ll find a chart showing the nerve pathways between the spine and the various organs of the body.
Next time you’re in for your adjustment, take a closer look. Because if your nervous system and spine are healthy, you’re more likely to be healthy.