“I rode my motorcycle yesterday for the first time in a long time! You made that possible! I just wanted to thank you guys for your help, encouragement, and kindness. If I hadn’t found you guys originally, I would still be in terrible pain. I’m a physician and you’ve given me my life back. I can’t put a price on what that means for me. Thank you so much!”
Nelson
Lower Back Pain
When your lower back aches, every movement can feel like a monumental task. The persistent throb in your lumbar region can shadow you throughout the day, turning simple activities into daunting challenges. Imagine the sharp pangs that jolt through your body as you bend over to tie your shoes or the relentless ache that creeps in during a long drive. This pain isn’t just a physical sensation; it’s a barrier that hinders your enjoyment of life, casting a shadow over your daily routines and your cherished moments.
You have tried everything for your lower back pain, but nothing helps. You have been to physical therapy, and tried pain relievers/muscle relaxers/ steroids. Maybe surgery for back pain didn’t help. Now, life is just miserable.
Amidst this discomfort, there is hope: Clear Passage® Physical Therapy. With their innovative, hands-on approach to treating back pain, Clear Passage® stands as a sanctuary for those yearning for relief. Their therapy isn’t just about temporary fixes; it’s a journey towards lasting wellness. Imagine the sensation of liberation as their skilled therapists work to untangle the knots of your pain, guiding your body back to a state of balance and strength. With Clear Passage®, your chronic lower back pain does NOT have to be a life sentence. Instead, it can be the start of a new chapter, one where each step is lighter and every day is brighter.
Surgeons may insert rods, cut or replace discs, or shave openings in bones, hoping to relieve back or hip pain. Spinal surgery will not give complete relief if the pain is due to tightness or adhesions in the support ligaments, or the muscles of the low back.
Painful Backache
Dealing with painful back pain is a challenge that many people face, a relentless discomfort that can overshadow every aspect of daily life. This type of pain is more than just a physical sensation; it’s an exhaustive condition that can drain your energy, disrupt your focus, and diminish your quality of life. When painful back pain strikes, your body is sounding an alarm, signaling that something is very wrong within this complex structure of muscles, nerves, and bones. This pain can be a result of various factors, ranging from acute injuries to chronic conditions, each requiring attention and care to navigate the path toward relief and recovery.
Moreover, when your lower back hurts, it adds a specific intensity to the ordeal. The lower back plays a pivotal role in your body’s support and mobility system, and pain in this region can severely limit your movement and functionality. This kind of lower back pain can manifest as a sharp, shooting pain or a persistent, dull ache, often referred to as a painful backache. This painful backache not only affects physical activities but can also impact your mental well-being, contributing to stress and frustration. Understanding the underlying causes of your lower back pain is crucial in addressing the issue effectively, whether it’s through medical intervention, physical therapy, lifestyle changes, or a combination of approaches. Remember, recognizing and acknowledging the pain is the first step toward finding a solution and eventually alleviating the discomfort to regain your back’s strength and flexibility.
Clear Passage® addresses the mobility, muscles, and nervous systems. Patients are amazed that their seemingly lifelong pain has been drastically reduced.
“After years of incapacitating back problems, I have now received my first 12 hours of treatment at Clear Passage®. I am amazed that I feel physically so much better, in such a short time. It is remarkable to me that I can now bend over, virtually pain free, for the first time in 14 years! Had I come here sooner, I would have saved myself so many years of pain and misery! Thank you so much.”
Midge
Lower Back Pain Causes
Lower back pain is a prevalent issue that affects millions of individuals worldwide, stemming from a variety of underlying causes that range from mechanical issues to medical conditions. Understanding these reasons for lower back pain is pivotal for effective diagnosis and treatment.
Muscle or Ligament Strain: One common cause of lower back pain is muscle or ligament strain. Repetitive heavy lifting or a sudden awkward movement can stretch spinal ligaments and muscle fibers, leading to spasms and discomfort. Individuals with weaker core strength are particularly susceptible to this type of injury, which underscores the importance of regular exercise and proper lifting techniques.
Degenerative Disc Disease: Degenerative disc disease is another significant contributor to lower back pain. As people age, the intervertebral discs, which serve as cushions between the spine’s vertebrae, begin to wear and lose their cushioning ability. This degeneration can lead to the development of herniated discs, where the inner core of the disc bulges out through the outer ring, potentially pressing on nearby nerves and causing pain.
Sciatica: Sciatica is a condition that occurs when the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down to the legs, is irritated or compressed. The resulting pain is sharp and can shoot down one leg, often associated with numbness or tingling sensations.
Scoliosis: Structural problems such as scoliosis, a condition where the spine curves to the side, can also lead to chronic back pain by altering posture and placing additional stress on the muscles and ligaments.
Arthritis: Inflammatory diseases of the joints such as arthritis can affect the lower back as well. Osteoarthritis can cause the cartilage between the vertebrae to deteriorate, while rheumatoid arthritis can lead to inflammation and pain in the joints of the spine.
Malalignment: When vertebrae, the bones in your back, become rotated out of place due to a tight muscle (see #1 above) it pitches a nerve. This pinched nerve can cause muscle spasms, trigger points, or nerve pain.
Accidents: After traumatic accidents, many are left with chronic debilitating pain. The cause of this pain is an accumulation of reasons from tight muscles and ligaments to malrotation of the vertebrae. (see #1-#6 above)
Read a Patient’s Story: Overcoming Chronic Pain After Multiple Traumas
Kidney issues, including kidney stones and infections, can manifest as lower right back pain and are often accompanied by other symptoms like fever or urinary changes. (Clear Passage® cannot help kidney stones but you should be aware of a possible cause).
It is essential for individuals experiencing persistent or severe lower back pain to seek medical evaluation to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment. Early intervention can prevent further damage and alleviate the pain, allowing for a better quality of life.
Still in pain after going to a doctor or traditional physical therapy?
Check out this cause for hidden back pain! Here is a total game-changer: Clear Passage® Physical Therapy. They’re the ultimate treatment for anyone struggling with unexplained chronic back pain. Their approach is next-level, hands-on, and totally innovative. It’s not just about quick fixes; it’s about taking a journey to feeling awesome for the long haul. Picture this: you’re finally free of pain as their pro therapists work their magic, untangling all that mess. With Clear Passage®, dealing with chronic lower back pain isn’t a life sentence. It’s more like hitting reset on a whole new level where everyday life becomes pleasurable once again.
What Causes Lower Back Pain in Females
In addition to #1-#7 above describing what causes low back pain in general, lower back pain in females can be attributed to several specific causes, some of which are unique to or more prevalent in the female population.
Conditions such as endometriosis and fibroids can lead to significant back pain, as these gynecological issues involve tissues that can exert pressure on the lower back and pelvic area. Clear Passage® is the gold standard for treating endometriosis and hormone dysregulation in an all-natural, no-medication, non-surgical hands-on approach! Women are amazed that Clear Passage® helped with lifelong endo pain and now they feel like a brand new woman!
Pregnancy is another major cause, where the additional weight and the shifting center of gravity place considerable strain on the back. (But the payoff is incredible!) Hormonal changes can also relax the ligaments in the pelvic area, further contributing to discomfort. Using additional support such as a maternity belt may help relieve the pressure. Sitting and laying down will also adjust that little buddle of joy, so you can be more comfortable. Check out your local massage therapist, one who is experienced in pregnancy massage, and they should work on the overworked muscles and strained ligaments. Give yourself a little TLC during this time.
Osteoporosis, more common in women, particularly postmenopausal women, can lead to fractures in the vertebrae, causing pain. Additionally, women are more prone to certain types of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis, which can affect the lower back. It’s crucial for women experiencing persistent lower back pain to consult healthcare providers to identify the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment, ensuring that the pain does not stem from or exacerbate a more serious condition. Although Clear Passage® Therapies does not treat back pain from osteoporosis, you should be aware that it is a potential cause of pain.
What Causes Lower Back Pain in Males
In addition to #1-#7 above describing what causes low back pain in general, it is important to understand lower back pain. Male symptoms can include a range of manifestations from dull, aching discomfort to sharp, localized pain, depending on the underlying cause. Occupational factors play a significant role, as people who engage in physically demanding jobs are more susceptible to mechanical issues such as muscle strains or disc herniations. Lifestyle influences, such as insufficient exercise, obesity, and smoking, can weaken back muscles and reduce spinal support, exacerbating lower back pain. Additionally, specific medical conditions like ankylosing spondylitis, which is more prevalent in men, can lead to chronic inflammation and pain in the spinal joints. Prostate health is another factor to consider, as issues in this area can sometimes present as pain in the lower back.
Backache Pain Relief
Natural Treatment for Back Pain
Belinda Treating Back Pain
Natural treatment for back pain is a holistic alternative to invasive procedures, focusing on healing the body from within and restoring its natural balance. Clear Passage® Physical Therapy is at the forefront of providing such non-surgical solutions, particularly for those suffering from chronic lower back pain. Their approach was developed by Belinda and Larry Wurn, a husband-and-wife therapist team who sought tirelessly to find a cure for Belinda’s own debilitating chronic pain. They, in turn, have helped thousands of individuals experiencing chronic pain that doctors and other healthcare professionals can’t seem to understand or help. This deep hands-on therapy is 20 hours and is usually scheduled over a one-week time frame. The focus is improving mobility, enhancing function, and alleviating pain without the need for surgical intervention, and Clear Passage® has improved countless lives!
Clear Passage®’s methodology is centered on addressing the root causes of back pain rather than just the symptoms. By applying a hands-on approach, therapists work to break down adhesions and improve soft tissue mobility, which can significantly reduce pain and restore range of motion. This individualized treatment is NOT the shake-and-bake or cookie-cutter treatment that other clinics employ. The therapist’s plan is specifically designed and catered to the unique needs of each patient, promoting healing in a way that is both natural and effective.
In addition to the specialized therapy offered at Clear Passage®, incorporating lower back pain exercises into one’s routine can further enhance the healing process. These exercises are tailored to strengthen the core and back muscles, increase flexibility, and promote better posture, all of which are vital for reducing strain on the lower back. By combining Clear Passage®’s therapy with a personalized exercise regimen, patients can develop a powerful synergy that not only alleviates pain but also prevents future occurrences.
Choosing the Clear Passage® Physical Therapy method empowers individuals to take control of their health, offering a path to recovery that is grounded in the body’s innate ability to heal itself, thus avoiding the risks and downtime associated with surgery.
