Sylva Ashworth (1874–1958) was an American

chiropractor Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It has esoteric origins and is based on several pseudoscie ...

, who played a significant role in developing the chiropractic field. She was the founder of the Universal Chiropractors' Association (now known as

American Chiropractic Association The American Chiropractic Association (ACA), based in Arlington, Virginia, represents doctors of chiropractic. Its mission is to inspire and empower its members to elevate the health and wellness of their communities. Purpose and mission The m ...

). After suffering from many health issues, she tried chiropractic as a last resort and found that it worked completely for her. She then worked as a chiropractic until the age of 79.

Biography

Ashworth is often referred to as the "Grand Old Lady of Chiropractic", as she was the matriarch of a long line of the Cleveland family of notable chiropractors. Sylva was a single mother of four children, and she suffered severe health problems, including "valvular" heart trouble,

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

with leg ulcers, cystic

tumors A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

, and dropsy; due to these issues, she was not expected to survive more than a few months when she first tried chiropractic as a last resort from a local

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

chiropractor. Her recovery was considered complete and inspired her to devote her life to the chiropractic field. This led her to enroll at the

Palmer School of Chiropractic Palmer College of Chiropractic is a private chiropractic college with its main campus in Davenport, Iowa. It was established in 1897 by Daniel David Palmer and was the first school of chiropractic in the world. The college's name was originally ...

Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

, and she graduated in May 1910 at the age of 35. Her long legacy of accomplishments and contributions to the profession started immediately after returning to her home state of Nebraska, where she started private practice and continued to practice until the age of 79 (in 1954). Her accomplishments include a reputation as a charitable practitioner delivering chiropractic care to

death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting Capital punishment, execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of ...

inmates of the Nebraska penitentiary in Lincoln, 1918 Influenza victims, and many others in her community. In 1921, the Lincoln Herald credited her with the largest chiropractic practice in the state, and one of the largest in the United States. Ashworth is recognized as the founder of the Universal Chiropractors Association (1918), now known as the American Chiropractic Association, which was initially created to defend chiropractors from medical prosecution. She is also the founder of the International Chiropractic Association (ICA), and the Chiropractic Research Foundation in 1944, known today as the Foundation for Chiropractic Education & Research (FCER).

Sylvia Ashworth Scholarship

The Sylvia Ashworth Scholarship was set up by Dr. Nalyn Marcus at the Sherman College of Chiropractic, with the aim of supporting single mothers looking to become doctors of chiropractic.

Biography

Sylvia Ashworth Scholarship

References

Further reading