In February 2025, the administration took significant steps to address fertility treatment accessibility in the United States. The executive order aims to make in vitro fertilization more affordable and accessible to Americans struggling with infertility. This comprehensive article explores the details of this policy change and what it means for those considering fertility treatments.
Possible Grants for In Vitro Fertilization: May Open New Funding Opportunities
The recent policy shift may open up new avenues for couples seeking financial assistance for fertility treatments. Various grants for in vitro fertilization may be available through both federal programs and private organizations. These funding sources can significantly reduce the financial burden that often prevents couples from pursuing their dreams of parenthood.
With the latest executive order, the administration may potentially allocate substantial IVF grant money to support couples undergoing fertility treatments. President Trump, ‘The Fertilization President’, has made it clear that expanding access to reproductive technologies is a priority, with the executive order directing agencies to identify ways to reduce costs and increase affordability. These grants typically cover partial or sometimes complete costs of IVF cycles, medication, and related procedures. Although no funding is available yet, this is our hope.
Organizations like the Baby Quest Foundation, The Cade Foundation, and Fertility Within Reach now offer competitive grants ranging from $2,000 to $16,000 to qualified applicants. Additionally, several state-mandated insurance coverage programs have expanded, requiring insurers in participating states to cover more fertility treatment costs than before.
What Was in the IVF Bill?
The executive order signed on February 15, 2025, focused on ensuring reliable access to IVF treatments across the country. While not a bill passed by Congress, this executive action directs federal agencies to take specific steps toward making fertility treatments more accessible and affordable.
Key components of the IVF executive order include:
Directing the Domestic Policy Council to develop recommendations to “aggressively” reduce costs associated with IVF treatments
Instructing health agencies to identify and ease “unnecessary statutory or regulatory burdens” that limit access to fertility treatments
Exploring options for expanded insurance coverage of fertility procedures
Creating a framework for standardizing costs across treatment centers nationwide
The order reflects the administration’s stated policy to “ensure reliable access to IVF treatment” and make it “drastically more affordable” for Americans struggling with infertility. While the executive order itself doesn’t directly change any policies, it sets in motion a process to address the high costs that often make IVF inaccessible to many Americans.
It’s worth noting that this executive action comes in the context of ongoing debates around reproductive rights, with the administration positioning itself as supportive of fertility treatments while navigating complex political terrain regarding fetal personhood and reproductive medicine.
IVF Pregnancy: Understanding the Journey
For many couples facing fertility challenges, IVF represents a beacon of hope. However, understanding the process, its costs, and potential alternatives is crucial for making informed decisions.
IVF Process
The IVF process involves combining eggs and sperm outside the body in a laboratory setting. Once fertilization occurs and embryos develop, one or more embryos are transferred to the woman’s uterus with the hope of implantation and pregnancy.
This medical intervention bypasses many common fertility barriers, including blocked fallopian tubes, male factor infertility, endometriosis, unexplained infertility, and genetic disorders. The procedure has helped millions of couples worldwide achieve pregnancy when other methods have failed.
IVF Process Step by Step
Ovarian Stimulation: Fertility medications stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs instead of the single egg that normally develops each month.
Egg Retrieval: Once the eggs have matured, they’re retrieved through a minor surgical procedure using ultrasound guidance and a hollow needle.
Fertilization: Retrieved eggs are combined with sperm in a laboratory dish to facilitate fertilization. In some cases, a single sperm may be directly injected into an egg (a process called ICSI).
Embryo Development: Fertilized eggs develop into embryos in the laboratory over the next 3-5 days.
Embryo Transfer: One or more embryos are transferred into the woman’s uterus using a thin catheter.
Pregnancy Test: About two weeks after the embryo transfer, a blood test determines if pregnancy has been achieved.
Pre-IVF treatment with Clear Passage® targets underlying structural issues that might interfere with successful embryo implantation. Their manual physical therapy approach addresses adhesions and scarring in the reproductive tract that conventional medical treatments might miss. This non-surgical approach has been shown to improve IVF success rates by as much as 50% in studies.
Compared to the US national post-transfer success rate (shown in gray), CP therapy (in teal) significantly increased IVF pregnancy rates in every age group when performed before embryo transfer. Rates among women over 40 were three to five times the national average.
For women who have experienced failed IVF cycles, the financial implications can be devastating, with costs potentially exceeding $50,000 for multiple attempts. Clear Passage® therapy, when used before IVF, may help avoid these repeated expenses by addressing underlying issues that could contribute to IVF failure.
Alternatives to IVF: The Clear Passage® Approach
When exploring fertility options, it’s important to consider that traditional IVF might not be the optimal first choice for everyone. Clear Passage® therapy offers a non-surgical alternative that addresses many underlying causes of infertility, particularly those related to structural issues, at a fraction of the cost of traditional IVF.
The Clear Passage® approach focuses on manually breaking down adhesions (internal scars) that can form in the reproductive organs. These adhesions can restrict mobility and function in the uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes, creating barriers to natural conception. By gently manipulating tissues, Clear Passage® therapists can restore normal movement and function, potentially improving fertility without the need for medication or surgical intervention.
The financial aspect of fertility treatments cannot be overlooked. A single IVF cycle could cost anywhere from $12,000 to $25,000, including medications, procedures, and monitoring. Many couples require multiple cycles, potentially increasing the total cost to $50,000 or more.
By contrast, the average cost of infertility treatment with Clear Passage® is approximately $7,500. This one-time therapy may be sufficient to address underlying issues and restore fertility naturally. For more detailed information about program costs, visit Clear Passage®’s pricing page.
“IVF can cost $12,000 to $25,000 and can reach as much as $50,000 with multiple attempts, while Clear Passage®’s average cost of therapy is $7,500.”
– Clear Passage®
Even for couples who ultimately pursue IVF, Clear Passage® therapy beforehand can improve success rates, potentially reducing the need for multiple expensive IVF cycles.
IVF Process vs. Clear Passage®
While IVF works by bypassing reproductive tract problems, Clear Passage® therapy aims to fix these issues. The IVF process involves hormone injections, egg retrieval, laboratory fertilization, and embryo transfer—all medical procedures with associated risks and side effects.
Clear Passage® therapy, on the other hand, is a drug-free, surgery-free approach that uses specialized manual techniques to address physical barriers to conception. There are NO embryos created or destroyed in this therapy. This therapy typically involves:
A thorough physical assessment of structural issues
Customized hands-on treatment to release adhesions and restore mobility
Follow-up care to ensure lasting results
Many patients report not just improved fertility, but also reduced pain and better overall pelvic health after Clear Passage® therapy. For women who want to avoid the hormonal and physical impacts of IVF, Clear Passage® offers a more natural approach.
Why is IVF Morally Wrong?
Some individuals and groups raise moral objections to IVF, citing concerns about the creation and potential destruction of embryos outside the natural reproductive process. Religious communities, including some Anabaptist groups, Catholics, and Fundamentalists, may find traditional IVF problematic due to beliefs about the sanctity of life beginning at conception.
For those with such ethical concerns, Clear Passage® offers an alternative that works with the body’s natural processes rather than replacing them. The therapy has been sought out by members of conservative religious communities, who desire children but want to avoid treatments that might conflict with their moral or religious beliefs.
Moral objections to IVF often focus on the manipulation of human life, the potential destruction of embryos, and the separation of procreation from the marital act. Others express concerns about the ethical implications of genetic selection and the potential for treating children as commodities. Clear Passage® therapy sidesteps these ethical dilemmas by working to restore natural fertility rather than replacing it with laboratory procedures.