How I Cured My Lower Back Pain: A Patient’s Success Story
Women who are trying to conceive a pregnancy can face hurdles, especially in today’s world of hectic schedules, delayed childbearing, and increasing challenges with infertility. In vitro fertilization, also known as IVF, can be a valuable method for many women who struggle with infertility. However, IVF alone is not guaranteed success in achieving a pregnancy, with success rates of 20 to 25 percent.
Many women struggling with infertility and considering IVF wonder if there is any clinical evidence to support alternative infertility treatments. What they may not realize is that there are a number of these alternative methods available—including three that have been backed by peer-reviewed studies. One of these methods, known as Clear Passage® physical therapy, has been shown to help improve the reproductive health of women rendered relatively infertile due to a history of blocked fallopian tubes or endometriosis.
Read on to learn more about the alternative infertility treatments that are available and scientifically supported, including behavioral counseling, acupuncture, and Clear Passage® physical therapy.
Using Behavioral Counseling as an Alternative Infertility Treatment
The struggle of infertility and the impacts of infertility on psychological well-being have been likened by some researchers to the impacts of a cancer diagnosis. Studying the connection between stress and infertility is difficult, as it evokes a chicken-and-egg dynamic. Infertility itself has been shown to cause stress and anxiety among women trying to conceive. That stress and anxiety may then exacerbate an underlying infertility condition, though this connection is not definitive.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (also known as CBT) has been shown to help reduce anxiety and stress among infertile women. For example, Harvard scientist Alice Domar showed that when infertile women received 2 hours of a CBT group intervention weekly, for ten weeks, they experienced significant psychological improvement.
Outside of improving stress during an infertile period, cognitive behavioral therapy has been associated with an increase in pregnancy rates. Other researchers have examined the positive effects of counseling methods such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, emotion-focused, and problem-focused coping, relaxation, and support groups; however, CBT appears to be the most scientifically robust when it comes to reducing mental distress and boosting clinical pregnancy rates.
Using Acupuncture as an Alternative Infertility Treatment
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine tradition that involves the placement of thin needles at specific points along the body to restore the balance of energy (Qi) within the body. Within the infertility treatment field, acupuncture performed directly before an IVF embryo transfer has been reported to increase IVF pregnancy rates, and other variations of this practice (such as acupuncture before and after treatment) have been advocated for, as well.
Scientists have studied acupuncture as both a primary alternative infertility treatment and as an adjunctive treatment for increasing the success of IVF. It is helpful in both arenas, with scientists pointing to specific mechanisms such as improved uterine and ovarian blood flow, modulation of the central and peripheral nervous systems, and modulation of the psychiatric and immune systems. A systematic review found that clinical pregnancy rates were higher in groups of study participants who received acupuncture when compared to control or sham groups. However, the significance of the findings was limited by data quality.
One case study showed that acupuncture helped improve the sperm quality of a male after four treatments and reduce the presence of ovarian cysts in his female partner after seven treatments, resulting in a successful pregnancy after a year of trying to conceive unsuccessfully.
Using Clear Passage® Physical Therapy as an Alternative Infertility Treatment
Belinda Treating Back Pain
Clear Passage® Physical Therapy is a manual physical therapy method that focuses on reducing the adhesions that can form within a woman’s abdominal and pelvic cavities due to infection, inflammation, endometriosis, or prior surgeries. This specific physical therapy method can reduce mechanical pain caused by adhesions and improve conditions such as female infertility. As such, it can be a valuable alternative infertility treatment, and it has been backed by scientific evidence.
Understanding the Basic Principles of Clear Passage® Physical Therapy
To understand how manual physical therapy—also known as the Clear Passage® approach or Wurn technique—can be a scientifically-backed alternative infertility treatment, it helps to have a basic primer on the most common reasons for female infertility. A condition known as “tubal factor infertility,” or a blocked fallopian tube or tubes, accounts for 25 to 35 percent of all cases of female infertility, per the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). Anatomically speaking, the fallopian tubes provide the connection between a woman’s two ovaries and her uterus. To allow for conception and implantation during a woman’s fertile window, an egg must pass from an ovary, through a fallopian tube (where it may become fertilized by a sperm cell), and then proceed into the body of the uterus, where it must implant into the uterine lining. When a fallopian tube is blocked, both fertilization of the egg and the egg’s journey to the uterus can be prevented.
A common culprit when it comes to a blocked fallopian tube is adhesions. Adhesions are band-like strips of scar tissue that can be sticky and cause internal organs to stick together. Adhesions can also wrap around critical reproductive organs, such as the fallopian tubes, preventing them from being functional. Many women are entirely unaware that they have adhesions until they begin trying to become pregnant. Their adhesions may have formed from a former sexually transmitted infection or from an operation such as an appendix removal. Regardless of their precipitating cause, adhesions that involve the fallopian tubes or surrounding structures can cause tubal factor infertility, making it more difficult, or impossible, for a woman to become pregnant. Women can overcome this obstruction through a procedure to unblock the tube, or by removing the tube and undergoing an IVF treatment; however, both options are invasive. A natural, alternative way of reducing the blockage caused by adhesions is Clear Passage® Physical Therapy. This manual technique can help reduce adhesions and unblock fallopian tubes in a non-invasive way, therefore improving a woman’s fertility and probability of achieving a successful pregnancy.
How Does Clear Passage® Physical Therapy Work?
The scientifically backed physical therapy technique known as the Wurn technique, or Clear Passage® approach, helps unblock fallopian tubes by gently focusing on areas in the abdominal or pelvic regions that may be obstructed by adhesions or microadhesions. When adhesions become untwisted, a fallopian tube can become unkinked, and it can return to its critical role as a hollow passageway between an egg, a sperm cell, and the uterus. Co-developed by Lawrence and Belinda Wurn, the Wurn technique is supported by scientific data, and it is cited in many academic research papers. When technique practitioners are highly trained in specific manual maneuvers applied to a woman’s abdominal or pelvic cavities, they can successfully release a woman’s superficial and/or deep adhesions that may be impeding her reproductive function. When these adhesions are released, it stimulates the blood flow and lymph drainage of the essential reproductive organs such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus, thereby enhancing a woman’s chance of a successful conception.
The Clear Passage® program has a pre-defined structure that allows it to be scientifically analyzed, validated, and implemented consistently at locations throughout North America and the United Kingdom. The usual Clear Passage® treatment course requires 20 hours of therapy, which is usually distributed across five days. This enables the entire physical therapy course to be completed within a business week, making it ideal for people who must travel to reach a treatment site or who are looking to take time off from a busy schedule to complete the treatment.
What Does Scientific Research Say About the Clear Passage® Physical Method?
The Clear Passage® physical therapy approach has been scientifically evaluated for its impact on infertility success rates. Researchers who conducted a ten-year retrospective chart review found that the Clear Passage® manual physical therapy approach successfully cleared occluded fallopian tubes in 60.85 percent of patients. Of those patients, 56.64% were able to achieve a pregnancy. The success rate of opening blocked fallopian tubes is even higher for women who have never had surgery on their tubes, at 68.9 percent.
For the subset of patients who suffered from endometriosis and likely had endometriosis-associated adhesions, researchers in the 10-year retrospective study found that 42.81 percent were able to achieve a successful pregnancy after the clear passage approach. A pregnancy rate of 39.3 percent was also realized in patients who had infertility due to advanced maternal age (AMA) as measured by high follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels.
Using Clear Passage® Physical Therapy as an IVF Adjunctive Therapy
The Clear Passage® method can be used as a primary alternative to other, more invasive infertility treatments. However, Clear Passage® is not used exclusively for women with infertility who are seeking natural fertility-enhancing options. Similar to the use of acupuncture as an adjunctive method for improving the success rates of IVF treatments, the Clear Passage® method can also help improve IVF success rates, as well. For example, reproductive health specialists have found that combining manual physical therapy techniques such as the Wurn technique with a traditional IVF treatment course can enhance an infertile woman’s chances of successfully conceiving a pregnancy. Implementing manual physical therapy that targets adhesions before an IVF embryo transfer can improve the odds of a successful pregnancy by an impressive 50 percent. Researchers have also found that, in at least one case, a woman who underwent Clear Passage® manual physical therapy before IVF not only benefited from having a successful IVF pregnancy, but she also went on to have a successful natural pregnancy subsequently, which suggests that the effect of unblocking the fallopian tube via manual physical therapy was long-lasting.
Other Benefits of Clear Passage® Physical Therapy
The Clear Passage® manual physical therapy approach is a valuable alternative infertility treatment for women struggling to conceive, and it can also improve the odds that a woman achieves a pregnancy using an IVF conception method. However, Clear Passage® physical therapy has myriad other positive benefits, as well. For women who struggle with endometriosis, Clear Passage® Physical Therapy has been shown to decrease pain with sex and painful menstrual cycles. Research published in the Journal of Endometriosis showed that in two independent studies, manual physiotherapy was a non-surgical and non-pharmacologic treatment option, with statistically significant improvements in pain scales reported by women who received the therapy, with improvements persisting after 12 months. Fifty percent of patients reported complete resolution of their pain symptoms. Outside of the world of gynecology, the Clear Passage® physical therapy approach has also helped prevent the recurrence of small bowel obstructions and improve the quality of life in patients who suffer from recurrent bowel obstructions, as well as children who suffer from chronic constipation.
How to Learn More About Alternative Infertility Treatments Backed by Scientific Research
Women who struggle with infertility can sometimes feel as though they must make a difficult choice between doing nothing to improve their condition or pursuing a physically invasive treatment method such as a surgical procedure. However, there are alternative infertility treatment methods that have passed scientific muster that are available to women who would like a more natural way to boost their fertility. These options include behavior therapy (like CBT), acupuncture, and manual physical therapy of the abdominopelvic region, such as the Clear Passage® approach. These alternative infertility treatment methods can also help improve a woman’s odds of successfully conceiving a pregnancy within the context of an assisted reproductive regimen, such as IVF. Of these alternative infertility options, the method of manual physical therapy can also provide other benefits, such as decreased pain with sex and menstrual pain for women with endometriosis, as well as unblocking a fallopian tube to create an enduring improvement in fertility.
The efficacy of psychological interventions for infertile patients: a meta-analysis examining mental health and pregnancy rate. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19196795/
Role of tubal surgery in the era of assisted reproductive technology: a committee opinion. https://www.asrm.org/globalassets/asrm/asrm-content/news-and-publications/practice-guidelines/for-non-members/role_of_tubal_surgery_in_the_era_of_art.pdf
Secondary infertility can be a puzzling and emotional journey for many women who have previously conceived easily. If you find yourself in this situation, you might be wondering, “Why am I now having trouble getting pregnant?” In this article, we’ll break down ten key factors that our therapists examine when working with women experiencing secondary infertility. Understanding these factors can help shed light on potential causes and guide you towards the right solutions.
