The History of Chiropractic

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At Mission Hills Chiropractic, we have a passion for promoting health through Chiropractic care. It’s a proven medical practice that has been used for over one hundred years.

Here, we’ll take a more in-depth look into the history of Chiropractic and how it has been a significant practice since the 19th century.

The Early Years

The first Chiropractic adjustment was performed in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer to a deaf janitor in Iowa, who had lost his hearing 17 years before, after an incident where he felt a ‘pop’ in his back. After an examination to his back, Palmer performed a crude ‘adjustment’ to a supposed misplaced vertebra in the upper back. The janitor noticed that his hearing was partially restored after this treatment and went back to Palmer for more treatments until his hearing returned entirely.

Hence, Chiropractic care was born.

From that incident, Palmer continued to develop Chiropractic and even established a school dedicated to teaching others of this new therapy in 1897, named the Palmer School of Cure. He even had a hand in coining the word Chiropractic using the Greek words for “hand” (cheiros) and “done by” (pracktos). His theory was that the causation of all diseases was due to a disruption of “innate intelligence” caused by subluxated bones, misalignments in the spine that would compress the spinal nerves.

Palmer and his son, B.J. Palmer, both set out to practice this new theory in the years to come, despite backlash from the medical community. The treatment grew in popularity as word spread about the effective treatments to ailments. 

In 1913, the state of Kansas became the first to recognize and license the practice of Chiropractic, and by 1931, Chiropractors had been given legal recognition in 39 states. The Palmer College of Chiropractic would grow to be one of the largest chiropractic colleges in the United States. The college had 24 students in 1906, and by 1923 it had 3100 students learning the practice.

Chiropractic Today

Today, Chiropractic is recognized and well established all over the world, with more than 35 Chiropractic institutions dedicated to teaching the art and science of chiropractic. In the United States alone, there are more than 70,000 active chiropractic licenses because there is a demand for a treatment that has proved to be effective and provides long term benefits for health.

Now, more than one hundred years from Palmer’s first Chiropractic adjustment, our experienced and qualified doctors and medical staff have continued the effort first discovered in 1895, to treat your pains and improve your health.

Our team of Orange County chiropractic doctors has over 50 years of cumulative experience. As a company, we’ve been serving thousands of customers as trusted chiropractors in Mission Viejo and Lake Forest for over fifteen years.

We believe in the results of Chiropractic adjustment, and our mission is to help Orange County get healthy through our chiropractic treatments.


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Dr. Craig Stutzman is a great chiropractor, practicing each day in Lake Forest, California at Mission Hills Chiropractic. He’s also an expert surfer, surfing each week on the beaches of Orange County, CA.

Dr. Stutzman, along with Dr. J and Dr. Gooing at Mission Hills, have a mission. That mission is to help people get and stay out of pain through chiropractic adjustments and health habit tips.

Some people say these are the best chiropractors in Lake Forest or even the best chiropractors in Orange County. We can’t help but agree with those people.

Are you looking for the best chiropractors in Lake Forest? You found them in Dr. Stutzman and Mission Hills Chiropractic, your local Lake Forest chiropractors.