What Conditions Would Clear Passage® Be Better Than IVF
Clear Passage® Physical Therapy might be a better first-line treatment than IVF for several specific conditions:
Blocked Fallopian Tubes: Clear Passage® therapy has a documented history of success in opening blocked tubes, including cases of hydrosalpinx (swollen tubes). By addressing the actual blockage rather than bypassing it with IVF, patients may achieve natural conception.
Endometriosis: The therapy can help release adhesions associated with endometriosis, improving fertility and reducing pain. For women with endometriosis-related infertility, Clear Passage® may resolve the underlying issue rather than working around it.
PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome): Women with PCOS who struggle with ovulation have seen improved pregnancy rates with Clear Passage® therapy, even in cases where conventional treatments have failed.
High FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) Levels: Some women with elevated FSH levels, indicating declining ovarian function, have experienced improved fertility with Clear Passage® therapy, even when reproductive endocrinologists considered them poor candidates for IVF.
Adhesions: Clear Passage® directly addresses the adhesions that can restrict movement and function in the pelvic area, potentially improving overall reproductive function.
Blocked fallopian tubes are a common cause of female infertility, preventing the egg and sperm from meeting. While surgical interventions exist, they carry risks of creating new adhesions and scarring. Blockages can result from various factors, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, hydrosalpinx, previous surgeries, and other medical conditions.
Clear Passage® therapy offers a non-surgical approach to opening blocked tubes by targeting the adhesions that cause the blockage. This therapy has shown success in opening completely blocked tubes and restoring natural fertility, potentially eliminating the need for either surgery or IVF.
Endometriosis can significantly impact fertility by causing scarring, inflammation, and altered egg quality. Surgical treatment of endometriosis, while sometimes necessary, can create additional adhesions that further complicate fertility.
Clear Passage® therapy targets and breaks down the adhesions that often accompany endometriosis, potentially improving fertility without creating new scar tissue. For women with endometriosis who wish to conceive, this non-surgical approach may provide relief from symptoms while simultaneously improving reproductive function.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common cause of infertility because it interferes with ovulation. This hormonal imbalance can lead to irregular or absent periods, making conception difficult. While PCOS is primarily a hormonal condition, Clear Passage® therapy can help address secondary issues that may contribute to infertility, including adhesions that might affect reproductive organ function. For women with PCOS, Clear Passage® therapy can complement other treatments to improve overall fertility, potentially avoiding the need for more invasive procedures like ovarian drilling or immediate progression to IVF.
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
For people who are struggling to conceive, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is a medical procedure that offers hope for achieving pregnancy. IVF is not the same as Intrauterine insemination (IUI), where fertilization takes place internally. With IVF, fertilization takes place outside the uterus. If you are convinced that you are not destined to conceive, you are not alone. Many would-be parents turn to IVF and find success, but the treatment comes with a torrent of risks and side effects. If you are considering IVF, please read this article first. It provides details about the IVF process you should be aware of before you make a hefty emotional, physical, and financial investment. This article also suggests ways to deal with IVF side effects, and better yet, how you may be able to avoid them altogether.
Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)
Fertility drugs stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs during IVF. These synthetic hormones are usually administered via injection in combination with other drugs that control the timing of egg retrieval, which is a critical part of the IVF process.
When it comes to fertility medications, specialists must maintain a delicate balance between dosages, timing, and each individual patient’s needs and response to treatment. If ovaries are overstimulated, symptoms such as swollen ovaries, pain, nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath may occur. Rare but serious side effects include blood clots or kidney failure.
Make sure that your fertility specialist closely monitors you for early signs of OHSS and adjusts your treatment appropriately. Sometimes treatment must be postponed or cancelled to avoid the onset of OHSS.
Multiple Pregnancies
During IVF treatment, some people opt to have two or more embryos transferred to the uterus to help increase the odds of pregnancy. The idea of having twins or triplets might seem appealing to people who want to start a family, but multiple pregnancies can come with additional risks and complications to both the fetuses and the one carrying them.
Patients who carry multiple fetuses should be closely monitored for signs of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and placental problems that can cause bleeding and distress to the fetuses. During delivery, vaginal tearing and hemorrhage are a higher concern, and cesarean delivery may be necessary due to the position of the fetuses.
In multiple pregnancies, fetuses are at higher risk in utero, during delivery, and after birth. In utero, there may not be sufficient space for the fetuses to develop properly. Blood flow can become imbalanced so that one fetus receives too much, while the others get too little. Premature delivery is common with multiple pregnancies. Low birth weights, developmental delays, and other more serious or fatal side effects can result.
To avoid multiple pregnancies, elective single embryo transfer (eSET) is recommended. However, this will decrease the odds of a successful IVF treatment.
Ectopic Pregnancy
When the reproductive system functions normally, the ovary releases an egg, and it travels through the fallopian tube to the uterus. With IVF treatment, fertilized eggs are deposited directly into the uterus. With an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg implants in a fallopian tube or somewhere other than the uterus.
Although there is not enough evidence to support the idea that IVF causes ectopic pregnancy, studies show that the risk of ectopic pregnancy increases with IVF treatment. Contributing factors may include the use of fertility drugs, the procedure for transferring the fertilized egg, or existing medical conditions common among women who experience infertility, such as fallopian tube damage or other structural abnormalities and imbalanced hormones.
Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy include pain, dizziness, and bleeding. Anyone undergoing IVF treatment who experiences these symptoms should immediately seek medical attention. Left untreated, an ectopic pregnancy can cause serious and potentially deadly complications, such as a ruptured fallopian tube, internal bleeding and shock, and organ damage.
Early detection and treatment can minimize the side effects of ectopic pregnancy.
Birth Defects
According to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control, fetuses conceived via IVF have an elevated risk for birth defects and developmental disability. Another study that examined IVF pregnancies achieved by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) showed the risk of congenital heart defects increased significantly, “by about 50%, as compared with pregnancies conceived spontaneously.” However, the risks are associated with multiple embryo transfer.
As mentioned earlier, multiple pregnancies can be avoided with eSET, but this will decrease the likelihood of conception. It is also important to note that statistically, the risk of birth defects for pregnancies achieved with IVF is very low.
IVF Cost and Emotional Burden
IVF treatments may be more expensive and emotionally overwhelming than you imagined, and experiencing multiple failed IVF treatments can be a crushing experience.
This hypothetical scenario is based on real conversations from IVF support groups:
Imagine willingly forgoing vacations or upgrading to your home so that you can pay for your third IVF treatment. They make you drink an unreasonable amount of liquids all at once and then hold your pee while they push on your belly. You take another personal day off work, not for mental rejuvenation, but so that they can use a metal rod to dilate your cervix. You are not sleeping well because of the medications that you continue taking, even though you are fully convinced they are not working. You wander through your home at all hours and imagine a three-year-old in fuzzy bunny slippers arguing with you like a little lawyer. Your family members have no idea the amount of stress you are experiencing, and they still expect you to be the same, supportive, giving person you were before you started IVF treatments. You do not dare to hope that this IVF treatment will work, because you have done this before without success. You’ve trained your brain to disregard ideas like remodeling the shower or taking a vacation, because all of your extra funds are going to IVF.
Before you make a decision to invest in and subject yourself to IVF treatments, make a plan for self-care and prepare coping strategies so that you can avoid feeling isolated and overwhelmed. Check with your insurance provider to find out what services are available, if needed.