C-Section:
Have you had a previous C-section? While c-sections are often necessary for safe deliveries, they can lead to adhesions and scar tissue. These can block your fallopian tubes or hinder proper implantation, making it harder to conceive.
Episiotomy:
Did you have an episiotomy during childbirth? The scar from an episiotomy can cause adhesions that reach into your vagina and cervix, making your cervix stiff and preventing sperm from passing through effectively.
Hormonal Changes:
Have your hormone levels been checked since giving birth? Pregnancy and aging can bring about hormonal changes that might affect your fertility. Keep an eye on any changes in your menstrual cycle, such as increased heaviness or alterations in the number of days.
Surgeries:
Have you undergone any surgeries since your last pregnancy? Surgeries can lead to the formation of adhesions that impair fertility, so it’s essential to consider this aspect.
Trauma:
Have you experienced any traumatic events like car accidents, falls, or abuse? These events can result in long-lasting injuries, pelvic imbalances, and adhesions, which may negatively impact your fertility.
Infection:
Have you had bladder, vaginal, or yeast infections since your last pregnancy? Infections can cause adhesions to develop in the delicate structures of the female pelvis, potentially affecting fertility in various ways.
Inflammation:
Have you been diagnosed with new inflammatory conditions like endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)? Inflammation can directly lead to the formation of adhesions, which can, in turn, impact your fertility.
Pelvic or Back Pain:
Have you experienced hip, back, or pelvic pain since pregnancy? Pain is your body’s way of signaling that something is wrong. Pelvic pain, for instance, could be related to infertility, such as a hip injury near the fallopian tubes.
Sexual Dysfunction or Intercourse
Pain: Have you encountered any sexual dysfunction or pain during intercourse since pregnancy? Problems like decreased desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, or satisfaction may indicate the presence of adhesions in the reproductive tract, potentially causing infertility.
Ovulation or Menstrual
Pain: Have you noticed any new ovulation or menstrual pain since your last pregnancy? Ovulation pain can be a sign that adhesions are restricting proper ovarian function. New menstrual pain may suggest adhesions around the uterus, hindering proper implantation.
Conclusion:
Experiencing secondary infertility can be frustrating and confusing, but by exploring these ten key factors, you can gain a better understanding of potential causes. If you’re concerned about your fertility, consult with a healthcare professional or fertility specialist who can help you navigate this challenging journey and explore possible solutions tailored to your unique situation. Remember, you’re not alone in this journey, and there is support and guidance available to help you achieve your dream of expanding your family.
The Healing Power of Clear Passage® Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction
Imagine finding relief from chronic pain, infertility, or post-surgical complications without resorting to invasive surgeries or heavy medication. That’s where Clear Passage® Therapy comes into the picture. This innovative approach to physical therapy is gaining recognition for its non-invasive, patient-centric, and holistic approach to treating various conditions. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the world of Clear Passage® Therapy, its principles, success stories, and scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness.
What Is Clear Passage® Therapy?
Clear Passage® Therapy, also known as the Clear Passage® Approach, is a specialized form of manual physical therapy designed to address adhesions and restrictions in the body’s connective tissues, known as fascia. Fascia is a web-like structure that surrounds and supports muscles, organs, and other structures in the body. When it becomes tight or restricted due to injury, surgery, or inflammation, it can cause a range of health issues, from pain to infertility.
Founded by Dr. Larry Wurn and his wife, Belinda Wurn, the therapy is based on the idea that gently and specifically releasing these adhesions can restore natural movement and function, leading to improved health and reduced pain.
How Does Clear Passage® Therapy Work?
Clear Passage® Therapy employs a combination of manual therapy techniques, including the Wurn technique, which was developed by co-founders Larry and Belinda Wurn. The Wurn technique is a site-specific deep therapy. It is designed to deform and detach the bond of adhesions and return the body to normal, pain-free function of reproductive organs. These techniques are performed by skilled therapists who use their hands to manipulate the fascial tissues, gradually breaking down adhesions and restoring normal tissue mobility.
The therapy is typically conducted over a series of sessions, with each session lasting around 3-5 hours/day (breaks are included!), which makes treatment 20 hours over a week. During these sessions, therapists focus on the specific areas of concern, tailoring their approach to the patient’s unique needs.
Conditions Treated by Clear Passage® Therapy
Clear Passage® Therapy has shown promise in addressing a wide range of conditions, including but not limited to:
Chronic Pain: Many patients seek Clear Passage® Therapy to alleviate chronic pain, such as back pain, pelvic pain, or abdominal pain, often resulting from adhesions or scar tissue.
Infertility: For individuals struggling with infertility due to pelvic adhesions or other structural issues, such as blocked tubes or endometriosis, Clear Passage® Therapy offers a non-surgical option to improve fertility and decrease pain.
Post-Surgical Complications: After surgeries, adhesions can form and lead to complications like bowel obstructions. Clear Passage® Therapy can help prevent or alleviate these issues.
Digestive Disorders: Although treatment does not cure the underlying cause, some digestive disorders, such as Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s disease, may benefit from the release of abdominal adhesions.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Clear Passage® Therapy can help with conditions like pelvic floor dysfunction, which can cause urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction.
Success Stories
One of the most compelling aspects of Clear Passage® Therapy is the countless success stories from individuals who have experienced life-changing improvements in their health and well-being. These stories serve as a testament to the therapy’s effectiveness and its potential to transform lives.
For instance, women who struggled with infertility for years have reported successful pregnancies after undergoing Clear Passage® Therapy to address pelvic adhesions. Others who endured chronic pain have found relief and improved mobility. These testimonials not only highlight the therapy’s impact but also offer hope to those who may be searching for alternatives to conventional medical treatments.
While anecdotal success stories are compelling, it’s essential to examine the scientific evidence supporting Clear Passage® Therapy. Research in this field is ongoing, but several studies have provided valuable insights into its effectiveness:
Infertility: A study published in the journal “Fertility and Sterility” in 2004 found that women with a history of infertility who underwent Clear Passage® Therapy experienced a significant increase in pregnancy rates, suggesting its potential as a fertility treatment.
Pain Relief: Research published in the “Journal of Endometriosis” in 2014 demonstrated that Clear Passage® Therapy was effective in reducing pain and improving physical function in patients with chronic pelvic pain due to endometriosis.
Post-Surgical Adhesions: A study in the “World Journal of Gastroenterology” in 2018 showed that Clear Passage® Therapy could decrease recurrent bowel obstruction, improving quality of life.
While these studies are promising, more extensive research is needed to fully understand the therapy’s mechanisms and its applications in various medical conditions. However, the existing evidence underscores it as a valuable treatment option.
Is Clear Passage® Therapy Right for You?
If you’re considering Clear Passage® Therapy as a treatment option, it’s crucial to consult with a qualified therapist who can assess your condition and provide personalized guidance. Keep in mind that the therapy may not be suitable for everyone, and individual results can vary. You can contact Clear Passage® for a free consultation to see if the therapy is appropriate for you.
Conclusion
Clear Passage® Therapy represents a paradigm shift in the treatment of various health conditions, offering a non-invasive, holistic, and patient-centered approach. With its focus on releasing fascial adhesions, this therapy has the potential to transform the lives of individuals suffering from chronic pain, infertility, bowel obstructions, and other conditions. While scientific research continues to explore its mechanisms and effectiveness, the growing number of success stories speaks volumes about its potential to improve quality of life.
If you’re intrigued by Clear Passage® Therapy, consult with our qualified therapist or your healthcare provider to determine if it’s a suitable option for your unique needs. As the field of manual physical therapy continues to evolve, Clear Passage® Therapy stands as an exciting and promising avenue for healing and pain relief.
People looking for relief from chronic pain or dysfunction associated with adhesions often do not know where to turn for answers, especially if they are trying to avoid medications and surgery or are trying to achieve a natural solution with physical therapy. Here, we hope to clear away misconceptions and confusion about three types of techniques: Myofascial release (MFR/), visceral manipulation (VM), and Clear Passage® (CP). Although each method has its own history, merits, and individual traits, the specific techniques, standards, and outcomes of Clear Passage®® set it apart as the preferred technique for treating adhesions wherever they form in the body, especially when it comes to specific women’s health conditions, female infertility, and life-threatening small bowel obstructions. Here are the details.
Myofascial Release
Myofascial release is generally a deep structural manual therapy developed by John F. Barnes, P.T. This method is meant to treat restrictions in the human body’s muscles (myo) and fascia (fascial). A PubMed (NIH) literature search found several case studies that report MFR for treating musculoskeletal pain (e.g., low back and ankle pain)/ No literature examined its use for abdominal or pelvic conditions in patients. Many providers claim to do a myofascial release technique. We at Clear Passage® are most comfortable recommending an expert-level Barnes-trained therapist for chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Visceral Manipulation
Visceral manipulation is generally a very light manual therapy initially developed to treat viscera (organs) in the body. Its founder, Jean Pierre Barral, D.O., often suggests conducting a single 60-minute VM session every three weeks. He feels that a site-specific application of VM can be “the pebble that starts the avalanche” in healing the body of physical restrictions. A PubMed (NIH) literature search conducted in May 2022 revealed five studies of VM, most for neck and back pain. We could find no study that examines VM for treating organs in humans.
The Clear Passage® Approach®
Clear Passage®, or the Clear Passage Approach, is a therapy developed over 30+ years to decrease specific internal scars called adhesions wherever they form in the body. Belinda Wurn, P.T. and Larry Wurn, L.M.T., initially developed the Clear Passage® Approach to treat chronic pain and dysfunction in patients with problems caused or exacerbated by adhesions (internal scarring). This pain was often labeled ‘unexplained’ because adhesions do not appear on diagnostic tests. Over time, the therapy has expanded to treat several women’s health conditions, female infertility, and life-threatening small bowel obstructions.
The Clear Passage® Approach is a very site-specific soft tissue therapy. It is often quite deep, sometimes lighter, but always focused on decreasing adhesions – a significant problem for many patients and their doctors. Because adhesions are ubiquitous in diagnosis, the fact that CP is non-surgical and yields better results is an aspect of the therapy considered pioneering by some physicians. Furthermore, CP helps decrease the risks of anesthesia and post-surgical adhesions.
