The October 22, 2012 issue of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health reports on the case of a 29 year-old woman who was experiencing difficulty getting pregnant whose infertility was resolved after a short course of chiropractic care.The woman presented to the chiropractor complaining of low back pain and left leg pain that radiated down to the sole of her foot. During the taking of her health history, she disclosed that for the last eight years, she and her husband had been trying unsuccessfully to conceive. She also reported that she typically went 40-60 days between periods.
Her examination revealed a primary subluxation of her sacrum with associated swelling and tenderness. Her pain was so severe that she was unable to extend her low back (lean backwards) in order to measure her range of motion.
The sacrum was the only bone adjusted on the first adjustment visit. By her second visit, 5 days later, her pain level had decreased to a 2-3/10 on a 0-10 point scale. The swelling had decreased by 50% and the tenderness over the area had been significantly reduced as well. Her lumbar extension range of motion, which was previously unable to be measured due to severe pain, now was measured at 25
degrees, within normal limits.
She was placed on a schedule of care designed to stabilize the area and ensure
the maintenance of the sacral correction. Nineteen days after the first adjustment, she reported a positive Early Pregnancy Test that was later confirmed by an obstetrician.
The study authors, Jon W. Schwanz, DC & J. Tyler Schwanz, DC, report a literature search of available chiropractic literature found 31 studies related to chiropractic and infertility and go on to discuss the research and possible mechanisms of action.
In their conclusion, the authors say, "It should be understood that the purpose of this paper is not to draw the conclusion that chiropractic was the cure for infertility in this case. The purpose is merely to connect the existence of subluxation in an individual to the presence of abnormal physiologic function. When subluxation is reduced or removed, organ function may increase to a point where previous conditions are no longer an issue."