At Clear Passage® Physical Therapy, we compassionately invite you to explore our long track record of safely and successfully treating infertility naturally. Many of our patients have been able to avoid all the negative side effects and risks associated with IVF medications and procedures. They report feeling better than they felt prior to treatment, and most importantly, they conceive naturally.
Clear Passage® successfully treats blocked fallopian tubes/hydrosalpinx, endometriosis pain and infertility, PCOS, hormone problems, and unexplained infertility. Published studies and patient testimonials show that Clear Passage® is the leading industry standard in the all-natural, non-surgical, non-evasive treatment of female infertility at a fraction of the cost of IVF.
For patients who choose to undergo IVF treatments, we can provide specialized treatments that get your body prepared for IVF and increase your odds of success. We have prepared a wonderful, relaxing environment for you. Our patients report that our gentle, yet effective, hands-on treatment is exactly the alternative they have been looking for, that hormone levels go from unacceptably high to within a normal range, and they regularly attribute their IVF success to our Pre-Transfer Therapy.
IVF can be complex and more difficult than people imagine. At Clear Passage®, we hope to help you avoid the potential physical, emotional, and financial costs of IVF treatment with a less invasive, safer infertility treatment. While IVF can be a highly effective treatment for infertility, the potential risks and side effects are numerous. Weigh your decision carefully. If you do choose to pursue IVF, we can work with your healthcare providers and fertility specialists to help increase your chances of a successful outcome.
A unique new infertility massage and physical therapy technique greatly increased pregnancy rates in infertile women, according to two studies reported in the June 18, 2004, issue of Medscape General Medicine, Ob/Gyn & Women’s Health.
The researchers reported that the Wurn Technique®(R) (patent pending) is highly effective at increasing fertility in both natural conception and in vitro fertilization (IVF). The therapy uses neither drugs nor surgery.
The natural fertility study reported a 71% (10/14) pregnancy success rate within one year of receiving the new treatment. Nine of the ten women (90%) who conceived had a full-term delivery.
A second study found that therapy significantly increased clinical pregnancy rates when performed within 15 months before in vitro fertilization (IVF). Two-thirds (67%) of women who received the non-surgical therapy became pregnant with their next IVF transfer, versus the 41% national average. The study also showed a 57% pregnancy rate among women aged 41 or older. The average duration of infertility for patients in both studies was five years.
“The therapy appears to improve fertility in women with a wide array of unexplained or adhesion-related infertility,” said co-author Richard King, MD, an independent gynecologist and research physician. “Many of the subjects had histories including prior infection, inflammation, surgery, or trauma.”
In the pre-IVF study, 19 of 25 women (76%) reported pregnant,y and 15 (60%) gave birth or are still pregnant. The study compared the rate of pregnancy per embryo transfer of fresh, non-donor eggs with the national age-adjusted averages reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Clinical pregnancies were documented in 22 of 33 embryo transfers (67%), a highly statistically significant difference in favor of the women who received the therapy prior to transfer.
“None of the patients in either study reported any observable complications or adverse side effects,” said Belinda Wurn, physical therapist, who developed the technique with her husband, massage therapist Larry Wurn. “In fact, nearly all patients reported decreased pain, and anecdotal evidence suggests increased sexual arousal, following therapy.” “We feel this work will be a major adjunct to regular gynecologic care and will increase success rates for fertility physicians worldwide,” Larry Wurn said.
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.
Unlock the potential for natural conception with Clear Passage®’s groundbreaking, non-surgical therapy that has successfully opened blocked fallopian tubes for 61% of women, offering hope and a 57% pregnancy rate without the risks of surgery.
“Blocked fallopian tubes” is one of the most heartbreaking diagnoses in female infertility. The female reproductive system consists of many delicate organs tasked with the need to transfer a single cell (the egg) across a gap, then into a tiny canal to unite with another single cell (the sperm). All of this must happen in a relatively narrow window of time each month and must be done by a certain age for fertilization to occur.
Two small organs comprise the main transport tunnel for conception, the fallopian tubes. For decades, these tubes have presented significant problems for infertile women and their physicians when they become blocked by internal scars called adhesions.
While reproductive physicians have developed a vast industry to treat female infertility, many medical treatments involve injecting mild to potent hormones or undergoing surgery.
Many women ask their doctors, “Are there any complementary or alternative therapies I can try? Is there anything natural or nonsurgical I can do to improve my chance of becoming a mother?”
The answer is a resounding yes!
What are Fallopian Tubes?
Fallopian tubes are tiny, complex, and extraordinary. Found deep within a woman’s pelvis, these two organs are literally the place where life begins. Each fallopian tube is designed to transport fragile single-cell organisms towards each other and help them unite to create a life as they attempt to introduce the mother’s egg to the father’s sperm.
It is unknown why the egg travels down from the ovaries toward the uterus. Some doctors speculate that low pressure in the uterus pulls the egg down with gentle suction, like drinking through a straw. Others believe that the remarkable interior of the tube, an environment that resembles a lush undersea garden with thousands of hair-like cilia, tends to push or coax the egg on its journey toward the uterus. Similarly, scientists do not know what inspires the sperm to swim upstream from the uterus through the tube and toward the ovary to meet and fertilize the egg.
What we do know is that sperm must meet the egg and join inside the fallopian tube for natural fertilization to occur. After that, any disruption for the fertilized egg to continue its journey through the tube for implantation on the uterus wall can cause significant problems for the mother and the fertilized egg.
What causes the Fallopian Tubes to become blocked?
Adhesions (Internal Scars)
Blocked Fallopian Tube
Adhesions (Internal Scars)
A common cause of blocked fallopian tubes is the formation of internal scars called adhesions. Frequently found in the female reproductive tract, these tiny glue-like bonds can form anywhere in the body. These inner scars form as the first step in healing from infection, inflammation, surgery, or injury. Once started, adhesions remain in the body for life, sometimes spreading to other structures.
They are often the result of an infection such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). When these internal scars bind endometrial tissue to the underlying structures, adhesive bonds are commonly found in patients with endometriosis.
Adhesions can be asymptomatic or can cause significant pelvic or intercourse pain (dyspareunia). Studies conducted by Clear Passage® suggest vaginal adhesions cause other sexual dysfunctions, such as decreased desire, lubrication, and orgasm. Because adhesions are primarily composed of collagen, a common substance in the body, they are virtually invisible to diagnostic tests such as X-rays, CTs, or MRIs.
Why are my Tubes Blocked?
Fallopian tubes are often blocked by internal scars called adhesions
If you have blocked fallopian tubes or a hydrosalpinx (swollen tube), it is crucial to understand that this is not your fault. The vagina is located at the core of a woman’s body. Its warm, moist environment is designed to promote life– including bacteria. Because items may enter the vagina during a woman’s lifetime, bacteria can enter the body there, causing a clinical or sub-clinical (unrecognized) infection — one that can quickly spread into the uterus and the fallopian tubes. The body’s first response to infection is to lay down adhesions to start the healing process. Once formed, these internal scars can remain in the body for a lifetime.
When these glue-like bonds form within the tube, they can cover the delicate cilia or the walls of the tube, causing ectopic pregnancy, a condition in which the fertilized egg (zygote) becomes trapped in the tube. When adhesions are more extensive, they can block a fallopian tube entirely, preventing any chance for natural conception.
What are Natural Remedies for Blocked Fallopian Tubes
While a plethora of ‘natural’ herbs, vitamins, and potions have been proposed to improve fertility, none of these have been shown in published studies to open blocked fallopian tubes—several purport to increase blood flow or energy to the area. No matter how wonderful a natural adjunct might sound, it is useless to improve blood flow or energy if the tiny but powerful adhesions physically block the tubes.
