Technique

At Panchesin Chiropractic Center, I use a variety of techniques and have had the unique experience of being trained in the Palmer “Hole-In-One” chiropractic technique. The significance of this technique is better understood when informed with some of the history behind this technique.

On September 18th, 1895, Dr. Daniel David Palmer discovered after setting a vertebrae in the neck of Harvey Lilliard back into place, that Mr Lilliard had his hearing restored after 13 years of being deaf.  Dr Palmer, already known as a “Magnetic Healer” had in-depth knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the human body which aided him in his hypothesis that the mis-aligned vertebra may be interfering with Mr Lilliard’s nerve supply. It was this historic event that gave birth to the profession of chiropractic.  Dr D.D. Palmer was an older gentleman at the time of his discovery and after 15 years of researching and developing his unique discovery, decided to travel around the West and Northwest of the United States to teach and spread chiropractic to other’s that were interested in healing. Dr Palmer’s early efforts eventually gave rise to many other of the earliest chiropractic colleges.

His son, Dr Bartlett Joshua Palmer however, disagreed with his father, and thought they should research chiropractic much more before presenting it to the public. Dr BJ Palmer stayed behind in Davenport, Iowa to tend to the Palmer College of Chiropractic and begin what was to be a 30 year period of research and development. Dr BJ Palmer discovered the key area to the human spine was at the level of the top two neck bones called Atlas and Axis or also known as C-1 and C-2, both of which stacked one on top of the other and supported the skull. It was at this level he discovered the design of these two vertebral bones were easily prone to displacement, having no “discs” in between them, few boney articulations, and being much smaller than other vertebra.  They also support the weight of the skull, making them much easier to mis-align and easily produce interference to the brainstem or (Medulla).  The configuration of the bones made it necessary to incorporate more in depth considerations when attempting to correct them to their proper position. The brainstem or (Medulla) is the beginning and source of all the nerves supplying the entire human body and home of the intelligence that runs through the nerve supply and governs the human body.  In no other place in the human spine could you find one area and one bone that could affect the entire nerve supply when displaced creating nerve interference.  One bone with the weakest structure and support and prone to displacement.  

This phenomena was named “Vertebral Subluxation” by Dr BJ Palmer who gave it a four part definition, 1) a vertebra out of alignment 2) an neural opening made smaller 3) interference to the nerve supply, and 4) alteration of the messages sent from the brain to the body. A Vertebral subluxation had to have all these components to qualify as a vertebral subluxation.

Knowing that each of these two bones, and the base of the skull called occiput, could all mis-align creating interference directly to the heart of the nerve supply, Dr Palmer worked at creating a method that could correct this area in the most effective way possible. The Atlas for instance could move slightly forward and produce pressure, it could also tilt upward or downward, it could slide left or right, and it could rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. The Axis did almost the same, but would move posterior from the Atlas.

Dr BJ Palmer theororized that introducing a force to correct one of these directions of misalignment in the subluxations, and then re-introducing a second force to correct another mis-aligned direction, could not help but affect what was accomplished in the introduction of the first force. He then designed a chiropractic technique called the “Hole-In-One” chiropractic technique that was designed to encompass all facets of the mis-alignment with one single dynamic thrust.

Dr Palmer developed the “Hole-In-One” chiropractic adjustment utilizing a specific vector derived from analyzing upper neck x-rays, and adding his key ingredient “Torque” to the dynamic thrust. A specialized “Knee Chest” table was developed to more easily access the upper neck area for the adjustment which less lent itself to reduced neck tension for the patient in this position. Finally, a regime of exercises, stances, and methodologies for aiming and adjusting the upper neck were created for the chiropractor’s training in for executing the “Hole-In-One” chiropractic adjustment.

Dr Palmer’s technique development was a huge success, rendering incredible results from accurately correcting pressure and interference at the level of the human brainstem. He quickly developed a reputation for curing the incurable and was actually accused by some colleagues of having “Innate Healing” powers he was born with that no one else could replicate. Dr Palmer assured his colleagues, all they had to do was learn and perform his “Hole-In-One” technique, and they too could obtain these incredible results. Dr Palmer’s hospital in Davenport, Iowa became known all over the country as chiropractors sent their most difficult cases to him including Dr Mayo of the Mayo Clinic who sent his wife to Dr BJ Palmer after he had run out of options for treating his wife’s cancer. Mrs Mayo remised while under Dr Palmer’s care.  Most people today who are only acquainted with chiropractic as a back pain remedy are surprised or in dis-belief when they hear of the power of the Palmer “Hole-In-One” chiropractic adjustment which brought relief to epilepsy, tumors, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, hydrocephalus, infertility, and many, many more. A copy of one of Dr Palmer’s infamous “Green Books” which he printed over 50 volumes contains one book on his research with a section called, “The Eight Cases”, which detail the progress of 8 patient’s as listed above, that got well under the care administered at the Palmer Clinic of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.

