In the scientific periodical the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics (JCCP), comes a study that involved the literature review of 10 different papers of the cases of 11 women who were suffering from infertility. The review, published in the bi-yearly JCCP March 2008 issue, reviewed the case studies of 11 women ages 22 to 42 who were diagnosed as suffering from Infertility.
According to the article, Infertility is defined as an inability to conceive after a year of unprotected intercourse or to carry a pregnancy to term.” The author of the review Stacy Bula D.C., notes that in the US infertility impacts six million women between the ages of 15 and 54. According to the study the US Centers for Disease Control reported that in 2004 there were 127,977 artificial reproductive procedures performed to try to help women get pregnant. The study notes that although only 34% of the medical procedures attempted will result in a live birth, the costs can range up to $30,000 per menstrual cycle attempt.
In the cases reported in this literature review study, the cases of eleven female patients were reviewed from 10 separate documented case studies. Their histories included one natural childbirth, two miscarriages, two failed in-vitro fertilizations, and three failed artificial inseminations. In some of these cases the women sought chiropractic care for a variety of other problems in addition to infertility. Some of the additional problems that brought the women to a chiropractor included, ulcerative colitis, lower back pain, neck pain, menstrual cycle problems, diabetes and joint pains.
The average age of the women in the various studies was 32. In 10 of the 11 cases the women were actively trying to become pregnant and were unsuccessful. Several had unsuccessfully tried more expensive and risky procedures. The author noted that the standard medical care for infertility, “..can have serious health problems for both the mother and child.”
The results from these various case studies showed that all 11 women got pregnant shortly after the start of chiropractic care. The author of the review noted that 9 of the 11 did not receive any further medical care to become pregnant. The care rendered in all of these cases was specific correction of vertebral subluxations using a variety of chiropractic analyses and techniques. The author noted that correction of vertebral subluxations caused an improvement in function which allowed the women of these studies to become pregnant.
In her conclusion, Dr. Bula stated, “The ten case studies examined in this paper suggest that regardless of the type of chiropractic technique used, when subluxations of the vertebral spine were adjusted there was a simultaneous improvement in function of the reproductive organs and related endocrine system.”