Only one natural treatment has been cited in peer-reviewed journals for its ability to open blocked fallopian tubes (including hydrosalpinx) and return natural fertility to women.
A hands-on physical therapy called the Clear Passage® Approach (CPA) has been cited in numerous medical journals for opening blocked fallopian tubes with studies that measure the treatment’s effectiveness for various causes of the woman’s infertility.
Scientifically Published Success Rates of the Best Natural Treatment for Infertility
Researchers and therapists at Clear Passage® clinics have worked hard to provide accurate success rates for clients considering this therapy. While no legitimate medical technique claims 100% success, CPA results have been consistent and encouraging over the years.
As early as 2002, medical editors at WebMD became intrigued with Clear Passage® results. In 2004, data housed at the U.S. National Institutes of Health cited a study from WebMD’s Medscape General Medicine that showed Clear Passage® opened blocked fallopian tubes in several women who came to therapy with total blockage. Even more exciting, most participants whose tubes opened had a natural full-term pregnancy, and some had a second (or more) pregnancy and birth with no further therapy. A citation in Fertility and Sterility (2006) cited CPA with clearing hydrosalpinx in 50% of women, again followed by post-therapy natural pregnancies.**
61% of women have one or both blocked fallopian tubes cleared by the therapy.
Success rates were higher (69%) for most women who had never undergone fallopian tube surgery.
Only 35% of women had tubes open if their tubes were previously cut or burned in a surgery (likely due to post-surgical scarring on the delicate tubes).
In all the above studies, some participants reported subsequent (2nd and 3rd) pregnancies, indicating that (unlike IVF) the CPA results are long-lasting for some women.
Comparing Clear Passage® to Surgery
The 10-year study provided success rates for treating various causes of female infertility. Researchers were surprised to show rates rivaled and sometimes surpassed conventional medical techniques. Published success rates treating women who have been diagnosed as infertile with the following conditions note the following:
How Successful has Clear Passage® been in Opening Totally Blocked Fallopian Tubes?
69% open if no prior tubal surgery
35% open on tubes that had prior surgery
61% open overall
57% confirmed pregnancy rate after tubes were opened
(vs. 22% – 34% for surgery)
How Successful has Clear Passage® been in increasing Pregnancy Rates for Various Infertility Causes?
High FSH Nonsurgical treatment – 39% Pregnancy Rate
(no medical technique improves FSH)
Pre-IVF Nonsurgical treatment – 56% IVF Pregnancies with Clear Passage® before transfer
(vs. 37% without CPA)
How did the Clear Passage® Approach Get Here? What is its history?
CPA therapy centers around the Wurn Technique®, a manual physical therapy focused on decreasing adhesions anywhere in the body. The work was developed after physical therapist Belinda Wurn reported severe pelvic pain following surgery and massive radiation therapy to treat her cervical (pelvic) cancer. Told by her doctors that the cause of her pain was post-surgical scarring (adhesions), she and her husband developed a nonsurgical bodywork, often an intense, site-specific therapy designed to reduce or eliminate adhesions.
Research shows therapy opens tubes
Effective Nonsurgical Treatment for Blocked Fallopian Tubes?
“Blocked fallopian tubes” is one of the most heartbreaking diagnoses in female infertility. The female reproductive system consists of many delicate organs tasked with the need to transfer a single cell (the egg) across a gap, then into a tiny canal to unite with another single cell (the sperm). All of this must happen in a relatively narrow window of time each month and must be done by a certain age for fertilization to occur.
“There is not really a word that defines our therapy,” Wurn says. “It is a complex, site-specific full-body system that addresses adhesions that have formed throughout the lifetime of a woman’s body. Certainly, our therapy for infertility involves a focus on the organs of the pelvis. Calling it a massage is like calling the Space Shuttle a plane.”
When the therapy decreased Belinda’s pain and adhesions, the Wurns began treating others with painful post-surgical scarring. They were surprised when infertile women began reporting unexpected pregnancies, some with totally blocked fallopian tubes.
Curiously, the gynecologist, Chief of Staff of a large nearby hospital, called them in to question their results. After viewing several charts of women whose tubes were opened by the Wurns, he said, “You are doing things with your hands that I don’t think I could do surgically, and I am a good surgeon. We need to conduct some research on the work you have developed.”
Where can you Learn More About the Clear Passage® Approach and the Wurn Technique®?
Many women prefer to try a natural approach rather than drugs or surgery. Depending on the location of the tubal blockage, your physician may feel surgery is contraindicated. Many reproductive endocrinologists recommend removing blocked fallopian tubes and proceeding directly to in Vitro fertilization (IVF).
Clearly, this negates the chance to conceive the child of your dreams naturally.
Try a better way with us.
Over 1,000 babies have been born to infertile women after undergoing the Wurn Technique® at Clear Passage® clinics across the U.S.A. and in England. If you prefer a natural approach or are unwilling to forfeit any ability to ever have one or more natural pregnancies on your own, consider contacting Clear Passage®. They will examine your history and goals to advise if you are a good candidate for their therapy. There is no charge for this review.
While new procedures have been added over the years, the basic protocol in all clinics has remained consistent over three-plus decades. Treatment consists of 20 hours of therapy delivered over as few as five days. Patients generally arrive at a Clear Passage® location on Monday morning, receive two 2-hour sessions of therapy daily, and return to their hotel or visit the local town. They will complete treatment by Friday afternoon and are free to return home.
Hearing you have blocked tubes can leave you with questions you never thought to ask your doctor. This web page can answer many of those and let you know that there is hope for a nonsurgical resolution to your problem.
In the past, doctors thought patients with blocked tubes could never conceive a child naturally. For years, their advice was to remove blocked tubes and undergo IVF, find a surrogate to have the pregnancy in your place, or simply adopt a child. That is no longer the case.
Recent advances in healthcare have examined a bodywork shown to clear blocked fallopian tubes and yield natural pregnancies at rates similar to or better than IVF. Hundreds of women have conceived babies naturally, sometimes with successive children, without turning to strong pharmaceuticals, surgery, or other expensive options.
What is Clear Passage®?
Clear Passage® (CP) is an all-natural hands-on bodywork developed in 1986, just eight years after the world’s first test-tube baby was born. Initially developed by a physical therapist and her husband to decrease her own pelvic adhesions (the main cause of tubal blockage), they were surprised when patients with blocked fallopian tubes became pregnant naturally, some with successive babies from the therapy alone. When a respected gynecologist, Chief of Staff, became fascinated with the all-natural approach, the team began publishing results of their findings. To date, several studies on the Clear Passage® approach have been published in peer-reviewed medical journals.
Peer-reviewed studies show Clear Passage®®️ has decreased or eliminated adhesions throughout the pelvis and abdomen. Our focus is to detach the tiny but powerful collagen fibers that comprise adhesions from each other by dissolving the bond that attaches them. In doing so, the adhesions tend to unravel and dissipate, much like pulling out the run in a three-dimensional sweater.
The therapy has brought natural pregnancies after clearing adhesions anywhere in the tube, and with swollen tubes (hydrosalpinx). When a swollen tube clears during therapy, the liquid trapped within the tube flows out and the tube appears to return to its normal structure and function – including one or more subsequent pregnancies for many women.
What Occurs in Therapy?
To view what occurs during therapy, we asked radiologists to conduct “before and after” tests such as the ones shown below. Using this objective data, we can clearly see whether tubes have opened and if the uterus is squeezed in a straitjacket of adhesions (as shown on the left of these images), or ‘relaxed, open and receptive for implantation’, such as the one shown in the ‘AFTER’ images on the right.
