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Introduction
Infertility is the inability to accomplish a pregnancy within
one year of regular sexual intercourse without contraception.1
Infertility is a distressing health concern for many couples,2
and may be due to male and female factors (20%), male
factors (35%), female factors (35%), or unknown factors
(10%).3 In 2010, it was estimated in the US that 48.5 million
couples were infertile,4 and this number is expected to rise.5
Many infertile females seek out manual therapists for
treatment for their body, spine and posture in desperation for
improving their health status. There have been many
documented cases of infertile females having a successful
conception after receiving chiropractic care.6-10 There has
even been an entire issue of this journal, formally the Journal
of Vertebral Subluxation Research, dedicated to the
resolution of infertility in patients receiving various
chiropractic technique approaches (2003).
We present the successful case of a 30-year-old achieving
conception shortly after starting chiropractic care utilizing
Chiropractic BioPhysics® (CBP®) technique.
CASE STUDY
Resolution of Infertility in a 30-Year-Old Following
Chiropractic Care to Correct Vertebral Subluxation
Utilizing Chiropractic BioPhysics: A Case Study
Justin Anderson, DC1, Paul A. Oakley, DC2 & Deed E. Harrison, DC3
Abstract
Objective: To present the successful conception in a 30-year old shortly after starting chiropractic care utilizing
Chiropractic BioPhysics® (CBP®) technique.
Clinical Features: The chief complaint was infertility but the patient also reported headaches, low back pain and middle
back pain. The patient also demonstrated vertebral subluxations, a loss of all sagittal spinal curves and leg length
inequality.
Intervention and Outcome: The patient was managed by CBP technique incorporating mirror image neck extension
exercises, chiropractic adjustments, and traction aimed at restoring the sagittal curves of the spine. After 30 visits the
patient report having conceived and care was reduced to a maintenance schedule of two times a month. The patient also
reported decreases in all pain areas and an improvement in quality of life as noted on several indices of the SF-36.
Conclusion: Chiropractic care in the form of CBP led to the successful improvement in health and to conception in a
patient suffering from infertility.
Keywords: Infertility, CBP, chiropractic, adjustment, vertebral subluxation, posture, cervical spine, lumbar spine,
thoracic spine, rehabilitation
1. Private Practice of Chiropractic, Eagle, Idaho, USA
2. Private Practice of Chiropractic, Newmarket, ON, Canada
3. President, CBP Non-Profit, Eagle, ID
Infertility J. Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health April 26, 2018 34
Case Report
Clinical Features
A 30-year-old female nurse presented to a chiropractic clinic.
She was 5’3”, 132lbs and Caucasian. Her main complaint
was infertility but also reported headaches, low back pain
(LBP) and middle back pain (MBP).
Her previous health history indicated that she had been
diagnosed with infertility one year prior. She was receiving
lab tests, performing temperature monitoring and purchasing
ovulation kits for infertility and was taking Clomid (100mg
throughout days 5-9 of her cycle) for infertility and was
working with a midwife. She had also received previous
chiropractic care.
The initial exam findings revealed palpatory pain and
hypertonicity located from C5-C7, T1-T10, and L5
bilaterally. She had a decrease in all range of motion
movements in the cervical spine with pain in flexion with
pulling in the low back, a decreased right axial rotation in the
thoracic spine, and pain with lumbar extension.
Positive orthopedic tests included a positive kemps,
bilaterally. Deep tendon reflexes were normal. There was a
decreased sensation on the right C6 and right L4
dermatomes. Using the numerical rating scale (NRS: 0=no
pain; 10= worst pain ever) she reported a 3/10 for headaches,
a 2/10 for low back pain, and a 3/10 for upper back pain.
On the 36-item quality of life questionnaire (SF-36), she
scored: Physical functioning-100, Role limitation due to
physical health-100, Role limitations due to emotional
problems- 66.7, Energy/Fatigue-90, Emotional well-being-
80, Social functioning 87.5, Pain-67.5, General health-80. On
the revised Oswestry chronic low back disability
questionnaire (ODI) she scored a 16%, and on the neck
disability index (NDI) she scored a 12%.
Posture assessment revealed postural deformities:11 forward
head translation (+TzH), left head translation (-TxH), left
thorax translation (+TxT), posterior thoracic translation (-
TzT), an extended thorax (-RyT), anterior pelvis translation
(+TzP), and a left rotation of the pelvis (+RyP).
