"This is completely absurd.  Maybe this is the case in the United States, however your northern neighbour makes no such claims.  The Philosophy of Chiropractic far exceeds a modality (manual/mechanical manipulation) and a lesion (vertebral subluxation/joint dyskinesis). It is about a holistic approach to health care using natural therapies primarily (joint manipulation, soft tissue manipulation exercise, nutritional counseling, medical acupuncturestress management, health promotion, ergonomic consulting, etc.  To insinuate that the existence of the profession depends on subluxations is a dated, narrowed view of Contemporary Chiropractic.

Also, anyone who knows a lick of neurology realizes that there neurophysiological effects of manipulation and, similarly, there are neurophysiological effects of joint dyskinesis/subluxation.   However, these are being taken in a neuromusculoskeletal context now as well as possible autonomic implications on visceral functions that may arise from chronic NMS pain syndromes.  This is a contemporary view of the profession.

The title DC or chiropractor certainly does not imply manipulation for subluxation.  Again, a narrowed view focus.  Rather we are holistic NMS doctors with an emphasis on manual therapies and other complementary therapies.  We;re not wannabe MDs or ""glorified PTs"".  DCs trained in scientific schools are perfectly positioned to play a crucial role in managing and preventing NMS issues and PCP role.  
I would encourage you, Fyslee, to visit the CCA website or the new OCA one and you tell me that my sole purpose is to rid subluxations.  It is, at least in Canada, a dying faction as CMCC and UQTR embrance scientific chiropractic and not traditional/philosophical (straight) chiropractic.

www.chiropractic.on.ca

It is always important to have different perspectives on issues to remain objective.  I am not an evangelist (as a good analogy to the straights/subluxation based) and definitely have my criticisms with my profession, but it's mainly a generational thing.  The evidence-based Doctor of Chiropractic in 2008 is not tied down to the philosophy of subluxations (metaphysically) or at least in Canada (my POV which conflicts with your chiropractic POV which is US and not a world wide one.  

In fact, every DC since 2002 has been educated in the integrative EBM curriculum (CMCC is 45 minutes away from McMaster University, where evidence based medicine was born) Canada, unlike the US has NO subluxation based schools and they are both university degree granting institutions.  This is important because credits obtained at CMCC and UQTR can be TRANSFERRED to public universities unlike before.

In the end, Fyslee, you will begin to appreciate the sophistication of contemporary chiropractors.  Most of us have 4 year undergrad degrees in kinesiology of the life sciences and obtain various other treatment modalities (soft tissue such as ART/Graston/SASTM, get diplomas in Medical Acupuncture from McMaster University by the Department of Anaesthesia from MDs who designed the course from a anatomy/neurophysiological POV, obtained CSCS designations from the NSCA (http://www.nsca-cc.org/) etc.

I am anxious to hear your response.

"