The white parts of these X-rays show a woman’s reproductive tract before and after therapy. Diagnosed as totally infertile due to tubal blockage, this patient chose our ‘hands-on’ therapy to decrease undetected adhesions in her uterus and fallopian tubes. After therapy, she was diagnosed fertile, fully able to conceive.
CLEARING FALLOPIAN TUBES
In the LEFT IMAGE (Before Therapy), dye enters the white area showing the inner walls of the uterus, but cannot exit (shown in red circles); these tubes are blocked.
In the RIGHT IMAGE (After Therapy), dye fills the uterus, then pours out of both fallopian tubes (shown in green circles); these tubes are wide open.
DECREASING ADHESIONS & SPASM OF THE UTERUS
In the LEFT IMAGE (Before Therapy), dye enters the white area showing the inner walls of a uterus that is quite narrowed, squeezed by adhesions (in red circle). This woman will have more difficulty conceiving or carrying a baby to full term (risk of miscarriage).
In the RIGHT IMAGE (After Therapy), dye fills a uterus that has been freed from constricting adhesions (in green circle). The increased mobility creates a much more relaxed organ, one that is much more capable of accepting an implanted embryo and carrying it to full term.
Over 1,000 Babies Born
Clear Passage®®️ is a world leader with over three decades of experience opening and returning full function to blocked fallopian tubes (including swollen tubes) without surgery. The therapy, which can feel like a deep massage, has been shown to decrease the adhesions that are the primary cause of blocked tubes. These internal scars can form after a surgery, injury, infection, or endometriosis. They can act like a glue in the female reproductive tract, blocking fallopian tubes, binding or squeezing structures like internal straitjackets.
Over 1,000 babies have been born to women diagnosed as infertile after treatment at Clear Passage®️ clinics. In published studies, the therapy has been shown to open totally blocked fallopian tubes in most women, followed by one or more natural pregnancies for many of them. We cannot open tubes that were intentionally closed by a surgeon. Women with tubes that were surgically closed and never reopened may benefit from our pre-IVF therapy.
This section examines scientifically verified choices available to you with procedures, success rates, and costs. It can help you make the best choices for yourself, your partner, and your future family. Statistical data is included where available. Footnotes quote reliable sources such as the CDC and PubMed (NIH) indexed studies; costs are from cited sources where available. The least invasive techniques are often the least expensive.
Indication: Blockage anywhere in either or both tubes
Notes: We open blocked fallopian tubes in 68.9% of women with no prior tubal surgery. Since 56.64% became pregnant, the calculated pregnancy rate for most women (those with no prior tubal surgery) is 39.02%. If your tubes were ever cut by a scalpel or laser, your rate would be about half of that.
Ongoing: After therapy opens one or both tubes, there is no need for additional therapy. Several women have reported two or more successive pregnancies up to six years after a single 20-hour session opened their tube or tubes. We only recommend additional therapy if there is obvious improvement (dye goes further through the tube), but the tube does not clear.
Procedure: 20 hours of hands-on bodywork (no drugs, no surgery) shown to decrease adhesions anywhere in the abdomen or pelvis. Therapy feels like a site-specific massage, often provided for 4 hours a day for five days (2 hours each morning and afternoon, Monday – Friday).
Procedure: In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) alone Pregnancy Rates (USA): 30.87% Cost: $15,000 to $30,000
Indication: Blockage anywhere in either or both tubes
Notes: Data from the CDC shows 30.87% is the U.S. national pregnancy rate after eliminating fertility preservation from the equation. Fertility preservation refers to freezing embryos, eggs, ovarian tissue, sperm, or testicular tissue for future reproduction. v
Ongoing: IVF aims to create one pregnancy. If no pregnancy ensues or the couple wants a second child, part of the process must be repeated. If eggs or embryos have been frozen, repeat extraction and laboratory fertilization may not be required. Noting the frequent need for repeat IVF, medical studies have begun to report pregnancy rates for multiple IVF cycles. A recent study in Fertility and Sterility noted pregnancy rates decrease significantly after four IVF failed attempts vi. A study from JAMA gives pregnancy rates for up to and beyond six IVF cycles. vii
Procedure: Many reproductive physicians start by removing one or both fallopian tubes. Thus, IVF becomes the woman’s only way to have her own pregnancy and childbirth. Reproductive Endocrinologists want to guide part or all of a woman’s reproductive cycle. Many will first administer hormones to stop your normal menstrual cycle. Most will inject (or ask you to inject) ovarian-stimulating medications to increase egg production. They will then harvest (surgically extract) several of the best eggs. Using a microscope, they examine the resulting follicles to determine the best candidates for fertilization. Your doctor fertilizes one or more eggs by introducing sperm, then re-inserts the best fertilized eggs into your reproductive tract, hoping they will result in full-term pregnancies. Your doctor may suggest you freeze some eggs or embryos to use if the IVF is unsuccessful or later in life, or may ask if you would like them destroyed.
Procedure: IVF after Clear Passage® Pregnancy Rate overall: 56.16%Pregnancies by age group are shown in the graph below. Cost: $21,500 to $36,500 (CP at $6,500, then IVF at $15,000 to $30,000)
Indication: Blockage anywhere in either or both tubes
Notes: The pregnancy rate of IVF after Clear Passage® (56.16%) is nearly double (1.8 times) the rate of IVF alone.
Timing: CP therapy should be completed at least two weeks before the start of ovarian-stimulating medications. IVF embryo transfer must be performed within 15 months of CP therapy. With this 15-month gap, some women choose to start with CP therapy, knowing that it will improve their chances of a subsequent IVF if CP therapy (alone) does not result in the child they desire.
Procedure: This requires two successive procedures, CP’s hands-on therapy followed by IVF. Review the Procedure descriptions for Clear Passage® and for IVF above.
What Are Blocked Tubes?
To ensure proper function of your reproductive structures, your doctor has almost certainly ordered an X-ray dye test (hysterosalpingogram, or HSG) or ultrasound to investigate whether your fallopian tubes are patent, meaning that your tubes are open. If one or both tubes are partially or completely blocked, egg and sperm cannot meet easily or at all, complicating or preventing a natural pregnancy.
Conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) from sexually transmitted infections, surgery, or injury to your vagina, coccyx (tailbone), low back, or pelvis, and endometriosis can all cause the internal scarring that may block fallopian tubes.
Your body’s first response to tissue damage is to lay down a random pattern of small but powerful strands of collagen. These fibers create an internal scar called an adhesion, which helps isolate the injured tissue so your body’s immune system can continue the healing process. Our bodies do not have a way to dissipate adhesions once this process is complete. Even small adhesions can close the tiny passages designed to carry single-celled sperm and eggs. When adhesions form on and within the opening of a fallopian tube, they can act like glue or a stopper, partially or completely closing the passageway.
Total vs. Partially Blocked Tubes
In a totally blocked tube, sperm and egg will never meet to create a natural pregnancy. Natural pregnancy cannot occur unless the tube is first opened by surgery or manual physical therapy (discussed further down this page).
Partial blockage can be dangerous because your fertilized egg can become trapped and implant on the inner wall of the tube rather than the wall of the uterus. Referred to as an ectopic pregnancy, this can be life-threatening and never creates a viable pregnancy. Generally diagnosed by pelvic pain and pregnancy test, an astute ER physician can inject methotrexate, a drug that kills the embryo but may save your tube. If you ever develop pelvic pain bad enough to send you to the ER, be sure to inform the doctor if there is a chance you may be pregnant. If not caught early, your tube may be damaged beyond repair and could potentially have to be removed, often via emergency surgery.