Women’s Health Triumphs
While treating pelvic pain in women in 1990, the Wurns learned they were opening totally blocked fallopian tubes – a feat previously thought impossible without surgery. The group was joined by physicians and researchers interested in examining the surprising results the therapists were witnessing.
Following the scientific method, they progressed from case studies to pilot studies and recently completed a 10-year retrospective of 1,392 women diagnosed as infertile from various causes. The results found that the Clear Passage® Approach decreased the period, endometriosis, and intercourse pain. It also improved sexual function and increased IVF pregnancy rates were published. To date, over 1,000 babies have been born to women diagnosed as infertile but who received treatment at Clear Passage®.
Small Bowel Obstruction Triumphs
Adhesions (internal scarring) are the primary cause of life-threatening small bowel obstruction (SBO), a condition that tends to recur. As a non-surgical treatment, CP is considered lifesaving by some physicians for several reasons. JAMA Surgery Journalreports that SBO is the 2nd most common emergency surgery in the USA and carries the highest complication rate (47%). Nearly one in five (18%) of patients are re-hospitalized within the month after SBO surgery. Because surgery is regarded as the primary cause of SBO, the treatment that saves a person’s life can become the cause of their subsequent obstruction.
After showing success in clearing fallopian tubes of adhesions in 2009, researchers began documenting and publishing studies on the use of CP to decrease adhesions near tubes much larger than fallopian tubes: the intestine.
Several pilot studies noted significant patient improvement, including the use of CP to replace a planned surgery or surgical series. Another point of focus was to decrease or stop repeated obstructions. In a large, controlled study authored by doctors from Harvard, Stanford, Washington, and U of Florida medical schools, CP therapy decreased recurring SBO by 15 times the norm (p=0.0003).
Of the three physical therapy techniques mentioned here, Clear Passage® has a proven track record of treating chronic pain or dysfunction associated with adhesions.
What Sets the Clear Passage® Approach Apart From Other Forms of Bodywork?
Strict Certification Processes
CP has a strict certification process requiring our physical therapists to have many years of experience in bodywork before being accepted for training. As of May 2022, CP has certified 17 therapists worldwide to perform their work. Clear Passage® therapists have an average of 30 years of experience.
Rigorous Patient Monitoring
CP monitors results from each therapist they have trained on an ongoing basis. Respecting the complexity of processes involved in reproductive and digestive organs, CP screens every patient for “cautions and contraindications” before accepting them for therapy to assure safety and assess likely outcomes.
Clinical Research Backing
CP is dedicated to clinical research to validate results. Numerous studies in respected medical journals examine the safety and effectiveness of CP therapy in decreasing adhesions in the abdomen and pelvis. Studies on CP are indexed by Google Scholar and PubMed (National Institutes of Health) and housed in the US National Library of Medicine.
A search of PubMed (NIH – National Library of Medicine) reveals numerous studies that examine the safety and efficacy of CP in respected medical journals.
Published data on CP treating women’s health conditions are found in:
Fertility and Sterility
The Journal of Endometriosis
Contemporary Ob/Gyn
WebMD’s Medscape General Medicine
Studies reporting CP treatment of digestive, post-surgical, and trauma-induced adhesions appear in:
Gastroenterology
The World Journal of Gastroenterology
The Journal of Clinical Medicine
Pediatric Reports
The Journal of Palliative Medicine
Are you ready to heal and go on your highly researched, non-surgical, pain-free, and all-natural treatment journey with us at Clear Passage®?
February is National Self-Check Month. Internal scarring (adhesions) in your pelvic region can occur throughout your life due to surgeries, accidents, and even natural wear and tear. This self-check month is meant for you to implement preventative health measures. These can include making better dietary choices, performing self-examinations, or going to a wellness visit with your physician to seek early treatment for symptoms associated with health problems.
What questions should you ask your physician during your wellness visit? Depending on what issues need to be resolved, physical therapy may be the treatment you need, particularly if you are experiencing illness, pain, and other health problems caused by adhesions.
How can you know if you have adhesion-related health problems? This article offers answers to these and other questions and makes a case for why you should ask your physician about physical therapy for adhesion-related conditions.
National Self-Check Month at Clear Passage®
National Self-Check Month raises awareness about the importance of taking proactive steps to prevent health problems and addressing existing health problems. One might imagine that preventing or addressing health problems would be easy, yet people avoid seeking medical care for many reasons. They may:
Feel that they are too busy.
Worry about the costs associated with care.
Have unfavorable opinions about health care providers, or;
Assume that symptoms will eventually improve without intervention.
No matter what it is, the truth is that avoiding medical care is not a good idea.
Lack of treatment, at best, can result in avoidable discomfort or suffering, and at worst, can result in late detection and treatment of a disease with severe or potentially deadly consequences.
Suppose you are experiencing illness, pain, or other health problems. In that case, it is crucial to advocate for yourself by seeking early treatment, not just any therapy, but customized solutions that are most likely to provide the best results. Doing so can result in the restoration of your body to its best possible condition or even complete relief and healing.
7 Questions You Should Ask Your Physician
During your wellness visit, your physician will review your family history of illness, your medical records, and vital signs, and perform an exam. Explain to your physician what habits you have regarding diet and exercise, sleep, and stress management.
Refer to this list of questions to help you get valuable feedback from your physician during your wellness visit. Be sure to jot down additional questions that come to mind as you continue reading this article.
Based on your observations about my appearance, vital signs, and weight, what is your initial impression of my health?
Ask for an explanation of your blood work results or other diagnostic test results, if available.
Do you have any suggestions regarding my health habits?
Am I prone to certain health risks based on my family history?
Should I continue taking medications? Should the dosages be adjusted?
Make a list of specific pains or other symptoms you may have experienced. Go through the list with your physician. Ask after each item, “Is this normal?”
What treatment options are available for (fill in the blank)?
Would I benefit from physical therapy for (fill in the blank)?
Surgery and/or Medication vs. Wurn Technique®’s Physical Therapy
Although surgery and medication play a vital part in healthcare, they come with risks and a long list of potential side effects. On the other hand, Physical therapy can provide effective, long-lasting results without the risks and side effects, especially for adhesion-related problems.
Demonstrated Positive Results With Physical Therapy
Studies from major medical journals, available from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), demonstrate the results of physical therapy using the Clear Passage® Approach®. This non-surgical treatment utilizes the Wurn (hands-on) adhesion release techniques for various conditions caused or exacerbated by adhesions. This landmark 10-year study and many others demonstrated how this specialized, hands-on physical therapy yielded pregnancy rates for women with PCOS, small bowel obstruction (SBO), and at rates similar to standard medical treatments but without surgery or pharmaceuticals.
A Deeper Look: What are Adhesions?
What are adhesions? Adhesions are a type of scar tissue that forms inside the body after an accident, fall, surgery, infection, inflammation, trauma, radiation therapy, or endometriosis. Since surgery to treat adhesions can cause more adhesions, it makes perfect sense to treat adhesions with physical therapy rather than surgery.
Many people associate physical therapy with treatment for injuries or range-of-motion issues, and rightly so, because physicians readily prescribe physical therapy for those problems. But did you know that physical therapy can also effectively treat symptoms associated with a wide variety of diseases and conditions?
Clients with these ailments have found improvement and relief with physical therapy.
Lymphedema
Muscular dystrophy
Osteoporosis
Respiratory issues, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, and more,
When it comes to unexplained pain and dysfunction and biomechanical problems, physical therapy has a long track record of proven results. Physical therapists identify and treat the root cause of many peripheral problems, often a consequence of an underlying problem, such as adhesions.
The Comprehensive List of 30 Adhesion-Related Health Problems to Ask your Doctor about
Adhesions can squeeze nerves, organs, and joints – causing internal pain or dysfunction, including female infertility, life-threatening bowel obstructions, and numerous other problems. How can you know if you have adhesion-related health problems? This list provides some basic information about adhesion-related health problems and their causes.
Menstrual Pain / Dysmenorrhea – Adhesions pull ligaments, fascias, or connective tissues that attach the uterus to surrounding structures
Intercourse Pain / Sexual Dysfunction – Adhesions form between muscle cells deep within the cervix and/or attach to the vaginal wall, entrance, or other pain-sensitive structures.
This reduces elasticity, potentially pulling the tailbone forward, and negatively impacts desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction.
Endometriosis Pain – Adhesions pull on pain-sensitive structures caused by endometriosis.
Genital Mutilation – Adhesions can cause a lifetime of chronic pain and dysfunction.
Cervical Stenosis – Adhesions can tighten, narrow, or close the entrance to the uterus and pull on the uterus, causing inflammation, pain, and more adhesions.
These can ascend within the uterus to block one or both fallopian tubes.
Mastectomy Pain – Adhesions can form in the chest wall, neck, shoulders, and arms, causing pain and tightness or a condition called “frozen shoulder.”
Hysterectomy Pain – Adhesions can form at the surgical site and connect to neighboring structures like the intestines, bowels, vagina, or bladder.
C-Section Pain – Adhesions can form at the surgical site and cause pain and tightness in the pelvic region.
Myomectomy Pain – Adhesions can form within the uterus and decrease the chances of successful implantation of a fertilized egg, increasing the likelihood of miscarriage, or form outside of the uterus and bind delicate reproductive structures together, impairing function.
Blocked Fallopian Tubes – Adhesions and internal scars are the primary causes of tubal blockage.
Hydrosalpinx – Adhesions can cause the swelling of the fallopian tubes.
Endometriosis Infertility – Inflammation that accompanies the endometrial swelling can continually cause more and more adhesions to form, impairing functions necessary for fertility.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) – Adhesions can cover the ovaries.
Pre-IVF Treatment / Age, High FSH & Hormonal – Adhesions can form at the uterus, cervix (called stenosis of the cervix), and fallopian tubes, and the dura and skull (near the pituitary, the “master gland” of female reproduction), reducing FSH levels and decreasing implantation rates.
Unexplained Infertility (UI), a.k.a. Idiopathic Infertility – Adhesions are invisible on X-rays, ultrasounds, MRI, or CT scans.
Secondary Infertility – A reproductive tract traumatized by the initial pregnancy or birth can result in adhesions that interfere with future fertility.
Neck Pain – Adhesions can form when neck muscles are inflamed by poor posture, injury, or other causes.
Back & Hip Pain – Adhesions can form at the sacral joints, causing biomechanical and soft tissue dysfunctions.
Tailbone Pain – A misaligned tailbone can cause mobility problems, constipation, reproductive problems, and the formation of adhesions that aggravate all of these issues.
