Chiropractic manipulation therapies have a history that stretches back (no pun intended) over 2,500 years. Both the ancient Greeks and the Chinese literature have examples of soft tissue (muscle, ligament and tendon) manipulation in them.
The father of medicine, Hippocrates, (460-377 B.C.) wrote about manipulative therapy. He supposedly instructed his students to “Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases.”
Historical records indicate that manipulative (skillful work done by hand) therapies have existed throughout recorded time. Soft tissue (muscle, ligament and tendon) manipulation was documented in Chinese literature as far back as 2000 years ago. Manipulation of the spinal joints has been traced to historical documents from ancient Greece which are now2500 years old. Although these are the first written records describing manipulative therapy, it is believed that the actual procedures have roots which go much further back in time.
Hippocrates (circa 460-377 B.C.) is known as the father of modern medicine. He wrote dozens of manuscripts concerning the healing arts including one focusing on manipulative therapy. These writings represent the first historical account of spinal manipulative therapy. Hippocrates recognized the relationship of the spine to health and disease. It is said that he instructed his students to, "Get knowledge of the spine, for this is requisite for many diseases."
Chiropractic is now almost universally recognized as a medical discipline, with distinct advantage in treating injuries, stress and certain birth defects.