Swollen Tubes (Hydrosalpinx)
The doctor may find a tube is swollen, filled with a liquid that creates a ‘lake’ inside your tube, like a river that swells beside a dam. Reproductive physicians are concerned that even with an assisted pregnancy such as IVF, the liquid might seep down and interfere, possibly resulting in miscarriage. Thus, they generally recommend surgically removing a swollen tube to avoid potential complications.
Symptoms of Blocked Fallopian Tubes
Blocked fallopian tubes can be difficult to diagnose because many women don’t show any symptoms until trying to become pregnant. Although blocked tubes don’t often cause symptoms, here are some that you may notice.
Persistent pain on one side of the abdomen
Inability to become pregnant after 12 months of intercourse without contraception
Causes of Blocked Fallopian Tubes
Fallopian tubes are the delicate environment where life begins. Each of these two miraculous structures provides a safe place for your one-celled egg to meet your partner’s sperm, and to create a life that will continue its journey to implantation in the uterus. As such, this tiny organ must be able to function freely and without restriction for a pregnancy to occur.
Tubal disease, generally defined as a blocked fallopian tube or tubal occlusion, accounts for 20% to 30% of all female infertility. The primary cause of tubal blockage is internal scarring (adhesions). These glue-like bonds form in the reproductive tract as the body’s initial response to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, sexually transmitted infection, a prior surgery, or ectopic pregnancy.
After adhesions first form, they can remain in the body for a lifetime. When they form at the distal end of the tube (near the ovary), they can cause swelling of the tube in a condition called hydrosalpinx. Adhesions can form or spread into any part of the tube and anywhere in the pelvis. Wherever they form, they can squeeze reproductive structures or attach them to other structures, further decreasing fertility.
Adhesions are considered the primary cause of blocked fallopian tubes. Published studies in respected medical journals show that we open blocked tubes in most women. Once we do, most women become pregnant.
Studies indicate we can clear blockages that occur anywhere in the tube. As shown here, tubes are often blocked proximally – at the opening to the uterus. The therapy has also cleared tubes blocked by adhesions in the mid-tube. When we open tubes that are blocked at the end, function returns to the fimbriae, delicate flower-like petals that grasp the egg.
Did I do this to myself? It is a question we sometimes hear. It is impossible to know exactly what blocked your tubes. With all its bumps and bruises, life’s healing events occur at different places in the body, causing adhesions that can spread to various locations within the body.
Your reproductive structures are designed to create and support the growth of life. Its warm, moist environment is perfect to harbor bacteria that can grow into a significant or even mild infection. Items entering the vagina over time (a partner, a tampon, a device, etc.) are not always sterile. There is a high likelihood that an infection will develop at some point over the span of any woman’s lifetime. Even undetected infections can spread up into the uterus and tubes from the time you are born.
Do not lose hope; you still have choices. We suggest you accept yourself and love the body you have, then learn all you can to create the life and family you want. Using your brain, heart, and intuition, give yourself permission to move forward to create the life and family you envision for yourself now, and for the future.
“I thought you might like to know that my FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) level came down from 12.6 (before I went to you) to 8.1 (after therapy with you). This brings my hormone levels from “unacceptably high” to within a ‘normal’ range. As you know, a high FSH is a sign of diminished ovarian reserve. The FSH levels can fluctuate slightly, but I did not expect that they would go down given my age. I certainly think that CPT helped.” – Sylvie
Pregnant with High FSH
Improving Hormone Levels Naturally
Clear Passage®️ is a world leader, with over three decades of experience treating female infertility without surgery or drugs. While our focus was originally on mechanical fertility (helping sperm meet egg and helping uterine implantation), a surprising number of infertile women in their upper 30s and 40s were becoming pregnant naturally after therapy, despite diagnoses of high FSH or age-related infertility.
Our attention was further piqued when a peer-reviewed study of 1,392 women conducted over ten years showed hormonal improvement in 49% of women diagnosed as infertile due to high FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone[i]). Over 39% of women diagnosed with FSH levels above 10 conceived after a 5-day Clear Passage® session; most had natural pregnancies.
In a 10-year retrospective study from the National Library of Medicine, both natural and IVF pregnancy rates were high for women diagnosed as sub-fertile or infertile due to high FSH. Over 39% of women treated by Clear Passage® became pregnant despite FSH levels usually considered ‘impossible to conceive.’ Of 48 women in the study, 43 conceived naturally and 5 became pregnant via subsequent IVF.
Success Treating Infertility in Women with High FSH
In the study participants, 39% (48/122) of the women diagnosed subfertile or infertile due to high FSH became pregnant after receiving the therapy. This is an excellent rate in a group whose expected pregnancy rate was 0%, or close to it. Women in this study had FSH levels of 10 mIU/ml and above, generally so high that they were refused IVF by reproductive physicians.
Complete the online Request Consultation form to receive a phone consultation with a therapist at no cost. Our therapist will review your medical history and goals, answer any questions you have about therapy, and determine if our treatment may be able to help you.
Why High FSH Indicates Subfertility
High FSH is not a cause of infertility. Rather, it is an indicator of subfertility or infertility – often associated with advanced reproductive age. At each menstrual cycle, the ovary (in the pelvis) signals the pituitary (in the cranium) to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to help follicles mature into eggs suitable for implantation. As a woman’s reproductive system ages, her ovaries require more FSH to produce quality eggs. FSH levels of 10 mIU/ml or higher on days 2-5 of the menstrual cycle generally indicate subfertility or infertility, either due to loss of ovarian function or because menopause has occurred.
Symptoms of FSH or Other Hormonal Issues
Unlike mechanical dysfunction, hormonal issues can sometimes be a little more difficult to diagnose. The symptoms may appear unrelated and spread throughout the body rather than a single area of discomfort, for example, post-surgical pain.
Absent or irregular periods
Spotting between menstruation
Overly heavy periods
Very painful periods
Hair growth around the face, neck, chest, or back
Weight gain
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms along with infertility, it is quite possible you have a hormonal imbalance. It is important to speak with your doctor and have them check your hormone levels.
Treatments
Clear Passage®️ Treatment
As physical therapists, our first job is to look at biomechanics – the physical bodies our patients bring to us. Clear Passage® uses a “whole body approach” that addresses a patient’s goals along with any structural problems in the body. Focused on the biomechanics of pain, function, and fertility, we initially assumed we could not help reproductive hormone levels. Study of the reproductive system indicated that the communication loop between the ovary and the pituitary was likely blood-borne, thus out of our scope of expertise. Over time, several pregnancies in women we treated, often with quite high FSH, appear to be showing a mechanical aspect to infertility in hormonal conditions, apparently treatable by our manual therapy. Our therapy has helped some women with high FSH to conceive naturally – sometimes more than once.
We continue to see success in this area, as described above and documented in peer-reviewed medical literature. We believe this success is due to our work on the ovaries, the dura and the cranium. The dura is a fascial sheet that surrounds the spinal cord, from the lowest part of the tailbone (coccyx) to the base of the skull. From there, it enters the skull, then surrounds the brain and all the tissues and the endocrine glands within it. Sheaths of the dura totally surround and infuse with the pituitary, an important regulator of female reproduction.
