History of Chiropractic Daniel David Palmer founded chiropractic
in 1895, after an experience in which he apparently believed he
cured a man’s deafness by manipulating his back. He opened the
Palmer School of Chiropractic and began teaching spinal
manipulation. This college still exists today, with a fully
accredited program. One of Palmer’s first students was his son,
Bartlett Joshua (B.J.) Palmer. It was B.J. Palmer who truly
popularized the technique. Later, Willard Carver, an Oklahoma
City lawyer, opened a competing school. He believed that
chiropractic physicians needed to offer other methods of
treatment in addition to spinal manipulation. This opened a
schism in the chiropractic world that still exists today.
Followers of Palmer and his methods focus only on spinal
adjustments, an approach called "straight" chiropractic. Those
who, like Carver, use various approaches to healing are called
"mixers." Mixers may use vitamins, herbs, and any other
treatment methods they find useful (and are allowed to prac