Childhood Surgery/Trauma – When adhesions and scar tissue that form with surgery do not grow and expand with the rest of the body as the child grows, problems can last a lifetime.
Migraines/Chronic Headaches – Internal scarring creates unnatural pressure that affects complex pain-sensitive structures in the head.
TMJ/TMD – Adhesions can cause tightness or asymmetries that affect the jaw or temporomandibular joints.
Myofascial Pain (MPS) – Adhesions cause mechanical problems with the body’s structure, resulting in pain.
Post-Radiation Pain – Radiation therapy adhesions cause irradiated tissues to adhere to nearby organs, muscles, bones, and connective tissues.
Pain After Abuse – Trauma causes adhesions that can remain in the body for a lifetime without intervention.
Abdominal Pain – Internal scarring can form between the ribs and the pubic bone, decreasing function and causing pain.
Pelvic Pain / Groin Pain – Internal scarring can form when the membrane covering the abdominal and pelvic organs becomes inflamed and or the infection spreads throughout the abdominopelvic cavity.
Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and Inflammatory Diseases – Adhesions are a significant concern for patients with inflammatory diseases, slowing digestion and causing pain, nausea, bloating, distension, constipation, or diarrhea.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) – Adhesions can slow or stop bacteria from exiting the digestive system, contributing to the recurrence of SIBO and causing additional adhesions.
Small Bowel Obstruction (SBO) – Adhesions can interfere with or completely block the passage of food and waste material, causing stomach pain and “stringy poop.”
Do not avoid medical care or ignore illness, pain, or other health problems. During National Self-Check Month, make a wellness appointment, and be sure to ask your physician about physical therapy for any adhesion-related conditions you may have. Take a stand for your health by seeking treatment that will produce the desired results while avoiding the risks and side effects associated with surgery and medications.
Yearning for pregnancy—and being unable to achieve it after dedicated periods of trying—can cause a woman great psychological and emotional pain.
Let’s jump into what your options are and why, out of all of them, the Wurn Technique® is your healthiest, cost-conscious, and most effective option.
What is Infertility?
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the definition of female infertility is being unable to conceive after twelve months of trying in a woman younger than age 35 and after six months in a woman age 35 or older. Female infertility is a common medical condition that affects women of all childbearing ages and medical backgrounds, and it often takes women by surprise. The ACOG estimates that up to 15 percent of couples will experience infertility.
Although it can feel discouraging, receiving a diagnosis of infertility is often just the first step in the conception journey for many women. Once a woman has been diagnosed as infertile, her gynecologist or healthcare provider can begin to uncover the factors contributing to her infertility, and her potential treatment options can be examined.
Traditional infertility treatment options
Some women are familiar with many of the myriad infertility treatment options available today, including pharmaceutical hormones and surgery. In particularly challenging cases, your gynecologist may suggest so-called Assisted Reproductive technique (ART) procedures, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). While these treatments can increase a woman’s chances of achieving a pregnancy, many women are averse to taking strong hormone medications, concerned with short or long-term side effects.
In some cases, the surgery can prevent your ability to ever achieve pregnancy independently without the intimidating and expensive assistive technologies that can also carry a low success rate.
Many women don’t realize a natural treatment option is available for one of the most common causes of infertility, tubal factor infertility (generally blocked fallopian tubes).
This natural alternative treatment option is the Clear Passage® Approach (CPA). It is a manual physical therapy program that has been scientifically shown to be safe and effective while still being non-invasive and non-surgical.
An increasing body of scientific research also backs this manual physical therapy. It has been linked to a relatively high pregnancy rate compared to surgery and IVF, while simultaneously helping many women with blocked fallopian tubes achieve a natural pregnancy.
Read on to learn more about how manual physical therapy via the CPA can successfully open a totally blocked fallopian tube and restore its function, including fertility lost due to the blockage. You will also learn how researchers uncover other surprising ways that manual physical therapy can improve a woman’s fertility.
Some terms to know?
Tubal Factor Infertility
Adhesions (Internal Scarring)
What is tubal factor infertility? How does it work? What does it mean for me?
Before delving into how a manual physical therapy known as the Clear Passage® Approach or Wurn Technique® became a scientifically validated treatment for female infertility, it’s critical to understand one of the primary causes.
Blocked fallopian tubes, also known as tubal factor infertility, or tubal infertility, are one of the primary causes of female infertility, accounting for 25 to 35 percent of all cases of female infertility, according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
When women embark on a conception journey, they quickly realize that specific medical terms come up time and time again.
One of these terms is “tubal factor infertility,” essentially one or two blocked fallopian tubes, a condition that prevents conception.
Two fallopian tubes connect a woman’s ovaries to her uterus. These hollow structures are the enclosed path through which a woman’s egg cell should begin its journey toward the uterus and through which one or more sperm cells swim up toward the egg. Natural fertilization occurs when sperm meets the egg within the fallopian tube. Thus, this tiny organ is truly where human life is born.
After this occurs, the fertilized embryo continues the journey begun by the egg, down toward the uterus for implantation. An ectopic pregnancy will happen if the embryo becomes stuck in the tube by adhesions. In this case, the embryo will not survive, and the mother’s health is at significant risk until an injection of methotrexate destroys the embryo. If not given quickly enough, surgical excision of the embryo is generally required, a condition that generally destroys that tube.
Adhesions are naturally occurring glue-like bonds that can form outside or within the tube, creating a partially or entirely blocked organ. These can kink a tube like a garden hose or stop it up from the inside.
Sperm and egg can never meet in a tube that adhesions have blocked, so fertilization can never occur naturally.
What are adhesions, and where do adhesions come from?
It makes intuitive sense that an egg cell, sperm cell, or fertilized embryo cannot complete its critical journey through a fallopian tube that adhesions have blocked—but what are adhesions in the first place?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), adhesions are band-like tissues that can cause organs to stick together instead of sliding against one another. This glue-like binding can bind organs to other structures or squeeze them like a straitjacket, causing pain or dysfunction such as female infertility.
It’s helpful to think of adhesions as internal scars. They form when a woman’s body heals from an event, such as surgery, injury, infection, or inflammation. Although some adhesions cause pain, many women are unaware that they have adhesions in their abdominal or pelvic cavities until they begin trying to conceive.
This is because the infections that can trigger the development of adhesions, such as sexually transmitted illnesses, may have no symptoms at all, and they may go entirely undetected. These untreated sexually transmitted illnesses can cause inflammation, triggering the development of adhesions around or inside the fallopian tube or fluid buildup in the fallopian tube known as a hydrosalpinx.
This hydrosalpinx caused infertility, and STIs can both physically impede the movement of an egg or sperm cell.
Again, if a tube is totally blocked, fertilization will never occur. We probably see a pattern here, huh?
Fertilization within a partially blocked tube can cause an ectopic pregnancy. In this condition, the embryo will not survive, and the mother’s life and health are at risk due to the child’s growth within her fallopian tube.
Now that you’ve learned some terms, let’s talk about why the Wurn Technique® is your best bet to heal infertility naturally.
Your Blocked Fallopian Tubes are like a garden hose.
It’s helpful to use an analogy to understand how adhesions can affect female fertility and how releasing adhesions non-surgically can improve a woman’s health and fertility. Imagine a garden hose that has fallen into disrepair in an overgrown garden that no longer functions to understand a blocked fallopian tube better. Weeds have grown inside the hose and kinked it from the outside. By gently detaching the weeds that have clogged or twisted the hose and unkinking it, so it returns to its original state, the physical blockages have been removed, and water can successfully flow through the hose again.
Similarly, if a blocked fallopian tube can be “unblocked” by gently detaching adhesions and micro-adhesions with manual physical therapy, the passageway for the sperm, egg, and fertilized embryo can be effectively cleared. The name of the Clear Passage® restorative physical therapy program grew from its success in opening blocked fallopian tubes.
What other treatment options does a woman with a blocked fallopian tube have to restore her fertility and increase her odds of conception?
Traditionally, a woman with blocked fallopian tubes has had just a few options when it comes to treatment.
Balloon Tuboplasty for Infertility Pros and Cons
Pros
If a tube is blocked proximally (close to the uterus), a surgeon can try to open it with minimally invasive surgery such as a balloon tuboplasty, which can stretch the tube open.
Cons
Surgery causes more blockage in the long run due to scarring.
Tubes blocked in the middle or near the ovary are often considered beyond surgical repair. In these cases, reproductive specialists may suggest removing the blocked tubes and proceeding to IVF.
In-Vitro Fertilization for Infertility Pros and Cons
Pros
IVF treatment is designed to bypass blocked fallopian tubes and implant a fertilized embryo directly into the uterus.
Cons
IVF treatments are costly and carry success rates that are well under 30%, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Thus, IVF can cause significant physical and psychological stress for the woman and her partner.
Each IVF attempt has a chance to work for only one cycle. If a woman does not conceive after a round of IVF, she must repeat the cycle.
In addition, the decision to surgically remove a woman’s blocked fallopian tubes and pursue IVF is irreversible.
Once removed, a woman no longer has the option of having a natural pregnancy in the future.
What are the benefits of a natural approach to infertility treatment?
Many women have pursued this non-invasive, non-surgical method of manual physical therapy, seeking a more natural approach to treating a blocked fallopian tube. This hands-on therapy can gently and gradually reduce the impact of adhesions, freeing them from their grip within or around a fallopian tube.
Because the therapy addresses the pituitary and ovaries (as well as the fallopian tubes), this manual physical therapy has been shown to improve the function of the reproductive organs, including the critical hormonal feedback loops that contribute to ovulation.
This alternative method is not only safe, but it is also 100% natural, incorporating no hormones or other medications, no medical procedures, and no electrical stimulation.
At Clear Passage®, the specific type of manual physical therapy employed is known as the Wurn Technique®. It is supported by nearly two decades of experience and high-quality clinical research.
What is the Wurn Technique®?
Belinda Treating Back Pain
The Wurn Technique® is a manual (hands-on) physical therapy method co-developed by Larry and Belinda Wurn. It is a patient-centered method supported by scientific data and cited in many academic research papers. The Wurn Technique® uses manual physical therapy to help decrease pain from adhesions, improve organ mobility, and even improve hormonal function.
A certified physical therapist conducts a comprehensive evaluation during a Clear Passage® therapy program, focusing on each woman’s unique health history and goals. Then, the practitioners use manual therapy to release adhesions that are both superficial and deep, addressing adhesions and micro-adhesions that have formed and may be impacting reproductive function.
