It does not differentiate numerous conditions or single out one condition from another which is the objective of a diagnosis. When in the course of a chiropractic examination of the spine, whether by radiological examination, palpation, or another procedure designed to locate vertebral subluxation, the objective straight chiropractor finds something unusual, he or she has an obligation to inform the practice member of that unusual finding. He just informs the individual that it is something unusual and that it is not within his field of expertise to determine what it is or whether it needs treatment. Since any unusual finding would likely be of a medical nature, he needs to see a physician or an alternative to medicine. The objective straight chiropractor does not determine the need for a specialist inasmuch as that would necessitate some type of diagnosis.
Diagnosis is a technical procedure performed by a trained professional.
That professional is not a straight chiropractor. On the chance that an individual would come into the chiropractor office displaying the symptoms of a medical emergency, the chiropractor should use the same first-aid knowledge that the average person would use and refer that person to an emergency care facility. It should be noted that mixers and traditional straights who care for people for medical conditions or who present with symptoms are in fact making a diagnosis of sorts. They are by word or by their silence telling the person that they have determined that the condition they have is amenable to chiropractic care. These approaches carry with them certain legal and moral ramifications.