Chiropractic manipulation of the spine was once considered part of medicine’s fringe, a “bastardized form” of osteopathic medicine. But evidence of its benefits has helped the technique become more of a part of mainstream medicine, and its practitioners are licensed to perform duties. The actual word chiropractic dates to the Greek words for hand (cheir) and done (praktos), which together means “done by hand.”

An estimated 22 million Americans pay a visit to the chiropractor each year, seeking relief from back pain, neck pain, pinched nerves, disc problems and arm, leg and head injuries caused by sports injuries, accidents and strains.

Spinal manipulation as a form of healing dates back to ancient Greece, when Hippocrates called it a key to treating disease. The practice in America began at the beginning of the 20th century, when Daniel David Palmer became fascinated with the spine as a key to good health. He began studying ancient texts on the art and reviewing anatomy. Legend has it that his first patient was a deaf janitor. When Palmer examined the man, he noticed a bump near the spine. By manipulating it, he allegedly restored the man’s hearing. So began chiropractic medicine in America.

Palmer coined the phrase “subluxation” around 1907 to describe the ways spinal vertebrae and joints could put pressure on nerves and cause problems. He detailed the ways various spinal adjustments could help with those problems.

Today, subluxation is still used by many chiropractors to describe various issues that can be treated with chiropractic techniques, but some use such terms as spinal dysfunction, joint dysfunction and manipulative lesion to describe various issues. The treatments are considered safe when performed by a licensed and trained manipulator.