There are plenty of chiropractic seminars, conferences and conventions to choose from, but the World Chiropractic Alliance International Summit offers the opportunity for doctors to meet, educate and lobby their senators and representatives, something none of the others do.

Numerous WCA members took advantage of that opportunity in April, during the second annual WCA Summit held in Washington, D.C. The opening day of the event was designated as a special "Legislative Day," and participants were instructed ahead of time on how to arrange and conduct meetings with their legislators.

Stephanie Grenier, D.C., herself the mayor of a small town in Georgia, met with Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Steve Israel and spoke with several key Congressional staff members. "It was extremely productive," she stated. "We had the opportunity to educate them on the importance of chiropractic care as a part of every American's health care and the importance of subluxation correction. We explained why chiropractic should remain a drug-free, surgery-free form of health care, and why chiropractors are the only health care professionals with the ability to detect and correct vertebral subluxation."

Although she praised the many chiropractic presentations that filled the next two days, Dr. Grenier noted that, "What makes the Summit unique is the politics... It provides a forum of chiropractic soldiers to go out and make big changes! Other chiropractic organizations rely on one or two people to lobby our legislators, but we are much more powerful in numbers. We are an army!"

Marlin R. Braun, D.C., of Montana met with Sen. Conrad Burns and his staff member, Erin Pierce. "We had a very positive discussion," he noted. "Senator Burns instructed Erin to do what needed to be done to get V.A. benefits going. He was also positive about the Resolution 46 and the postage stamp."

Although his appointment with Rep. Denny Rehburg was canceled because the legislator was needed on the floor of the House to vote on an issue, Dr. Braun met with one of his staff members. "During our meeting two other staff members expressed that they were using chiropractors regularly," he recalled. "It was a positive experience."

Given the hectic and unpredictable schedule of most legislators, constituents are often able to meet only with staff members. However, this can actually be an extremely important contact. According to the Institute for Public Affairs, no one should "underestimate the importance of the staff members because it is the staff who do the research and make the most significant recommendations to our elected officials."

Some WCA members expressed surprise that so many members of Congress were willing to meet with them to discuss chiropractic. Part of the credit for this goes to the WCA Washington representative, lobbyist Jim Albertine, who has established a powerful presence for the WCA and subluxation-based chiropractic on "the Hill."

Albertine, who serves as president of the American League of Lobbyists, had personally contacted many Congressional leaders and invited them to attend Summit legislative day events.

While Albertine's intervention helped, the fact is that most legislators enjoy meeting with constituents. Whether it's to keep abreast of issues of importance to residents in their state and district, or to make points with voters, their doors are frequently open to visitors.

"When I'm in Washington, I'm meeting visitors to my office, attending committee meetings, reading mail from constituents and consulting with my staff regarding bills in Congress," says Rep. Dennis Moore of Kansas. "I enjoy meeting people and getting a chance to sit down and talk with them."

Some, like Sen. Russell Feingold of Wisconsin, even holds open door sessions for constituents. "By holding these sessions I hear firsthand the issues, such as campaign finance reform and the federal deficit, that are important to the people of Wisconsin and it allows me to better represent their interests in Washington," he explains.

The same is true for legislators in most other nations. Trish Godman, who represents the people of West Renfrewshire in the Scottish Parliament, noted that she receives "a great deal of correspondence and e-correspondence from constituents as well as from those who visit the Parliament. I always enjoy meeting constituents for a cup of tea and a chat!"

That attitude is important to chiropractors around the world. "If chiropractic is important to you, you have to make it important to the men and women who pass the laws that affect it," stated Terry A. Rondberg, D.C., president of the World Chiropractic Alliance. "The best way to do this is to meet them, talk with them, educate them. When they understand subluxation-based chiropractic, they'll work with us to protect it."