Chiropractors work with realigning the skeletal system and work very much with the physical body rather than any form of emotional or spiritual engagement with the client.

This healing art form can be traced back to 2700BC in the Chinese martial art kung fu. It was practiced by the Greeks, Egyptians, and Syrians and is still practiced in East Africa and by some Native American Indians. The Greek physician Hippocrates offered a fair description of it when he said: "One or more vertebra of the spine may or may not go out of place. They are likely to produce serious complications and even death, if not properly adjusted…many diseases are related to the spine" (Drury p.46). The modern art form came to light of day when Harvey Lillard went to see Daniel Palmer in 1895. Lillard had become extremely deaf 17 years previously when he stooped in a cramped position at work. During the examination of his spine, Palmer found a prominent vertebra out of position. Lillard confirmed that this spot had been a source of considerable pain when he lost his hearing. Palmer manipulated and repositioned the vertebra to which Lillard’s hearing immediately improved. After subsequent treatments, Palmer restored Lillard’s hearing to its original normal level. Even still, the established medical profession ridiculed Palmer.

Looking at the machinations of the spine, when viewed from the rear, it appears vertically straight but is composed of a double crescent. The cervical and the lumbar section of the spine form one crescent, and the thoracic and sacral section forms the other, an inverted crescent. The angle of these crescents is crucial to minimizing spinal biomechanical stresses (dc doctor #1 p.1). Between each vertebra there are openings, foramens, through which the bundle of spinal nerves within the spinal column exit, extending to various parts of the body. Free from the protection of the spine, make the nerves vulnerable to misalignments, arthritic body growths, and inflammatory bio-chemicals from nearby injured tissues that may irritate or impinge on the spinal nerve. This irritation interferes with the messages, nerve impulses, affecting the signal and the receiving cell, tissue or organ. Deprived of this information or receiving distorted information, then starves the receiving organ or cells dependent on the stimuli to facilitate the required tasks. This affects the health of the organs or cells, which then become dysfunctional, degenerate or diseased.

Nevertheless, chiropractic has continued to be challenged. T. Vondarhaar of the Northern California College of Chiropractic once commented: "Chiropractic has remained outside the mainstream of modern medicine because its major premise, that the body has inherent capacities for health, has simply been out of fashion in the U.S. and the Western world. The holistic view of health is regarded with suspicion by the medical establishment because it does not rely on technological intervention in the body – which can be measured and controlled (Drury p.49). Another reason is the sense of competition. A strong belief amongst some physical therapists is that manipulation of the cervical spine for those with neck pain, muscle-tension headache and migraine contributes to stroke. Between 1925 – ’97, a documented 177 cases were reported with injuries from spinal manipulation including arterial spasm, lesions of the brainstem, hearing loss, balance deficits and nerve injury. In 18% of cases, death occurred. However, through reassessment of these cases, it becomes less clear who the original practitioners were. In some cases, the practitioner was a physical therapist or a physician.

The result is fewer drugs, less surgery and fewer hospital stays. Former Secretary of Commerce in Pennsylvania, Andrew Sordoni commented "Based on my experience, I firmly believe that chiropractic is the best method of coping with certain health and accident problems I industry. Many insurance companies are recognizing the benefits of chiropractic techniques and are paying for them. This is most significant, as is the fact that the State Workmen’s Compensation Acts are more and more recognizing the need for chiropractic services. These bodies form their decisions and base their policies on statistics, not on sentiment.

The successes are reflected in the US governments recent signing of legislation that makes chiropractic a mandatory and permanent service in the healthcare system of veterans. Called the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 200/CH.R.3447, the law authorizes the hiring of chiropractors. This includes medical centres to be established in urban and rural areas with a variety of services for neuromuscoskeletal conditions.