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Category: Hysterectomy Pain

  • Lena Dunham – The Impact of Hysterectomy on Quality of Life

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    Lena Dunham’s personal journey through a hysterectomy has shed light on the profound implications such a procedure can have on your quality of life. As you navigate through the emotional and physical changes post-surgery, understanding the potential challenges and benefits is necessary. This post will explore how a hysterectomy can affect various aspects of your well-being, providing insights and support for those facing similar experiences.

    Lena Dunham’s Personal Journey: The Decision for Hysterectomy

    Your experience with health issues can deeply influence life decisions, as seen in Lena Dunham’s story. After enduring years of chronic pain and life-altering symptoms from endometriosis, Lena realized that a hysterectomy might be the only way to reclaim her quality of life. This pivotal choice symbolizes not just a medical procedure but a profound shift towards regaining control over her body and health.

    The Catalyst: Acknowledging Health Struggles

    Facing persistent health challenges marks a turning point in your journey, just as it did for Lena. She recognized that her ongoing battle with debilitating symptoms was impeding her daily activities and aspirations. Acknowledging this struggle became the first step in exploring more drastic solutions, such as surgical intervention, which ultimately led to her decision.

    The Emotional and Psychological Impact of the Decision

    The decision to undergo a hysterectomy can provoke a whirlwind of emotions, significantly impacting your mental health. For Lena, the choice was not just about alleviating physical pain but also confronting feelings of loss and identity. You grapple with the fear of what the procedure means for your future, while also embracing the hope of liberation from suffering.

    Processing the emotional ramifications can take time; for Lena, this meant navigating feelings of grief over lost fertility and anxiety about what recovery would entail. Many individuals experience feelings of isolation and uncertainty, compounded by societal narratives surrounding womanhood and body image. Reaching out for support, whether through therapy or community, often aids in understanding these complex emotions, paving the way toward acceptance and empowerment post-surgery.

    The Physiological Aftermath: Changes in Body and Health

    The aftermath of a hysterectomy can significantly alter your body and health. Post-surgery, you might experience a range of symptoms, including changes in weight, energy levels, and bodily functions. These changes stem from the surgical removal of reproductive organs and can trigger a cascade of adjustments in your overall health, necessitating a period of adaptation. Understanding these physiological shifts is vital for navigating your well-being during recovery.

    Long-term Physical Health Considerations

    Long-term consequences of a hysterectomy include potential osteoporosis, cardiovascular issues, and altered sexual health. These risks highlight the necessity of regular health check-ups and lifestyle adjustments. You may need to incorporate weight-bearing exercises and maintain a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D to mitigate bone loss. Engaging with healthcare professionals to tailor a comprehensive health strategy is important for sustainable wellbeing.

    In addition to the immediate hormonal changes, long-term health considerations require consistent attention. Studies indicate that women who undergo a hysterectomy without accompanying hormone replacement therapy may face a higher risk of developing osteoporosis, leading to increased fragility of bones over time. Cardiovascular health may also be affected, as lower estrogen levels can influence heart health. You should seek regular medical evaluations to monitor your heart and bone density. Emphasizing a proactive approach involving nutrition and exercise can significantly enhance your quality of life and lower long-term health risks.

    After a hysterectomy, your body naturally forms scar tissue to heal — but those internal adhesions can act like tiny strands of glue, sticking organs and tissues together that were meant to move independently. When that sliding motion disappears, women can start noticing new issues: pelvic pain that feels like a deep pull, discomfort with sex, digestive troubles from the bowel being restricted, or even urinary pressure that doesn’t make sense after surgery. I’ve had women describe it like their insides are “caught on something” every time they bend or twist. These symptoms often don’t show up right away, which makes them easy to blame on age, stress, or “normal healing,” but adhesions can quietly impact daily life long after the surgical scars on the outside fade.

    Clear Passage® Physical Therapy takes a hands-on approach to this problem using the Wurn Technique®, a gentle, non-surgical method designed to break up adhesions and restore natural mobility. Instead of more invasive procedures—which often create new scar tissue—this therapy uses precise, sustained manual pressure to soften and separate the tangled collagen fibers that restrict organs and movement. Many patients worry that their pain or bowel symptoms are “just something they have to live with,” but this approach offers a way out: less pressure, better function, and often a noticeable return to normal daily activity.