We have come to believe that tissues within the skull (including the brain and pituitary) react to adhesive pulls similarly to other tissues in the body. Housed within a well-protected cavity of the sphenoid bone in the center of the skull, the pituitary is considered the “master gland” of female reproduction.
Successful reproductive activity and hormone levels depend on a medically recognized communication loop between the ovaries (in the pelvis) and the pituitary and hypothalamus glands (deep within the head). While the exact mechanism of that intricate communication loop remains a mystery, that loop (the pituitary-hypothalamic-ovarian axis, or PHO) is largely responsible for whether or not a woman can create an egg capable of conception. We find that when we treat the ovaries and the dural attachments that reach into the brain and surround the pituitary, we often witness significant improvements in FSH levels – and full-term pregnancies in women diagnosed hormonally infertile.
History Treating Women with High FSH
We began treating women with diagnoses of high FSH at the urging of a research gynecologist surgeon, former Chief of Staff of North Florida Regional Medical Center, Richard King, M.D. We gathered data by tracking changes in FSH levels for these women before and after therapy. We were encouraged in these early cases when we saw natural pregnancies in older women, including one of whom came to us at age 44 with an FSH of 33.
Because our results in hormonal conditions have been so positive, we now accept women with hormonal infertility, and we actively encourage women with diagnoses that include PCOS and high FSH levels to attend therapy, especially in the case of high FSH. We suggest you call to learn about our most current success rates so we can determine together whether this therapy may help you.
Other Treatments (not Clear Passage®)
We know of no other procedure or pharmaceutical medication that can lower FSH and extend reproductive years for women with high FSH.
Published Success Rates
Following the Scientific Method
In all of our studies, we follow the ‘scientific method’ defined by professional researchers. We start with clinical data. If that indicates safety and efficacy for a group or condition, we create larger pilot studies. If these continue to indicate success, we will begin studying results in larger populations.
When we first began treating infertile women with our manual therapy, the Clear Passage® approach, we learned we could often help the mechanics of sperm meeting egg by decreasing or eliminating mechanical problems such as adhesions, blocked fallopian tubes, tightness or stenosis of the cervix, and endometriosis. Because we had no data at the time showing we could treat hormonal conditions such as high FSH or PCOS, we regularly turned down applicants diagnosed with solely hormonal factors. We didn’t want to waste their money or time, or ours.
Housed within a well-protected cavity of the sphenoid bone in the center of the skull, the pituitary is considered the “master gland” of female reproduction.
We discovered our therapy could successfully treat hormonal conditions after a woman we treated for pelvic pain, who was diagnosed “menopausal”, became pregnant the month after therapy. She had been refused IVF for the three months prior to coming to us, due to FSH levels of 18, 19, and 28 during those months. Yet, she became pregnant naturally a month after therapy. She had that child, then (with no further therapy) she became pregnant naturally again two years later – and delivered her second child.
First Clinical Trial
After consulting with our gynecologist advisor and a biostatistician, we agreed to accept women with high FSH into our program, with the request that they have their FSH levels measured before and after therapy. In order to create meaningful statistics, the biostatistician required a minimum of 8 participants. We tested more: 16 women diagnosed as infertile with FSH readings over 10 mIU/ml. The women in this trial averaged 39 years of age.
The trial indicated that our therapy was effective for women diagnosed with high FSH, when six of the 16 (38%) became pregnant before they could get their post-therapy FSH checked. Of the remaining ten, nine had decreases in FSH levels, with an average improvement of 11.6 points. Only one woman failed to improve; her FSH increased by one point. Published data from this clinical trial are included in our consumer book, Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain (Med-Art Press, 2009).
Latest Published Study
In a much larger study, 39% (48/122) of patients with high FSH levels became pregnant after treatment. Of these, 43 had natural pregnancies, and 5 were by IVF. Like so many of our studies, these results closely parallel the 38% success rate of the early clinical trial. It is exciting to see these results in a population of women who were considered hormonally infertile prior to therapy. This is very good news for women wanting to conceive despite being reproductively older, having high FSH, or approaching menopause.
Published success rates for High FSH are stated in the text above. Click here to view all of our infertility success rates.
Clear Passage® – Published Success Rates
A landmark study of over a thousand infertile women treated at Clear Passage® clinics over 10 years examined the therapy’s results in various causes of female infertility. In a subset of 122 women who presented with FSH above the 10 mIU/ml threshold for fertility, 39% (48/122) became pregnant. Remarkably, 90% (43/48) of the successes were natural; five were by follow-up IVF. (Consult our Pre-IVF page for more details if you plan to undergo IVF.)
A large published study showed that 39% of women diagnosed as infertile due to High FSH became pregnant after receiving CP therapy.
Many physicians consider our success with these women remarkable; simply put, they should not have been able to conceive. In fact, few options in medicine exist to help women with high FSH to have their own child.
15 failed IUIs, 7 failed IVFs, 2 children after Clear Passage®
“I feel 100% better than I did before your therapy. Anyone who has gone through extensive fertility treatments can appreciate the wonderful environment you provide at Clear Passage®. After going through your program, I don’t know how anyone can go through fertility treatments without first getting their body as close to 100% as possible.” – Hailey
Increasing IVF Success with Pre-Transfer Therapy
Severe Endometriosis, 15 failed IUIs, 7 failed IVFs, then two children after Clear Passage®!
Clear Passage®️ is a world leader with over two decades of experience improving female fertility, including treatment prior to IVF embryo transfer. As early as 2004, a study in WebMD’s Medscape General Medicine indicated that our manual therapy increased IVF results. Some of our highest pregnancy rates were in women between 35 and 45 years of age who had experienced several prior failed IVF cycles.
Our work addresses the physical quality, mobility, and motility of your reproductive organs in ways your reproductive physician cannot do. The results of our focus on helping these organs are clearly shown in the video below.
Compared to the US national post-transfer success rate (shown in gray), CP therapy (in teal) significantly increased IVF pregnancy rates in every age group when performed before embryo transfer. Rates among women over 40 were three to five times the national average.
In 2015, we collected data on these success rates and published results in a 10-year study of 1392 infertile women. (Rice et al., 2015a) The results of that study were eye-openers. IVF pregnancy rates averaged 56% across all age groups. Among other surprises, women over 42 were nearly five times as likely to become pregnant with IVF if they received Clear Passage®️ therapy before embryo transfer (p<.0001). You can read exact statistics grouped by age below, or at our Success Rates page.
Please complete a Medical History Form so we can review your case and advise whether we feel we can help you.
Pre-IVF Therapy Overview
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a remarkable and complex process in which sperm and egg are united outside the body and transferred into a woman’s reproductive tract. While success rates of IVF have steadily increased since the first successful transfer in 1978, IVF success rates remain around 31% as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). You can view a chart that compares CP therapy (alone and with IVF) to IVF rates alone on this page.
Our earliest Infertility studies with pre-IVF data included 25 women and were published in 2004. (Wurn et al., 2004a) By the time the early pilot study closed, 60% (15/25) of the women had conceived or were still pregnant.
In a larger, landmark 10-year study of over 1,000 infertile women treated at Clear Passage®️ for various types of infertility, the overall IVF pregnancy rate was 56.16% (82/146) (Rice et al., 2015a) for women who had Clear Passage®️ therapy before IVF transfer. Calculated across all age groups, this rate is much higher than the rate for IVF alone.
IVF physicians may stimulate the ovaries with medications to increase egg production. After extraction, the eggs are united with sperm and placed inside the reproductive tract.
Treatment
Clear Passage®️ Treatment
Our manual therapy appears to assist IVF transfer in several ways — some documented, some assumed.
