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A Chiropractic Story
The first chiropractic miracle occurred before the term "Chiropractic" was coined. A Canadian by the name of DD Palmer, who proclaimed himself a "magnetic" healer, set up shop in downtown Davenport, Iowa. In 1895 a hearing impaired gentleman, Harvey Lillard, injured his back and so he sought DD's help. DD examined Mr. Lillard's back and found a protruding vertebrae along his spine. It appeared this vertebrae was far more prominent than the others and it lacked alignment in relation to the rest of his vertebral column. In an attempt to reposition it DD applied gentle force to the vertebrae, thus aligning it with the rest of the spine. Both DD and his patient were astounded when the vertebrae released but even more dumbfounded when, over the next few days, the patient's hearing began to improve. The outcome of this patient's case led DD to further research the anatomy of the spine and the association between spinal misalignments, neural compromise, and bodily dysfunction. What DD discovered and built upon became the basis behind the Science, Art and Philosophy of Chiropractic care.
My friend and colleague, Dr. Josie Buttice, practices Chiropractic in Montreal, Canada. A miracle recently occurred in Dr. Josie's clinic. Here is her story:
Karen, a woman in her late thirties, came to see me a year ago for severe back pain. A couple of times a month Karen's back seized and each time the spasms and pain would last for five or more days. As well, her history indicated lifelong problems with TMJ (jaw click), painful periods, and from birth Karen had no vision in her left eye in spite of an operation at the age of ten to correct the condition. The conclusion, based on the surgery, was that her retina was so small nothing further could be done. In addition, it was also noted that Karen's vision in her right eye was gradually deteriorating and as a result she was forced to stop working. Further notes disclosed a traumatic event that occurred eight years ago when, due to a fire in her apartment building, she was forced to jump from a second story window in order to save herself. Finally, last but by no means least, Karen has a sixteen year old special needs child who suffers from epileptic seizures. Needless to say, this woman has suffered unimaginable physical and emotional stress.
Upon completion of the evaluation Karen asked the question so many people ask: "Dr. Josie, can you help me?" I told Karen I would be adjusting the vertebral subluxations, thus allowing her nervous system to function better. I told her this treatment will increase life force throughout her body and it will allow healing to take place. Once the nervous system is free of interference and the body is allowed to heal, there is no question that the patient will start to feel better! I told Karen I couldn't guarantee the percentage of improvement or exactly what will happen, but I assured her changes will most certainly occur. So I started adjusting Karen three times a week.
At her first appointment Karen experienced discomfort during the cervical adjustment and after the treatment reported feeling dizzy and "strange". During the treatment she had a lot of stimulation so I suggested she rest for a few moments and take a drink of water. When she left the office she was feeling better, the dizziness and strange feeling had subsided and she was quite calm. After the next few visits Karen reported the clicking in her jaw was no longer noticeable, and much to her relief, her migraines were much less frequent and the severity of the migraines had diminished. Her low back pain was still evident, however, the most astounding observation was that vision in Karen's right eye seemed to be improving! Some changes were definitely taking place!
Throughout the first year I saw Karen three times a week for the first few months, then twice a week, and finally her visits were cut down to just once a week. Karen's tears went from tears of pain, to tears of emotional release, to a total absence of tears and finally, to happy smiles! Karen's jaw remained "click" free, pain from menstrual cramps decreased, migraines became almost non-existent and the right eye showed enough improvement that Karen was able to resume her place in the work force. One day I performed the usual adjustments on Karen using the same pattern as in previous adjustments and she had her customary reaction, that feeling of "strangeness" she had experienced from the very first adjustment. As usual I had her relax and take water. As I was watching over her she was laughing as she described the euphoric "high" she was experiencing. She said several times that she was okay, she just needed to rest, but as I watched her I noticed her face was twitching in a strange way and she was covering her eye with her hand. I thought she was in pain so I urged her to tell me what was wrong. She finally shouted, "I can see!". I looked at her and said, "but Karen, that's your LEFT eye!" She replied, "Yes Dr. Josie, I know". Karen, who at birth was declared blind in her left eye, could now SEE! She grabbed her daughter's notebook and started reading from it! She was squawking and giggling and yelling that she could see and that her eyeglasses were dirty! What a wonderful, amazing experience, watching this woman who has been through so much mental anguish and physical pain, to see for the first time in her life from an eye, that from birth, had no vision. Truly a miracle!
This "miracle" is simply the work of Chiropractic adjustments that overtime restore adequate motion to the spine, allowing the body and brain to communicate by removing interference to the nervous system. The nervous system travels through the spinal column and shoots off spinal nerves at each vertebral level, thus allowing the body to function at it's maximum potential. This phenomenon releases the patient's innate ability to heal. Most Chiropractic miracles go unnoticed because we are so focused on the secondary results of pain relief for which Chiropractic care is recognized today.
How many of you have noticed pain relief, improved concentration, better mood, an improved sense of wellbeing, and increased energy after starting your Chiropractic care? These are not coincidences nor are they miracles. The human body is the true miracle, possessing, with the proper care and respect, a truly amazing ability to heal itself while constantly striving to improve it's function.
Sarah Deam, DC
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