Abdominal Pain & Dysfunction

Anatomy

The abdomen can be viewed as a vertical semi-cylindrical container with an upper base (the diaphragm); a lower base (the pelvis) which has a hole in it closed by the perineum; back and side walls made up of short, thick muscles and bones (lumbar spine, lower ribs and pelvic bones); and a thin front wall made up of muscles.

The abdomen contains three groups of organs:

Stomach, liver, large intestine, transverse and sigmoid colons,
Kidneys, adrenal glands, pancreas, duodenum, ascending and descending colons,
Bladder, rectum, uterus, etc.

The abdomen is supported by the lower torso. The structural anatomy of the lower torso is discussed in our section on pelvic complaints.

Abdominal and Intestinal Pain

Abdominal adhesions or adhesions in the abdomen

Adhesions may cause problems near sites of
former surgery, inflammation, or trauma.

Abdominal pain may involve the stomach, small intestine or large intestine, colon, pancreas, and any of the urogenital organs. Clinically, any of those organs can be found to be restricted due to infection, surgery or trauma. Surgery is a primary cause of abdominal pain, as tissues become glued down by post-surgical adhesions.

Abdominal pain and dysfunction affects millions of people in the United States. Pain can interfere with all aspects of a person’s life and impact the lives of families and friends as well. If the pain or dysfunction persists for more than 12 weeks, it is considered chronic. Symptoms may include partial or total blockage of the intestines, which is life-threatening. Unexplained pain may appear anywhere in the abdomen, visceral organs, pelvis, low back, or legs. A person in pain makes postural adjustments to avoid the pain. This can complicate the original injury with compensatory movement patterns creating more adhesions.

Abdominal pain may be due to direct trauma, such as a slip and fall, physical abuse, accident, surgery, or radiation therapy. Pain may develop or persist long after the original injury or surgery. Digestive diseases and diseases of organs frequently cause adhesions and pain. Infections create tiny adhesions, which can also cause ongoing pain or dysfunction. Abdominal surgeries or radiation therapy are frequent causes of abdominal adhesions.

Abdominal Treatments

Treatment methods vary significantly. When a patient does not respond to medications, physicians often recommend surgery to find, then cut or burn adhesions. But no matter how skilled the surgeon, the very surgery designed to clear adhesions can cause more adhesions as the body heals. Too often this starts a cycle of adhesions and surgeries. This problem was highlighted in a study from Lancet: the British Journal of Surgery (Ellis et al) which noted that over a third of all surgery cases were readmitted to the hospital an average of two or more times to repair post-surgical adhesions.

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.