Chiropractic history began in 1895, started by D.D. Palmer in Iowa, who started a chiropractic school in 1896. The first chiropractic adjustment was on a partially deaf janitor, Harvey Lillard, who mentioned a few days later to Palmer that his hearing seemed better. The word "chiropractic" was coined from Greek root words.

Early chiropractic bore similarities to osteopathy and was criticized as practicing medicine without a license. Opposition from the medical profession led to many chiropractors, including D.D., being jailed.

In 1906, D.D.'s son B.J. Palmer took control of the Palmer school of chiropractic. B.J. began to accept the use of technology such as X-rays within chiropractic care. Dr. Solon Langworthy was the first to use the word "subluxation", and published the first book on chiropractic, called "Modernized Chiropractic" — "Special Philosophy — A Distinct System", in 1906.

Division within the profession has been intense, with mixers combining spinal adjustments with other treatments, and "straights" relying solely on spinal adjustments. A conference in 1975 spurred the development of chiropractic research.