7 Myths About Blocked Fallopian Tubes

1. “Just relax, it will happen.”

This myth is a crowd favorite and probably one of the most frustrating, often perpetuated by those who have not personally dealt with infertility. You may have been subjected to the knee-jerk statement “Just stop trying so hard.” Wouldn’t it be great if you could clear your fallopian tubes by simply relaxing? Unfortunately, you can’t. While there is some evidence to support the idea that stress can play a role in infertility, it does not directly cause blocked fallopian tubes – a mechanical condition.

2. Your only option is IVF

When a woman finds out she has a tubal obstruction, she may think, or be told, that her only option is removing the tubes and proceeding straight to in vitro fertilization (IVF). Even if both fallopian tubes are blocked, a more conservative treatment is available. Our manual therapy treats fallopian tubes that are blocked by adhesions or scarring, helping women avoid surgery and become pregnant naturally.

3. Surgically closed tubes can’t be re-opened

Fortunately, women who have had their tubes tied have the option to go through a procedure called a tubal ligation reversal, in which the surgeon rejoins the ends of the fallopian tube that were previously blocked or clamped. However, tubal reversal success rates vary greatly due to the many factors involved. These include:

Ways to mitigate the risks include working with an experienced surgeon, acting quickly if age is a factor, and seeking treatment for the adhesions that can block the fallopian tubes following surgery.

4. An HSG will open your tubes

While some women have reported that their tube(s) opened following an HSG, the procedure is not intended as a treatment for blocked tubes. Other than anecdotal evidence, there is currently no data showing that an HSG can open blocked tubes.

5. You need two tubes to become pregnant

Some women are born with only one tube, while others have only one working tube. While having only one fallopian tube can decrease the chance of pregnancy, it is still possible to conceive with only that tube. If you have both ovaries, have no ovulation problems and your remaining tube is healthy, you may be able to become pregnant.

6. Tubes can only be unblocked with surgery

If adhesions are causing a blockage or narrowing of the fallopian tubes, you may think the only option is to have the adhesions surgically removed. A study in the journal Human Reproduction reported that only 19% of blocked fallopian tubes remained open six months after a minimally invasive surgery to clear the tubes. (Gleicher et al., 1993) This means there is often only a short window of time for a woman to conceive before adhesions reform.

Manual physical therapy has been shown to be an effective alternative treatment for the adhesions within the female reproductive system, restoring the function of the fallopian tubes (Rice et al., 2015) without the risk of new adhesions forming.

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7. You will never get pregnant naturally

Published research shows that women with blocked fallopian tubes were able to conceive naturally after our treatment. Our manual therapy program helps clear blocked tubes by addressing adhesions and scarring, enabling women to have successful pregnancies without numerous drug cycles or invasive surgical procedures.

The following graph compares our success rates with those of surgery.

Do you or someone you know struggle with female infertility? Contact us at 1 (352) 336-1433 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a phone consultation with a therapist, at no cost to you, and learn whether our therapy can help you.

References

http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/tubal-ligation-reversal

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/female-infertility/expert-answers/pregnancy/faq-20058418

https://www.healthtap.com/topics/can-a-hsg-unblock-tubes