Monday, October 8, 2012

1918 Spanish Flu: How Chiropractors Saved Lives



By: Elizabeth M. Wisniewski BA, CMT, Chiropractic Intern, ATH Co-editor of Chiropractic
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Between 1917 and 1918 the Spanish flu  pandemic swept across the globe. Upwards of 500,000 Americans died during this epidemic and the estimates range from 20 million to 40 million deaths worldwide. Where medicine fell short, chiropractors delivered specific spinal adjustments and many lives were saved.

In Davenport , Iowa where the Palmer School of Chiropractic was located 50 medical doctors saw 4,953 patients with 274 of them succumbing to the flu. In the same location 150 chiropractors, Palmer faculty and students saw 1,635 with only 1 patient dying! This same trend occurred across the United States with MDs sending patients who were on their death beds to the local chiropractors because they did not know what to do. In some casesDCs were temporarily granted prescription drug rights during the outbreak however they did not have any use for this because no drug is as powerful as the innate ability of the body to heal its self.



Following the pandemic many people who recovered from the flu as a result of chiropractic care decided to become chiropractors themselves. There was a huge increase in the amount of chiropractic students and chiropractic colleges across the country. Even during The Great Depression chiropractic practices thrived because people saw value in chiropractic care and respected their body’s ability to self heal and self regulate.



It is time that we realize the value in true health care and learn to respect the innate intelligence that exists in each and every one of us. In chiropractic, as in many natural healing disciplines, we understand that the power that made the body, heals the body. NO outside-in drug can ever come close to these inherent mechanisms. It is not the chiropractor healing the body it is the body doing all of the healing EVERYTIME!



A hundred years ago when direct to consumer advertising and the complete corruption of the pharmaceutical companies did not yet exist, people respected the innate intelligence that animated them. It is time that we regain this respect and understanding of self healing and trust that our body is smarter than any drug can ever be. Chiropractors do save lives, but it is through adjusting spinal subluxations, removing interference to the body and allowing the body to then heal its self. This is not magic or voodoo of any type. It is the body doing what it is meant to do… to live a healthy optimal life. Remember, health is more than just the absence of disease!












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