Chiropractic Care Facilitates Successful In Vitro Fertilization After Multiple Failures

The Asian-Pacific Chiropractic Journal documented a case study of a woman who was trying to get pregnant and had been through multiple failed IVF (in vitro fertilization) attempts. With the addition of chiropractic care, the woman was able to successfully become pregnant.

The authors of this study begin by noting that infertility is generally believed to be the result of stress and/or hormonal abnormalities. In many cases, it can be a combination of both factors that leads to infertility. In describing how chiropractic might have a positive effect on this situation, the authors state, "A central tenet of chiropractic care is that the brain is the master controller of the body, and that when we adjust subluxations, we eliminate distortions and allow the body to better express health."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define infertility on their website as "In general, infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant (conceive) after one year (or longer) of unprotected sex." The CDC further explains how common this issue is by stating "In the United States, about 1 in 5 (19%) married women aged 15 to 49 with no prior births in the United States are unable to get pregnant after 1 year of trying. Also, about 1 in 4 (26%) women in this group have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term."

In this case, a 32-year-old woman videographer, who had been under chiropractic care, decided to seek a different form of chiropractic care for her long-term problem of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). The woman additionally reported that she had suffered from General Anxiety Disorder and a feeling of a "brain fog" that she had since childhood. She was also given a medical diagnosis of Hashimoto's Disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that can affect the thyroid gland and create hormonal issues. The woman reported that she had a history of infertility and had previously attempted in vitro fertilization (IVF) five times without success. She had also suffered one ectopic pregnancy that was unsuccessful.

Because the woman had been under chiropractic care, her new chiropractor approached her issues using a different analysis and adjusting procedure. A chiropractic examination was performed which included several procedures to help monitor various aspects of her physiology. This was intended to see if the new chiropractic care would have an effect on her hormonal issues that could have an impact on her infertility. Based on her examination findings, an intensified specific 2-week regime of chiropractic care was performed.

Re-examinations showed that there were changes to the woman's physiology following the chiropractic care. Additionally, the woman underwent another IVF procedure and was able to conceive shortly after the intensified chiropractic care. Ultimately, the woman's baby was born without requiring medical intervention and without any complications.

The researchers described this outcome by saying, "Given the five failed rounds and the ectopic pregnancy, it is plausible that the systemic picture of health, regulation and nervous system function was part of this successful outcome, especially given the patient had made no other meaningful changes to her regime." They concluded, "It is important for the discipline that subluxation-based chiropractic care be established in the literature as a safe and effective treatment option for function loss in conditions such as infertility."