Radiographic Assessment
Full spine radiographs were taken and analyzed using the
PostureRay software (Trinity, FL, USA). This system uses
the Harrison posterior tangent method for lateral images12-15
and the modified Risser-Ferguson method for antero-
posterior (AP) images.15 These methods are repeatable and
reliable, as is posture analysis.12-16
The radiographs demonstrated the patient had vertebral
subluxation, a reduction of all the sagittal curves of the spine;
hypolordosis of the cervical and lumbar lordosis as well as
hypokyphosis of the thoracic kyphosis (Fig. 1; Fig. 2). The
cervical spine C2-C7 ARA was -4.8° (vs. 32-42° normal17,18)
with a forward translation of 12.4mm, the thoracic spine T1-
T12 ARA was 19.9° (vs. 44° normal19), and the lumbar spine
L1-L5 ARA
was -35.3° (vs. 40° normal20). The patient was also diagnosed
with an anatomical leg length inequality (LLI) with the left
leg being shorter (Fig. 1).
Intervention and Outcome
The patient received CBP technique protocol including
mirror image® exercises, chiropractic adjustments and
traction.21-24 She was to be seen three times a week for 12
weeks, resulting in 36 visits as a part of her ‘corrective care
program.’ She was also prescribed home care consisting of
laying on both a medium cervical and small lumbar
Denneroll (Denneroll Spinal Orthotics: Wheeler Heights,
NSW, Australia) for 20 minutes, 3-5 times per week. The
corrective exercises included neck extensions with a pro-
lordotic (Circular traction, Huntington Beach, CA, USA).
The patient was given a 9mm heel lift for the left foot to
balance the LLI.
Traction was designed to increase the sagittal curves of the
spine (Fig. 3). A Denneroll table (Denneroll Spinal Orthotics:
Wheeler Heights, NSW, Australia) was used where both the
cervical and lumbar curves were being accentuated while the
thoracic spine was pulled down with a securing strap.
Two months after beginning chiropractic care the patient
reported having ovulated for two months in a row for the first
time. After 30 visits the patient reported to have conceived
three months after beginning care.
A follow-up assessment was performed while the patient was
in her first trimester. All ROM were WNL with no pain.
Kemps test was negative and all dermatome testing was
WNL. The NRS pain scores were 0/10 for headaches, 0/10
for LBP, and 1/10 for MBP. The SF-36 scores were: physical
functioning-100, role limitations due to physical health-100,
role limitations due to emotional problems-100,
energy/fatigue-40, emotional well-being-92, social
functioning-100, pain-70, general health-85. She scored a
10% on the ODI and 8% on the NDI. The patient continued
care throughout her pregnancy at a frequency of two times
per month.
Discussion
This case demonstrates the successful achievement of
conception in a female suffering from infertility shortly after
starting a CBP corrective chiropractic care program.
Although there is no post-care radiographic assessment to
compare the improvement in posture prior to her successful
conception, it is assumed there were postural improvements
as have been repeatedly substantiated in the literature using
CBP methods.25-37
How does chiropractic care and improvement of posture help
resolve infertility? It is presumed that stimulation and relief
of tension on the spinal cord and nerves play the key role in
enabling a female patient to become fertile following
chiropractic care. Structurally speaking this patient had
vertebral subluxation and reduced sagittal curves throughout
all regions in the spine. This lengthens the spinal canal and
therefore exerts increased tension onto the spinal cord even
35 J. Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health April 26, 2018 Infertility
during normal motions of the spine and neck.38 The resultant
‘pathologic’ neurological tensions39) are likely the culprit in
neurologic compromise in function of the organs, including
those related to fertility.
Chiropractic adjustments and postural traction and exercises
undoubtedly ‘work out the kinks’ so to speak by releasing
fixated spinal segments, tissues adhesions etc. Further, any
improvement in spinal alignment will also facilitate the
healing capabilities of the body, encouraging better oxygen
delivery, lymphatic drainage and overall improvement in
neural conduction, as the latter has just been proven to occur
in asymptomatic subjects receiving CBP care for forward
head posture and hypolordosis.40
This case is limited by being a single case, no long-term
follow-up, and the lack of radiology assessment after the
patient reported to have been able to conceive. Further
research is necessary to elucidate the precise mechanisms
chiropractic and posture improvements have on the
physiology of those with infertility issues.
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37 J. Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health April 26, 2018 Infertility
Figure 1. Left: Lateral cervical radiograph. Patient has upper cervical hypolordosis and lower cervical
kyphosis. Right: AP lumbar radiograph. Patient has a left anatomical short leg and a left thoracic translation
posture. Green line represents normal alignment; red line represents patient.
Figure 2. Lateral full-spine radiograph. Patient has hypolordosis of the cervical and lumbar spine as well as
hypokyphosis of the thoracic spine.
Infertility J. Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health April 26, 2018 38
Figure 3. Full-spine traction set-up. Patient received cervical and lumbar extension traction with the lower ribs
strapped down to accentuate the thoracic kyphosis.
39 J. Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health April 26, 2018 Infertility
