Why Do Some Get Sick?

Every grade school child learns that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb and Alexander Bell invented the telephone. Yet, few know who discovered chiropractic. But more fascinating is why chiropractic was discovered.

Take yourself back over a hundred years ago to a time when “patent medicines” flourished. These were often sold as cure alls whose active ingredients were usually alcohol, cocaine, arsenic and other dangerous substances. In fact, Coca Cola contained cocaine up until 1903 and was originally sold as a treatment for morphine addiction, dyspepsia, headaches and impotence!

In the midst of this, a healer, experimenter and freethinker by the name of Daniel David Palmer in Davenport, Iowa asked a simple question:

“I desired to know why one person was ailing and his associate eating at the same table, working in the same shop was not. Why? What difference was there in the two persons that caused one to have pneumonia, catarrh, typhoid or rheumatism, while his partner, similarly situated, escaped? Why?”

At a time when germs were given the blame for virtually every disease, this was a groundbreaking way of framing the question about health. Germs alone couldn’t be the cause of disease, otherwise everyone would get sick.

Chiropractic came into existence soon afterwards. D.D. Palmer discovered that it’s smarter to look at the person with the disease, than the disease in the person. Revolutionary then—and revolutionary now!

Dr. Chris  Asks some important questions of interest to Anacortes residents - Chiropractor Anacortes Dr. Chris Asks...

What's the difference between sick care and health care?
Sick care is largely about relieving or suppressing symptoms. Health care is about improving performance. While sick care is about how you feel, health care is about how you function. Sick care is what you do to treat an obvious problem, and health care is what you do to avoid the problem and advance your well-being.
What's the difference between a "good" drug and a "bad" drug?
As a chiropractor, I see the use of many drugs (legal or illegal) as merely symptom treating. Worse, virtually every drug produces unwanted effects. The effects of chiropractic are largely positive effects. If you're a Anacortes parent, consider carefully before giving your child a cough medication, cold remedy or pain reliever so this sort of question doesn't arise in the first place.