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Adhesions & Scars

Uterine adhesions or adhesions on the uterusendometriosis (left) and adhesions (right) can form outside the uterus

Adhesions have been implicated as causing infertility, intestinal obstruction, and chronic pelvic pain. Data suggests that 67% to 93% of patients will develop adhesions following abdominal surgery and 55% to 100% of patients will develop adhesions following gynecologic surgery.

Adhesion formation occurs after trauma to the tissues, and is caused by an inflammatory response due to tissue damage. As the body’s tissues heal and adhesions are formed, the tissues begin to shrink, which results in restricted movement of the area. This in turn creates more mechanical irritation, perpetuating the cycle of adhesion formation. Adhesions tend to persist long after the original trauma has healed, attaching to organs, nerves, muscles and other neighboring structures. Adhesions usually form following surgery, inflammation, trauma or radiation therapy treatment.

Many people experience decreased function or increased tissue tension following injury, surgery, or infection. Like scars that form on the skin, adhesions create “internal scars.” They may become painful and inhibit proper function by adhering tissues and organs that are designed to move freely. Mechanical problems can occur in the body due to the adhesions formed following the original injury, surgery, or infection. Pain and dysfunction can also occur due to the body’s compensations in response to the injury.

When adhesions form around the abdomen, intestines, or digestive tract, dysfunction such as constipation or abdominal pain may result. In severe cases, adhesions can cause total blockage of the intestines. Since the patient cannot eat or eliminate food, this is considered a life-threatening condition. When adhesions occur around the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, or the delicate fimbriae of the uterine tubes, infertility may result.

Surgeries are a major cause of adhesions and scarring. Some surgeries that may cause adhesions or scars to form in and around organs include:

  1. bowel obstruction repair
  2. appendectomy
  3. episiotomy or C-section
  4. laparoscopy or laparotomy
  5. hysterectomy
  6. back or hip surgery
  7. abortion
  8. gastric bypass
  9. plastic surgery
  10. complete or partial removal of organs
Abdominal adhesions or adhesions in the abdomenAdhesions may cause problems near sites of
former surgery, inflammation, or trauma.

Inflammation or infections often cause adhesions. Some that may cause adhesions include:

  1. colitis
  2. diverticulitis
  3. gastritis
  4. gastroenteritis
  5. cholecystitis
  6. perforated ulcer
  7. pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
  8. endometriosis
  9. cystitis or vaginitis
  10. perforated diverticulum, small or large bowel
  11. appendicitis
  12. hepatitis

Adhesion-causing traumas include falls, accidents, or physical or sexual abuse. Radiation therapy can cause adhesions to form at or near the sites of cancer treatment. Inflammation following trauma or radiation therapy may cause adhesions to spread to neighboring organs unless they are removed or diminished by a surgeon, or a therapist trained to treat them. Symptoms sometimes appear far from the site of the original trauma.

Treatment

Treatment Without Surgery or Drugs, a "Hands-on" Approach

The primary goal of our manual therapy (Wurn Technique®, patent pending) is to increase mobility and decrease pain. We use our hands to find and decrease adhesions in tightened areas of the body until the tension releases. This appears to reduce adhesions, decrease pain, and improve soft tissue mobility.

A major focus of our treatment is in treating adhesions in the "soft tissues" of the body. Soft tissues include:

  1. muscles (which help us move),
  2. organs (which help us function),
  3. nerves (which alert us to problems, through pain),
  4. ligaments (which connect bone to bone) and tendons (which connect muscles to bone), and
  5. fascia, or connective tissue (which supports and separates all of the body structures, and is one of our main shock absorbers).

We have helped many people who suffer from ongoing pain from scars and adhesions. Our directors spent years studying techniques and developing protocols to decrease abdominal and pelvic adhesions and restore patients’ bodies to a state of balance, harmony, and increased function. Our treatment sessions are individualized and last one to two hours based on individual needs.

Treatment is one-on-one, and is in private treatment rooms. From your first visit, we use a "hands-on" approach to treat the causes of your pain, decrease your symptoms and improve your function. We begin by treating tight and dysfunctional areas in your body. For more detailed information on treatment, visit our “what treatment is like” webpage.