Documented improvements:
improved hormone levels
decreased adhesions in the reproductive tract
improved cervical mobility and ease of transfer
Assumed actions:
Improved implantation by decreasing uterine spasm
increased blood flow to the ovaries, uterus, and possibly pituitary
improved implantation by decreasing microadhesions on and within the uterine wall
One focus of Clear Passage®️ therapy is to decrease tiny adhesive cross-links at the cervix and uterus – to decrease spasm and create a more hospitable surface for implantation.
As we go through life, all people develop adhesions (internal scars) as our bodies heal from life events. The female reproductive tract is subject to infection, inflammation, trauma, and surgery. When bacteria or items enter the vagina from the outside world, the delicate internal tissues can become subjected to microtrauma. These generate adhesions as the body begins to heal. Many women have a contributing history of infection (bladder, yeast, vaginal, etc.) or more serious trauma (falls onto buttocks, accidents, abuse). The body lays down collagen fibers – the building blocks of adhesions, as the first step in healing from any of these events. After the body has healed, the collagen fibers remain, binding tissues that should move freely. Clear Passage®️ therapists are experts at deforming and detaching these fibers, returning the body to an earlier state of mobility and function. In doing this, it returns fertility to many women.
The decision to undergo IVF is a serious one. You may find it educational to watch the video below of a patient who compares undergoing treatment at Clear Passage® to her experience undergoing In Vitro fertilization.
In summary, our site-specific hands-on therapy appears to decrease spasm and mechanical factors (such as adhesions) at the uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes. Statistical data show that the therapy increases implantation rates and improves FSH levels. Fully 39% of women with FSH levels above 10 (the cut-off for many reproductive physicians) conceived after receiving CP therapy; the great majority had natural pregnancies. Two separate scientific studies showed clinical pregnancy rates significantly higher than the U.S. pregnancy rates for IVF, for women who received Clear Passage®️ therapy before embryo transfer. Please visit ourinfertility success rates page for more data.
Surgeries may add to the problem since adhesions form as the first step in the healing process, forming at the site of the procedure and often spreading into nearby structures. Adhesions can form on the outer or inner walls of the uterus, creating a less hospitable surface for implantation. Adhesions can also cause spasms or inflammation in the uterus, further complicating or preventing pregnancy.
Adhesions from endometriosis, inflammation, infection, or surgery can form on or within any of the reproductive structures. When they do, they act like glue, decreasing that organ’s ability to function properly.
Adhesions deep within the cervix can cause tightness at the opening of the uterus, called stenosis of the cervix, also known as a stenotic cervix. These tiny adhesions can constrict the cervix, making sperm transfer (whether through intercourse, IUI, or IVF) more difficult. Any adhesive pull of the cervix from its normal midline position can cause spasms in the uterus, decreasing the chance for good uterine implantation and a successful pregnancy. Cervical adhesions can create a pull on the uterus with every step a woman takes, causing further spasms and uterine adhesions.
Some women have been diagnosed by their physician with cervix stenosis (narrowing) or fibrosis (stiffness), evidenced by palpation, which leads to difficult IVF transfers. We have found that these conditions are caused by tiny adhesions attaching to muscle cells within the body of the cervix. When we treat the area, we find that positive changes are generally palpable to us and to the patient’s physician. IVF transfer then becomes easier, and implantation rates appear to increase significantly, per published studies.
Belinda Treating Back Pain
Does Your History Include Any of These?
Adhesions form whenever and wherever the body heals. Because they are composed of microscopic collagen fibers, which often can’t be seen by diagnostic tests (MRI, CT, X-ray), these tiny but powerful fibers are often undetectable. Once formed, adhesions can act like straitjackets, binding structures that need to move freely, decreasing your reproductive tract’s ability to function properly.
If your medical history consists of any of the following, you may benefit from our therapy:
Surgery
Infection
Inflammation
Endometriosis
Menstrual pain
Intercourse pain
Cervical Stenosis
Hip pain or stiffness
Pelvic or low back pain
Physical or sexual abuse
Cycle Timing
Therapy consists of a 20-hour program, which can be completed in as little as five days. For best results, you should receive therapy within 15 months before your IVF transfer. We can treat you up to two weeks before you begin ovarian stimulation (the start of your follicle-stimulating medication) or up to two weeks before transfer for an unstimulated cycle.
Considering the remarkable advantage our study participants had over IVF patients who did not receive therapy first, you may want to postpone a planned IVF cycle for a month or two to attend therapy first. Since the positive effects of therapy on IVF transfer appear to last for over a year, you do not need to receive IVF transfer immediately after therapy. Published data indicate you should attend our therapy between two weeks and 15 months prior to your IVF transfer. (Wurn et al., 2004a)
How to Increase Your Chances of IVF Success
Quit smoking
Reduce your stress
Optimize sperm health
Maintain a healthy weight
Look into taking supplements
Focus on persistence and patience
Ensure you have adequate levels of vitamin D
Partner with an excellent doctor and an embryology laboratory
Published Success Rates
To view our published success rates in treating women’s infertility, including pre-IVF treatment, please visit our Infertility Success Rates page.
Compared to the US national success rate (shown in gray), CP Therapy (in teal) significantly increased success rates for IVF in every age group when performed within 15 months of embryo transfer. Rates among women over 40 were three to five times the national average.
Testimonials
To read testimonials from previous patients who used Clear Passage®️ as a pre-treatment for IVF, please visit our patient testimonial page.
Hands-On Physical Therapy Matches or Exceeds Medical Success for Female Infertility
We are thrilled to announce that in a study of 1,392 infertile women treated at Clear Passage® during a period of 10 years, our therapy was found to be equivalent to or exceed standard medical treatments for common causes of female infertility, including both hormonal and mechanical conditions (e.g., blocked fallopian tubes). The multi-site study, which will be published in the peer-reviewed journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine (May/June, 2015), is now housed in the U.S. Library of Medicine and available here.
Among the highlights of the study:
BLOCKED FALLOPIAN TUBES – We opened totally blocked fallopian tubes in 69% of women who had never undergone prior tubal repair. The overall success rate for opening blocked tubes was 61%. Of the women whose tubes we opened, 57% became pregnant – double the success rate for surgery.
PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome) – PCOS is a common hormonal problem often causing a failure to ovulate. At 54%, Clear Passage® pregnancy rates were about double the rates achieved by surgery (33%) or medications (22%).
ENDOMETRIOSIS – At 43%, pregnancy rates were approximately equivalent to surgical success rates – but without the risks or costs of surgery. In a study published in 2014, endo pain relief achieved with Clear Passage® treatment lasted at least as long as was reported with pain relief achieved via surgery, a year after the procedures.
PRE-IVF – Women who underwent IVF after therapy had a 50% higher success rate than the national average (56% with Clear Passage®, 37% without). Women aged 40 or older who underwent Clear Passage® therapy before IVF had success rates three to five times the national IVF success rate. (Rice et al., 2015a)
HIGH FSH – We had a 39% pregnancy rate for women diagnosed subfertile or infertile due to high FSH, which occurs as the body approaches menopause. There is currently no medical treatment for high FSH.
The therapy focuses on decreasing adhesions – the internal scars that form in the body after surgery or infection. Richard King, M.D., a gynecologist-surgeon and Medical Director for the study, said, “This landmark study can profoundly change the way physicians treat infertility in women. The treatment appears to reverse adhesive bonding and allow structures to move more freely, as they did earlier in life. When that happens, reproductive function clearly improves dramatically.” Read the full study here.
