I don’t believe RCs posting suggests that the subluxation is the only cause of degenerative disease…it’s merely one cause. However, many of the causes you mention (such as trauma or chronic dysfunction) have as their initiating mechanism the joint fixation that is at the root of subluxation.

A fixation by itself has no clinical meaning, but a PERSISTENT fixation interfered with normal joint nutrition and clearance of waste products, causing an adverse impact on chondrocytes. As those cells die off and joint space reduces, the body mobilizes minerals to stabilize the joint (osteophytes). This combined process is what is referred to as the subluxation COMPLEX. If you have a term you prefer, that’s fine, but there’s no debating that fixation is the underlying cause of the process, and that adjusting/manipulation can halt those changes.

It’s equally important that chiropractors know and understand the material in this posting, particularly since some schools under-emphasize this material in their curricula.

Finally, I don’t believe subluxation is as poorly defined as you seem to believe. It’s a theory, but there is significant literature that supports it. Please refer to the following page for more on this topic:

What is The Chiropractic Subluxation?