By physically manipulating the structures of the abdominal and pelvic regions, the therapists detach the tiny collagenous fibers that comprise adhesions from each other and the underlying structures.
Doing so has been shown to open blocked fallopian tubes and decrease the stricture-squeezing at the uterus and other reproductive systems. In a sense, it is like ‘going back in time’ as the therapists at Clear Passage® detach the adhesions that formed years or even decades ago.
The organs can regain their former structure and function when freed of these internal bonds, thereby improving a woman’s fertility.
Simply put, no fallopian blockage = fertility!
Isn’t the Wurn technique a massage? How can it possibly open tubes or improve a woman’s fertility?
“Calling this work a massage is like calling the Space Shuttle a plane,” says gynecologist-surgeon Richard King, M.D. “I have witnessed results that rival anything we can do as surgeons. This therapy is remarkable because it avoids the internal scarring that can occur and re-block tubes after surgical attempts to repair blockage.”
The users of the Wurn Technique®, the Clear Passage® therapists, have studied the structure and nature of adhesions extensively over the last 30+ years. Their goal is to clear adhesions from reproductive structures. Their focus is to shear or detach the fibers that comprise adhesions from each other and the underlying structure through deep tissue manual therapy.
In doing so, the delicate organs of the reproductive system become freed of their adhesive bonds and are thus able to move and function as they did before being glued down by internal scars.
What does clinical research say about the Wurn Technique®?
Research about the success of the Wurn Technique® concerning female infertility was first published in 2004, and since then, many other studies have found similar positive results. The cardinal research done in 2004 found that manual physical therapy sessions that targeted adhesions in the pelvis resulted in 71.4% of patients diagnosed with infertility achieving a natural pregnancy within one year, one-third of whom were able to go on to have subsequent pregnancies without further treatments.
Beyond just the improvement of fertility in women with tubal adhesions, researchers have also found that women who suffer from a hydrosalpinx (or swollen tube), rather than exclusive adhesions, can also benefit from a manual physical therapy technique. Researchers have also found that patients who struggle with other women’s health conditions, such as pain with sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) and painful menstrual periods (dysmenorrhea), can benefit from manual physical therapy.
An oral presentation by Clear Passage® staff to physicians at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine addressed the main side effects of the Wurn Technique®: increased desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction, and decreased pain with intercourse.
The Wurn Technique®’s growing scientific backing makes it one of the most formidable alternative therapies when it comes to helping women who suffer from tubal ligation factor infertility. In a 10-year study of infertile women, the Wurn Technique® achieved a pregnancy after therapy opened their tubes. This is especially significant when considering that the base pregnancy rate of IVF is around 30 percent for women ages 35 to 37 – a rate that decreases further with age.
How is the effectiveness of the Wurn Technique® and Clear Passage® therapy measured?
Clinicians specializing in helping women with infertility use an imaging method called hysterosalpingography (HSG) to visualize whether or not a woman has patent (unblocked) fallopian tubes. The test uses X-ray technology and a specialized dye to demonstrate flow through a tube.
A hysterosalpingogram can also demonstrate whether a woman’s fallopian tubes have become unblocked after a particular treatment program.
Astoundingly, researchers in peer-reviewed studies have shown this manual physical therapy to open fallopian tubes that had been completely blocked. Restoring patency to a previously blocked fallopian tube without surgery is a remarkable achievement, and studies show it can help many women achieve a natural pregnancy through non-invasive means. This non-surgical approach may be preferable for many women, as researchers in top medical journals have not demonstrated the universal effectiveness of surgery for tubal ligation infertility.
What has recent research shown about the Clear Passage® technique?
Clinicians have implemented the Wurn Technique® for nearly two decades. As time has marched forward, and more and more women struggling with infertility have sought non-invasive, non-surgical approaches to management, the Wurn Technique® and Clear Passage® natural treatment approaches have gained more excellent scientific backing. With the Clear Passage® technique, many women can have successful pregnancies that go to full term after a single treatment course. Many find they can also have successful subsequent pregnancies without any other therapy. Recently, researchers worldwide have been studying the impact of the Clear Passage® method.
A recent analysis 2022 published in the Turkish Journal of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation provided an in-depth and complementary analysis of the Clear Passage® Approach and Wurn Technique®. They noted that the Wurn Technique® effectively treated infertility caused by blocked fallopian tubes. It was also effective for women who suffer from other health conditions, such as endometriosis and hormonal disturbances.
What else has scientific evidence shown about the benefits of manual physical therapy?
The positive impact of manual physical therapy on reducing adhesions extends beyond the condition of female tubal factor infertility. Several recent peer-reviewed studies have found that manual physical therapy techniques can help with a wide range of medical conditions. Uniquely, more researchers have shown CP therapy to be an effective way to reduce the occurrence of life-threatening small bowel obstructions and chronic pain. In fact, according to another research published in 2018 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, more than one hundred patients who received the Clear Passage® manual physical therapy approach reported a significantly lower recurrence of small bowel obstructions. The treatment groups had fewer symptoms from their previous obstructions and improved overall quality of life compared to subjects in the control group.
Manual physical therapy has also been shown to effectively prevent the development of adhesions in the first place after a patient has undergone surgery.
Does research show that the Wurn Technique® can be used to enhance or augment other types of infertility treatment?
The Wurn Technique® can help completely restore the function and viability of a blocked fallopian tube, allowing a woman to achieve a natural pregnancy successfully. However, even in women who are dedicated to pursuing conception through other means, such as IVF, the Wurn Technique® can help support their goals and increase their pregnancy success rates. Clinicians have found that combining manual physical therapy techniques with a traditional IVF treatment plan can increase a woman’s likelihood of successfully conceiving. Research has shown that undergoing this manual therapy treatment within 15 months before an IVF embryo transfer can increase a woman’s pregnancy success rate by 50 percent.
What makes the Wurn Technique® and Clear Passage® program unique?
The Clear Passage® program differentiates itself through its non-invasive, hands-on approach to female infertility. Therapists who practice the Clear Passage® approach are certified through a rigorous training program and are selected based on their years of experience. A therapist’s ability to correctly and competently carry out manual physical therapy to improve fertility is tested and validated rigorously during the training period.
Clear Passage® practitioners are also dedicated to carrying out clinical research to quantify and demonstrate the continued effectiveness of their manual therapy approach. Their strong commitment is illustrated by their repeated publication in some of the world’s top medical journals. Additionally, leading medical institutions like Harvard, Columbia, and Northwestern University endorse the Clear Passage® technique.
The Clear Passage® Approach is also unique in how it views the therapist-patient interaction. Rather than using a top-down treatment approach, Clear Passage® practitioners encourage their patients to be involved in their healthcare decision-making and be part of the therapy team. After all, a patient has much more extensive knowledge about her body and health history than any treating therapist. Doctors can harness this expert personal knowledge to improve their treatment plans and outcomes.
What is the structure of the Clear Passage® treatment program?
Clear Passage® offers a free pre-therapy consultation for women interested in pursuing manual physical therapy as an infertility treatment. This program can help women and support people learn more about the program and ask questions about their particular medical situation.
One of the key benefits of the Clear Passage® program is its precise structure. The typical Clear Passage® regimen requires 20 hours of manual therapy. This therapy is typically spread throughout a five-day session, four hours a day, with most sessions fitting squarely within one business week.
This condensed treatment plan is beneficial for those who have hectic schedules or travel to the Clear Passage® clinic from out of town or out of the country.
What are the financing options available for the Clear Passage® treatment program?
Today, the cost of a Clear Passage® treatment program for infertility ranges from $6,500 to $7,500. While this is a financially significant investment, it pales in comparison to other infertility treatment options on the market. Many financing options are available for women interested in pursuing Clear Passage® therapy.
For example, Clear Passage® clinics offer a financing option with Care Credit. Financing through Medicare and Medicaid is currently not supported; however, the Clear Passage® team is continuously working to improve financing channels for patients.
The Clear Passage® Bottom Line
Female infertility can be a devastating condition for women who desire to achieve a natural pregnancy. However, through Clear Passage®, women struggling with tubal ligation factor infertility and other women’s health conditions have a natural, evidence-backed treatment option that does not involve drugs, needles, or costly or irreversible procedures.
Clear Passage® therapists are highly skilled and provide their patients with a scientific, patient-centric, hands-on therapy approach. They are dedicated to achieving positive results for each patient and to contributing to worldwide research efforts that quantify these efforts.
The dedicated team of therapists, researchers, advisors, and support staff at Clear Passage® applies its excellence daily, and they are continuously learning to deliver superior care to their patients.
With numerous studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals, Clear Passage®’s hands-on physical therapy has been featured on the ABC, CBS, and NBC television networks in the U.S., and internationally on Fox News. These citations and newscasts note infertility reversal for hundreds of women – without surgery or drugs. Our therapy can work independently or as an adjunct to your physician’s care. The following is an overview of our work treating female infertility.
Clear Passage® has been a world leader in treating female infertility since 1986. A landmark 10-year study of nearly 1,400 infertile women (Rice et al., 2015) showed that our hands-on approach equaled or surpassed many standard medical treatments — surgery and pharmaceuticals — for the most common causes of female infertility. We had high success rates treating infertility due to:
Blocked fallopian tubes (often diagnosed as untreatable by physicians)
PCOS (good success rates without surgery)
Endometriosis (approximately equal to the surgical rate)
High FSH, advanced reproductive age (there is currently no medical treatment for high FSH or advanced reproductive age)
We avoid risks due to our thorough screening process. The major risk is temporary soreness. Side effects of therapy are generally positive, including increased female sexual function (libido, lubrication, orgasm) and decreased pain.
Success Rates:
Our success rates are published in peer-reviewed medical journals. Given the number of infertility patients we have treated since 1989, we can provide a reasonable estimate of your success rate with our therapy. View our success rates.
Long-term outcomes:
Unlike assisted medical treatments that may work for a single reproductive cycle, the results of our therapy appear to last for years. Many of our patients have had several full-term pregnancies (births) and continue to be fertile for several years after therapy here.
Published Results:
With published studies and citations in a dozen respected medical journals, Clear Passage® is the Gold Standard in the world for treating female infertility naturally. Study data authored by independent physicians support our credibility, efficacy, and success rates.
Clear Passage® constantly strives to measure our results scientifically and share them with the public – as reported in peer-reviewed medical journals. We have been developing our therapy since 1989 and publishing results since 1997; our infertility statistics are documented and housed in the U.S. Library of Medicine. Over the course of 30+ years, we have worked with gynecologists and scientists to develop a therapy that has been shown to be safe and effective for many infertile women.
