Infertility the focus of JVSR series
Already in the news because of its study
of subluxation and Crohn's disease, the
Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (JVSR) has the media
buzzing again after announcing that it will publish a series of case studies
and commentaries focusing on the possible link between infertility and
subluxations.
The papers document positive responses
to chiropractic care among infertile women, regardless of factors including
age, history and previous intervention. The first in the series, "Insult,
Interference and Infertility: An Overview of Chiropractic Research," is a
literature review of 14 retrospective articles exploring the possible affect
of spinal problems on fertility.
All of the women in these studies were
found to have vertebral subluxations and all of the women became pregnant
after their subluxations were detected and corrected, according to Madeline
Behrendt, D.C., a member of the WCA International Board of Governors and
chair of the WCA Council on Women's Health.
Upcoming JVSR research articles
will report on how physical, mental, chemical and emotional stress can act,
over time, as undetected insults to spinal health and contribute to
vertebral subluxations. The stress histories of these infertile women
included ‑‑ but were not limited to ‑‑ previous motor vehicle accidents,
childhood falls, blocked fallopian tubes, scoliosis, and work stress that
affected both mind and body.
Among the cases cited in the first
JVSR study was that of a 32‑year‑old infertile woman who had not
menstruated for 12 years. The woman had undergone a number of medical
infertility treatments, but still could not conceive. After two months of
chiropractic care, with attention on adjustments in the lumbar region, her
menses started and after regular cycles for four months, she became
pregnant.
In explaining how chiropractic
adjustments could affect fertility, Dr. Behrendt, who also serves as
associate editor of JVSR noted, "Essential to all processes of life
is the nervous system, which perceives the environment and coordinates the
cellular community's biological response to the impinging environmental
stimuli. It is reasonable to consider that a system that is properly
functioning to its potential, may resist destructive forces more
successfully and with less damage."
Infertility is commonly described as the
failure to achieve conception by couples who have not used contraception for
at least one year. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control indicate
that, in the U.S., about six million women and their partners are affected.
Medical studies have suggested that approximately 55% of the contributing
factors involve the female. However, no cause has been determined for the
infertility in about 500,000 couples, the paper pointed out.
"There is such a strong need for this
research," Behrendt stated. "I asked 50 women in my community if they knew
where in the spine the nerves to the reproductive organs are located. None
of them had ever been told this basic information, but they all wanted to
find out, as they knew it had implications for their health. I urge all
those struggling with the burdens of infertility to read this research."
A press release was distributed through
an electronic wire service and Behrendt immediately received several
inquiries from reporters following up on the story.
