About Chiropractic, a brief history….

The profession was developed by an electrical engineer named DD Palmer in 1895 as a way of helping his janitor, Harvey Lillard, who had a hearing problem.  Mr. Palmer palpated Harvey’s back and neck and felt something out of place. He worked out how to hold Mr. Lillard's neck into a position of tension and initiated a gentle force. He heard a pop and either immediately or gradually (no one really knows)  Mr. Lillard’s hearing came back. Excited about his discovery Palmer thought he had found the secret to curing all disease by returning normal function to the spine which housed the electrical system of the body, the Nervous System.

A profession was born. But not without strife.

The medical establishment didn’t appreciate some guy in Iowa who advertised that he had a cure for disease that didn’t require drugs or surgery. A battle of philosophies ensued and as Palmer defended his position the medical establishment strong armed his claims, that were unfounded, by the way. Both sides had a point.

Palmer had tapped into the natural ability of the body to heal itself, he recognized the innate intelligence of the body and the healing power of laying-on-of-hands.

The medical people also had a point. Although freeing the nervous system from interference might reduce “dis-ease” it would not cure all diseases. The debate between the allopathic and vitalistic paradigm continues today.

Part of the concern about getting a chiropractic adjustment is safety. Some people have had negative experiences but most have positive results from seeing a Chiropractor. This is illustrated by low malpractice insurance costs for Chiropractic doctors vs medical doctors. But, there are very rare instances of people having catastrophic events following a chiropractic adjustment. Fortunately there are ways to avoid putting people at risk of harm. The answer lies in taking thorough history, exam and using the right technique, seeing an experienced practitioner mitigates the risk.

How to decifir who will be a good fit for you…

Technique. There are about as many techniques as there are Chiropractors. The reason is because, hands on practitioners determine what works for individual patients. You come with a history that includes but is not limited to: family, emotional, trauma, injuries, health status, job, mental attitude, living conditions, financial stability/lack thereof, a stressful job, lack of/too much exercise, good/poor diet. A human is a complex organism compiled of systems that work together.

When there’s too much pressure in the system somethings got to give. Stressors that manifest physically are often a wake up call to change something or to seek help.

A hands on practitioner like a chiropractor,  acupuncturist, or massage therapist has the job of figuring out how to approach you and your body with an approach that will help fine tune their technique to your tolerance.

We’ve found, having tools that address each person is helpful in getting it right. As a result Dr. graves uses traditional adjustments, low and non-force techniques and her clinical experience has taught her that often times less is more. The body doesn’t always need a lot of intervention to get a response, it needs the right amount.

There is no one size fits all when it comes to helping people figure out why their body has the challenges it has and how to fix it. People are wholistic in how they view their lives, what they think their body can handle and what they ask of their body whether it’s extreme athletic pursuits or high levels of stress, a poor diet or exercise habits or a negative mental attitude, negative self talk. Being a human is complex, so when seeking a person who will be part of your health care team, try to find someone who can help you unravel your unique set of circumstances and challenges. At the Loft, you have a professional and experienced team to get you feeling better and living your best life.