Pain at the tailbone (coccyx bone) can range from inconvenient to totally debilitating. As pain increases, some people find it difficult or virtually impossible to sit, making their lives miserable. Unfortunately, very few treatment regimens have been studied to treat this condition.
Coccyx pain (coccydynia or coccygodynia) generally begins with a trauma – often a fall or accident that pushes the tailbone forward or to the side. Persistent or repeated pressures on the coccyx from horseback riding, bicycling, or similar seating sports, or even office sitting for long hours, can cause tailbone pain. It can also occur after a pelvic surgery or infection.
As the body begins to heal, strong collagen fibers, similar to the strands of a nylon rope, lay down in a random pattern across the injured area. These fibers attach to the traumatized tissues and to each other with a chemical-molecular bond in a process called cross-linking. As they lie down one upon each other, they create adhesions (internal scars) to help stop bleeding and to isolate the injury, as the first step in healing.
Once the body has healed, these linked fibers remain in place. The resulting bond can leave the tailbone stuck in a position that is forward, bent to the side, or both. This flexed position of the tailbone can cause inflammation that is exacerbated with sitting. Unable to move out of the way when a person has a bowel movement or a woman has intercourse, the fixed position of the tailbone can act like a partially closed door, causing significant pain with these movements. Sometimes the tailbone sticks out at an unnatural angle, causing pain while sitting.
Physicians will sometimes suggest an anti-inflammatory or may inject a steroid along with a numbing agent to help decrease the pain. These can provide temporary relief in some cases. Since these treatments focus more on the symptom than the cause of the pain, they may not provide a long-term solution.
Avoiding Surgery (Coccygectomy)
When pain is persistent or severe, patients begin to seek other treatments for their tailbone pain in order to regain their quality of life. Some become so frustrated that they opt to have part or all of the tailbone surgically removed. While we have seen this help in some cases, for other patients, surgery has brought a lifetime of constant, debilitating pain – often worse than the original tailbone pain.
The intent of surgery is generally to remove the coccyx so it no longer causes pain. The intent of therapy, on the other hand, is to free the bound tissues, enabling the coccyx to return to normal, to the usual pain-free position and flexibility it had before the trauma and healing events occurred.
Discover lasting relief from tailbone pain without surgery – Clear Passage® Physical Therapy offers a Free Consultation and Request Info to explore their unique, non-invasive approach that has helped countless patients regain comfort and mobility, potentially avoiding risky coccygectomy and its long, painful recovery. To learn more, visit our Apply to Therapy page.
Two Forms of Treatment
According to medical literature, adhesions in the abdomen or pelvis can be addressed in two distinctly different ways:
Clear Passage®️ Approach
Surgery (coccygectomy)
Therapy to Decrease Adhesions
Description of the procedure. The Clear Passage®️ Approach is a manual physical therapy that uses no drugs and no surgery. It has been cited in numerous studies and peer-reviewed medical journals for its ability to decrease adhesions. The studies show effectiveness with abdominopelvic pain and dysfunction caused by adhesions.
In the case of coccydynia (tailbone pain or coccyx pain), we find the tailbone is generally bound by adhesions that formed after the initial trauma or cause. In these cases, the coccyx may be pulled forward or to the side (or both), causing inflammation and pain. The pain often increases with movements such as sitting, bowel movements, and sexual intercourse.
To relieve the pain and return the body to pain-free mobility and function, we focus on decreasing the adhesions pulling the coccyx out of its normal position. We start with a thorough evaluation of the entire body, with a focus on the structures of the pelvis and lower back. We want to bring all of those areas into symmetry. We suggest – but do not require – that a person with coccyx pain undergo internal treatment via a gloved finger in the vagina or rectum. Due to the structure of the coccyx and its supporting ligaments, success may be limited without internal treatment. We always discuss the need for internal treatment with the patient before starting, and show the utmost respect for the patient’s privacy and comfort.
A good analogy to this part of the treatment is a pup tent, with poles at the front and back held in midline position by ropes on each side. If the rope on one side is pulled too tight, the pole will bend to the side, forward or backward, in a strained, awkward position. By loosening the tightness and restrictions, we return to the normal symmetry and tone, with easy, equal pressure on each side.
This therapy is ‘all natural’ in that it is 100 % ‘hands-on.’ Patients describe it as feeling like a very deep massage. In some areas, the therapy can sometimes be much lighter, depending on the area and depth being treated. Internal treatment is often described as feeling like pressure, rather than pain.
We use our hands to find adhered areas. We work to deform and detach the tiny strands that comprise adhesions – similar to pulling out the strands of a nylon rope or pulling out the run in a sweater. Your therapist may describe it as “pulling out salt-water taffy, in very slow motion.”
The therapy is site-specific; our therapists are experts at palpating and manipulating the soft tissues of the body, where adhesions generally form. We use data from the patient’s history, direct feedback from the patient during therapy, and a thorough training and understanding of methods developed over 30 years to deform and detach the molecular/chemical bonds that are at the core of adhesions. The usual protocol, which is cited in our studies, consists of 20 hours of therapy spaced over five days. Treatment for coccyx pain can generally be completed in as little as 10 hours. A small percentage of the work, generally around 10 to 15 percent, is performed internally. View a short video of what Clear Passage®️ therapy feels like.
Advantages of Therapy
Direct access to the adhesions that are causing the pain. Due to its location and accessibility, we can directly palpate and treat adhesions that are pulling the coccyx out of its normally relaxed, midline position. In doing so, we do not cut or burn anything in your body; we do not remove anything from your body. Our focus is to deform and detach adhesions.
No hospitalization. Therapy is performed in a private treatment room, one-on-one with a highly skilled therapist certified in the work. Patients may bring a partner or family member along for company, if they like.
No anesthesia. The patient is awake and communicative during therapy. Patient involvement is encouraged, with the patient invited to give feedback throughout the course of therapy.
Decreased risk. Risk is minimal. There is no cutting or burning, and no risk of side effects from anesthesia or medications.
No foreign bodies are introduced. No staples, stitches, films, meshes, or surgical instruments are inserted into the body.
Side effects are mild and transient. The most common side effects reported with therapy are temporary tenderness, aching, fatigue, and hip or back pain. When they occur, these symptoms pass within a few days.
Improvements in other areas of the body. Because therapy focuses on detaching adhesions throughout the body, with a particular focus on the pelvis and the lower back for tailbone patients, patients regularly report significant increases in flexibility and range of motion after therapy. Many report decreased pain and/or increased function in areas near the site where they are being treated. Some report this in areas where they had forgotten or had not realized they were having a problem, until therapy relieved the pain or tightness. A significant number report decreased back, neck, and headache pain due to relieving pressure on the spinal cord up to the base of the skull.
Written reports. After therapy, we send each patient a typed, detailed Initial Evaluation along with a typed Progress Report or Discharge Summary. If needed, we are glad to send you daily notes of every therapy session.
Disadvantages: Risks and Challenges of Therapy
Temporary soreness. Some people report temporary soreness during therapy, which dissipates within a few days.
Costs of therapy are generally a fraction of the cost of surgery; as with surgery, insurance reimbursement may vary based on your insurer and your plan. Clear Passage®️ is an out-of-network provider for your insurer.
Travel and time are considerations. The 20-hour therapy protocol generally takes five days (e.g., Monday – Friday); a 10-hour session takes half as long (figure 2 1/2 days). Our therapy is only provided by trained, certified therapists in several cities in the U.S. and U.K., and is designed for out-of-town and out-of-country patients. Most patients fly to the clinic city during the weekend, start therapy Monday morning, and are done before the next weekend.
Surgery to Remove Part or All of the Coccyx
Description of common procedures. The surgical option, coccygectomy to remove part or all of the tailbone, is rarely performed. Recovery can be long and uncomfortable for the patient. In general, the surgery involves creating a one to two-inch incision over the top of the coccyx. The bone covering (periosteum) is then dissected away from the bone. This allows the coccyx to be separated from the sacrum.
Unless complications arise, the operation is brief and may be done on an outpatient basis. The most difficult part of the operation is the long time it takes for the patient to heal. Reports show that it may take three months or longer after the surgery before patients note the desired relief from their symptoms. Naturally, sitting is very difficult throughout the healing process.
View surgery to remove part of a coccyx by clicking here.
Advantages of Surgery
Ease of access. The surgeon can easily access the coccyx, and surgical removal is relatively easy in most cases.
Disadvantages: Surgical Risks and Challenges
Long, painful recovery. As noted above, recovery from coccyx bone removal (coccygectomy) has been documented to take up to a year. Because the area is involved with basic daily activities (sitting, bowel movements, sexual intercourse), the recovery time can linger since the remaining portion of the sacrum cannot be isolated without activity in order to heal quickly.
Uncertain outcomes. In some cases, we have seen, surgery to remove the tailbone has been very successful. In other cases, it has brought a lifetime of pain, more debilitating than the pain before surgery.
Hospitalization during recovery. In some cases, patients must undergo a hospital stay after surgery to remove the coccyx. Patients are monitored to ensure their recovery and that there are no immediate post-surgical complications or infections.
New adhesions generally form after surgery. Medical literature compiled from over 50 years of abdominal and pelvic surgeries shows that nearly all surgeries cause new adhesions to form. Thus, despite the skills of the finest surgeon, adhesions often recur, sometimes worse than before surgery. Because surgeries cause adhesions, some of our patients feel trapped in a cycle of pain-surgery-adhesions, with no end in sight.
Pre-Treatment Screening (Surgery and Therapy)
Both therapy and surgery require patients to be screened for appropriateness and contraindications before treatment.
Screening before therapy. Before therapy, Clear Passage®️ directors consult applicants to review goals, risks, and potential benefits they can expect. We conduct a thorough review of the applicant’s history of healing events (prior surgery, trauma, infection, endometriosis, etc.) to determine if and where adhesions have likely formed and how they might be causing problems.
We screen applicants for two reasons:
to determine the likelihood that we can help an applicant reach his/her goal, and
to rule out contraindications that could decrease the effectiveness of therapy or cause problems.
Screening before surgery. Before surgery, physicians consult patients to review the goals, risks, and potential rewards they can expect from the procedure. They may order diagnostic tests to help rule out contraindications, such as active infection, and to help identify problem areas in the body that should be assessed during surgery. It is reasonable to ask your doctor about the likelihood of adhesion formation after surgery.