After Dr BJ Palmer’s death in 1961, his son, David Palmer, who was not a chiropractor and about to inherit a legacy and was soon approached by the AMA who had spent decades fighting and attempting to suppress all of Dr Palmer’s efforts to grow chiropractic and help the American public. Chiropractic was truly an American discovery and invention, and in a closed door meeting, the AMA representatives  threatened the young Palmer with eliminating the profession if he did not do away with what they referred to as the “Miracle Cure Crap”, and just stick to treating back pain.  Within days of the meeting, David Palmer placed his father’s research into a huge pit and burned most of it and removed all his father’s philosophical writings from the walls of Palmer Chiropractic College which for decades brandished the walls of Palmer College with BJ’s philosophical messages, enough that a book was dedicated specifically to these short paragraph or one liner messages of intrigue.

In time, those closest to Dr BJ Palmer became concerned at his work being lost to humanity now that Palmer college had changed.  Nine years after his passing, a group of dedicated chiropractors lead by Dr Thom Gelardi, an astute pupil of Dr BJ Palmer purchased 80 acres in South Carolina to establish Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic. The college was named after Dr Lyle Sherman who worked for years in Davenport, Iowa as Dr BJ Palmer’s right hand man and clinic director and opened it’s doors in 1972.

Straight was the term Dr Palmer added to the title of Chiropractor to distinguish those chiropractors who practiced adhering to the philosophy of chiropractic he had established and used chiropractic adjusting techniques for the purpose of correcting vertebral subluxations. Chiropractors who sought to utilize chiropractic adjustments with other forms of treatment modalities in a therapeutic approach to patients, focusing on the use of chiropractic as a neuromuscular, or structural and back pain approach to patients were given the name of Mixer.

Sherman College has since dropped the word “Straight” from it’s title and has since it’s inception dedicated it’s efforts to teaching the philosophy, technique, science and art of chiropractic as Dr BJ Palmer had developed it during his 30 year plus research period. The four year curriculum dedicated no less than four courses per quarter directly aimed at Dr Palmer’s work while encompassing other courses that were general to medical schools such as anatomy, physiology, and dissection etc. delivering 114 more hours of instruction than a John Hopkins Medical Degree at that time.

I graduated from Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic in March of 1982, and have practiced in Tucson Arizona for 30 years in the same location at 5311 S. 12th Ave., Tucson, Az., 85706.

Directional Non-Force Technique

Directional Non-Force Technique, or DNFT, is a technique created by Dr Richard Van Rumpt.  Dr Van Rumpt is now deceased by many years but had a unique story that led to the development of his technique DNFT.

Dr Van Rumpt was a boxer at one time in New York, and after a significant number of bouts in the ring, he developed an inner ear imbalance. This led to his career in chiropractic in seeking answers to his health problems that resulted. I received a certificate from Dr Van Rumpt for attending 4 intensive seminars that began early in the morning each day and lasted into the late evening for 4 days in a row each. We would receive notes and practice in between seminars leading up to our certificate. During this time, his training hinged on our knowledge of chiropractic we were studying in chiropractic college.

Dr Van Rumpt in an effort to help his inner ear imbalance turned to medicine first to get an answer. During these early days of medicine, x-ray was new to the profession, actually first introduced into health care by Dr B.J. Palmer in his pursuit of chiropractic adjusting. The x-ray units then had no focus of the beam and x-radiation would be spread for blocks in all directions in a relatively intense dosage. Dr Van Rumpt had repeated x-rays done on his middle ear prior to and following  surgery as many as 80 x-rays that lead to cataracts from the little understood effects of radiation in those early years. The surgery lead him to become hard of hearing as well. Upon meeting Dr Van Rumpt, he had very thick glasses to see, hearing aids in each ear, and he had a lack of balance that added to his occasional balance loss.

Due to the cataracts, Dr Van Rumpt was not able to read x-rays and with his love and pursuit of chiropractic, developed a chiropractic technique that suited his disabilities. He learned to read the body energy in such a way, that he was able to determine the location of nerve interference, and the corrective direction of the vertebra or bone involved that would correct the nerve interference. He became aware of the reactive leg when studying spinal nerve interference with his limited vision.

The reactive leg was one leg that appeared to react when the area of nerve interference was challenged. The re-active leg, with much practice, could be seen to move slightly when the nerve system were challenged when a vertebra creating nerve interference was challenged. Using this, a specific corrective direction was easily accomplished and being as accurate as it was, then required minimal force to get it to move. Often placing a corrective force with Dr Van Rumpt’s unique way of giving a corrective thrust the bone never seemed to physically move, but absorbed the light well directed force and brought relief to the patient.

Dr Van Rumpt graduated to correcting any bone in the human body that would or could cause a problem or discomfort to the patient, from cranial bones, to inner mouth palate bones, to the ribs, and any joint in the body. I had the unique experience of having left knee pain disappear with a slight adjustment to the L-3 lumbar vertebra.

To this day, I practice DNFT, and have combined a unique combination with DNFT and HIO the B.J. Palmer “Hole-In-One” technique adding “Torque” to the thrust.