Small bowel obstruction creates major challenges for physicians and their patients. While a total small bowel obstruction is life-threatening and must often be dealt with surgically, it is an accepted fact that surgery is the number one cause of recurring bowel obstructions. Thus, the last resort medical treatment for small bowel obstruction is also the primary cause of future obstructions, underlining the need for a non-surgical treatment that can break this vicious cycle.
Many people who have undergone surgery or infection in the abdomen undergo recurring “partial small bowel obstructions” due to internal adhesions that squeeze or kink the intestines. In these cases, food may finally pass, often aided by a hospital visit. The hospitalization generally includes the insertion of a nasogastric (NG) tube through the nose into the stomach. Hospital staff will turn on an electric pump designed to constantly empty the stomach contents and relieve pressure on the digestive tract. The physician will often insert intravenous lines to introduce fluids for hydration or narcotic pain relief, in an attempt to relax and hydrate the bowel, so that food will pass. Similar intravenous lines will provide nutrition since the bowels no longer work. Patients describe the experience as a scary, uncomfortable, and harrowing experience that can take many hours or days to clear.
After a partial bowel obstruction, the patient’s ongoing concern is that despite the obstruction clearing, nothing has structurally changed. The patient is sent home with the advice, “This may and probably will happen again.” Thus, many patients feel as if they are living with a time bomb in their gut, concerned with what they can eat, what social or work activities they can and cannot do, whether they can travel, etc. By far, their greatest fear is “What happens next time – if the obstruction does not clear?”
Treating the adhesions that cause recurring bowel obstructions without surgery is considered a major advance. Our manual (hands-on) physical therapy has been shown to greatly improve quality of life and significantly decrease the incidence of small bowel obstruction in patients who receive the therapy. To date, we know of no other non-surgical treatment actually shown to clear adhesions that obstruct the bowel.
Break free from the cycle of recurrent small bowel obstructions and regain control of your life with Clear Passage® Physical Therapy’s Free Consult and Request Info – discover their groundbreaking, non-surgical approach that has been clinically proven to reduce adhesions, decrease pain, and significantly improve quality of life for patients suffering from this debilitating condition. To learn more, visit our Apply to Therapy page.
Treatment Options For Recurrent Bowel Obstructions
Clear Passage®️ Therapy to Decrease Adhesions
Description of the procedure. The Clear Passage® approach is a manual physical therapy that uses no drugs and no surgery. It has been cited in peer-reviewed medical texts and journals for its ability to decrease adhesions in the abdomen and pelvis, non-surgically. Some of the published studies include ‘before and after’ images and reports of individual patients prepared by independent diagnostic physicians. Others examine the effects of the therapy on treating adhesions for conditions, including recurring small bowel obstruction. Some studies show that the results of the therapy equal or exceed the results of surgery for improving structure and function.
The therapy is ‘all natural’ in that it is 100 percent ‘hands-on.’ Many patients describe it as feeling like a very deep massage. Our physical therapists use their hands to locate adhered areas of the body related to the patient’s pain or symptoms. They then transition to very site-specific techniques to deform and detach the tiny strands that comprise adhesions. Therapy may be compared to pulling out the strands of a nylon rope or pulling out the run in a sweater. Our therapists describe it as feeling like “pulling out salt-water taffy, in very slow motion.”
Our therapists are experts at palpating and manipulating the abdomen and pelvis, where bowel adhesions cause problems. They use data from each patient’s history and direct feedback from the patient during therapy, along with training and understanding of methods developed over 30 years to locate and detach adhesions. The protocol cited in the studies consists of 20 hours of therapy, spaced over five or more days. View a short video of what Clear Passage®️ therapy is like.
Advantages of Therapy
No hospitalization. Therapy is always performed in a private treatment room, one-on-one with a highly skilled therapist certified in the work. Patients may bring a partner or family member along for company, if they like.
No anesthesia. Without general anesthesia, there is no risk of neurotoxicity to the brain or other areas of the body. The patient is not only awake and communicative during the procedure, but we also encourage patient involvement; each patient is invited to give feedback throughout the course of therapy. We feel that involving each patient in their care and soliciting their feedback during each therapy session generates better results.
Decreased risk. Risk is minimal. There is no cutting or burning, no risk from anesthesia, and no risk of inadvertently cutting through a nearby organ or other structure.
No foreign bodies are introduced. No staples, stitches, films, or meshes are inserted into the body. No cameras, gas, lights, or surgical instruments enter the body.
Side effects are mild and transient. The most common side effects reported with therapy are temporary tenderness, aching, fatigue, and hip or back pain. Temporary soreness is generally relieved with a 20-minute Epsom salt bath or compress in the evening.
Improvements in other areas of the body. Because therapy focuses on detaching strong adhesions that tend to form in various areas of the body, most patients report increases in flexibility and range of motion after therapy. Many report decreased pain and/or increased function in areas near the site where they are being treated – or even at distal sites. This pain reduction is often noted in the low back due to the freeing of abdominal adhesions from the front of the lumbar vertebrae. Some patients report improvements in areas where they had forgotten or had not realized they were having a problem, until therapy relieved the pain or tightness.
Written reports. After therapy, we send each patient a typed, detailed Initial Evaluation along with a typed Progress Report or Discharge Summary. If needed, we are glad to send you daily notes of every therapy session.
Disadvantages: Risks and Challenges of Therapy
Therapists cannot visualize the adhesions. Initially, we deduce the likelihood of adhesions by conducting a thorough review of each patient’s history and symptoms. To gain further insights, we may require diagnostic tests or documentation from your physician. During therapy, we palpate the areas of your body related to your symptoms and other areas where we note scarring, tightness, spasm, or increased temperature. Because our therapists have been practicing manual therapy for most of their professional lives, they are experts at palpating and treating the body.
Costs of therapy are generally a fraction of the cost of surgery. As with surgery, insurance reimbursement may vary based on your insurer and your plan. Clear Passage®️ is an out-of-network provider for your insurer. When considering the costs, we encourage patients to measure the cost of their quality of life and peace of mind vs. the sacrifices they make due to living with adhesions. Download our Insurance PDF to send to your insurance.
Travel and time are considerations. Therapy generally takes five days (e.g., Monday – Friday); it is only provided by trained, certified therapists in several cities in the U.S. and U.K. The 5-day program is designed for out-of-town and out-of-country patients. We suggest that patients with a history of bowel obstructions remain in town for an extra day before returning home. The goal is to allow the body to return to homeostasis before undergoing changes in bowel air pressure that can accompany an airline flight.
Surgery to Decrease Abdominopelvic Adhesions
Description of common procedures. Some patients with recurring bowel obstructions are encouraged to undergo surgery to decrease adhesions in the abdomen or pelvis. The intent of adhesion surgery (adhesiolysis) is to cut or burn adhesions affecting the bowel and return the intestines to an earlier state of mobility and function. In a laparoscopy, the physician places the patient under general anesthesia and then cuts several holes (ports) in the body. Using one of these ports, the doctor will first fill the abdominal cavity with gas to separate the organs. This separation allows the surgeon to view a path to insert the surgical instruments s/he will use to cut or burn adhesions affecting the bowel. The doctor will also insert a light and a camera through the other port(s). You can observe a laparoscopy to decrease adhesions by clicking here.
When intestinal adhesions are extensive, the physician may perform or transition to an open surgery called a laparotomy. In that surgery, the body is cut open with a scalpel, and then the skin and outer layers are separated with a metal retractor. Next, the physician enters with a scalpel, laser, or other surgical instrument to cut or burn any adhesions s/he may find that are affecting the intestines. S/he will repair or cauterize any bleeding that occurs, and may check the area for other problems before exiting the body. Finally, s/he will close the body with stitches and send the patient to a room where recovery can be monitored. You can view an open bowel resection by clicking here.
In a laparotomy, the surgeon will often remove (then replace) all 21 feet (7 meters) of the bowel to search for problem areas.
Advantages of Surgery
Direct visualization. The surgeon can directly see, then burn or cut adhesions that do not appear on diagnostic tests such as MRI or CT scan. Complications can occur in patients with significant adhesions if the doctor has difficulty seeing through the layers s/he are cutting (see below).
Observe nearby areas. In addition to treating the adhered area, the physician can visualize nearby structures. Thus, s/he can note and possibly treat any other problem areas in the vicinity.
Operative report. The doctor will dictate a report that describes what s/he observes and the procedures performed during the surgery.
Disadvantages: Surgical Risks and Challenges
Anesthesia complications. Recent studies have considered whether general anesthesia may have a neurotoxic effect on the brain or other areas of the body. (Perousakis & Hemmings, 2009)
Inadvertent enterotomy. When a patient has significant adhesions, it can be difficult for the doctor to see the structures beneath them. Thus, a surgeon can unintentionally cut into a nearby healthy organ or other structure, called an inadvertent enterotomy (IE). An IE can cause serious problems or death. In a study from the Journal of the Society of Laparoscopic Surgeons, the authors note that:
“IE in laparoscopic abdominal surgery is underreported.”
Hospitalization during recovery. Abdominopelvic lysis of adhesions is a major surgery, and most patients undergo a hospital stay afterwards. During this time, the patient’s condition was closely monitored to ensure recovery and avoid post-surgical complications or infections.
New adhesions generally form after surgery. A mammoth 50-year review of abdominal and pelvic surgery in the U.S. revealed that nearly all abdominal and pelvic surgeries cause new adhesions to form. Thus, adhesions can recur – sometimes worse than before the surgery to remove them.
Surgery is widely regarded as the primary cause of bowel obstructions due to post-surgical adhesion formation.
Pre-Treatment Screening (Surgery and Therapy)
Both therapy and surgery require patients to be screened for appropriateness and contraindications before treatment.
Screening before therapy. Before we can accept you for therapy, our staff will conduct a thorough review of your history of healing events (prior surgery, trauma, infection, endometriosis, etc.) to determine where adhesions have likely formed and how they might be causing problems related to your symptoms and complaints. We then consult with each patient to review goals, risks, and the potential benefits they can expect.
We want you to do well and to have a reasonable chance to reach your goals. We will accept you if we feel we can help you; we will alert you if we have concerns that you will not do well with therapy. Similarly, we will not accept you if we feel that you will not have a favorable outcome.
Screening before surgery. Before surgery, your physician may order diagnostic tests to help rule out contraindications, such as active infection, and to help identify problem areas in the body that should be assessed during surgery. Your doctor should consult with you to review the goals of surgery, along with the risks and potential rewards you can expect. We encourage you to ask your doctor about the risk of post-surgical adhesion formation and an estimate of the need for future surgeries.