    Social and Relational Dynamics Post-Surgery

    Post-surgery, your social interactions may undergo significant changes, often reflecting your evolving identity and emotional state. As you navigate your recovery journey, friends and family may struggle to understand your experience, which can lead to feelings of isolation or frustration. Open communication about your needs and boundaries is imperative for maintaining healthy relationships, allowing you to cultivate a support network that truly understands your emotional and physical challenges.

    Navigating Relationships and Support Systems

    Establishing robust support systems plays a vital role in your recovery. Engaging with those who have gone through similar experiences can provide comfort and insight, fostering deeper connections. You might also find that discussing your feelings with close friends or family encourages empathy and understanding, leading to more fulfilling relationships.

    The Influence of Public Perception on Personal Experience

    Your experience with a hysterectomy is often colored by societal perceptions and expectations surrounding women’s health. Struggling against stereotypes and public narratives can shape how you view your own choices and body post-surgery. These external influences may lead to mixed feelings about your condition, which could complicate your healing process.

    Public perception can manifest in various ways, from media portrayals of recovery to societal attitudes toward women’s health issues. You may find that the discussion surrounding hysterectomy is frequently dominated by stigma or misunderstanding, which can lead to feelings of shame or inadequacy. Engaging with positive narratives, such as recent campaigns that celebrate women’s empowerment and health autonomy, can aid in reshaping your own perspective. Furthermore, by sharing your experience, you contribute to a broader conversation that fosters understanding, potentially influencing how others approach their paths to recovery. This communal exchange can serve as a reminder of your strength and resilience, helping you reclaim your story in a landscape filled with conflicting messages.

    Reclaiming Identity: Personal Growth After Hysterectomy

    Experiencing a hysterectomy unfolds a journey of rediscovery, challenging you to confront and redefine aspects of your identity. The absence of your uterus can lead to profound personal reflection, prompting you to evaluate your roles and relationships. Many find that this pivotal moment encourages creativity and self-exploration, leading to new passions, interests, and a deeper understanding of oneself outside the framework of traditional womanhood.

    Redefining Womanhood and Self-Image

    Your concept of womanhood may evolve significantly post-hysterectomy. The removal of reproductive organs often initiates a process of redefining femininity and womanhood. It may lead you to embrace qualities and strengths that aren’t tied solely to biological functions. Many women report feeling liberated by detaching their self-worth from societal expectations and reproductive capabilities, ultimately fostering a richer self-image grounded in personal achievements and character.

    Embracing New Life Perspectives and Empowerment

    A hysterectomy can catalyze a transformative shift in your life perspective. By relinquishing the physical burden of reproductive health issues, you gain the freedom to focus on your overall well-being. This experience often inspires you to set new goals, prioritize self-care, and pursue passions previously set aside. Engaging in communities of support and advocacy can empower you to share your story, educate others, and cultivate resilience. This newfound empowerment not only enhances your quality of life but fosters a sense of purpose and agency that can invigorate your everyday experiences.

    Final Words

    Considering all points, understanding Lena Dunham’s experience with a hysterectomy can significantly inform your perspective on the procedure’s impact on quality of life. You may realize that it can alleviate debilitating health issues while also presenting emotional and physical challenges. Weighing the benefits and drawbacks is necessary as you navigate your health journey. Ultimately, you hold the power to make informed decisions that align with your well-being and life goals.

    If you’re still dealing with pelvic pain, tightness, painful sex, bowel or urinary trouble — even months or years after a hysterectomy — it could be due to internal adhesions (scar tissue) that formed as your body healed. Clear Passage® Physical Therapy offers a non-surgical, drug-free approach designed to break down those adhesions “cross-link by cross-link,” helping restore normal tissue glide and reduce pain without risking more surgery.  

    If you’re done waiting and want to reclaim comfort, mobility, and everyday quality of life — without another operation — reach out and request a free consultation.

  • Adhesions, Endometriosis, and Chronic Pain: Celebrity Stories and a Gentle Solution Without Surgery

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    You can use celebrity stories to learn how adhesions and endometriosis (endo) produce chronic abdominal and pelvic pain, why delayed endometriosis diagnosis complicates care, and what endometriosis symptoms and endometriosis treatment options exist beyond repeat surgery; this overview points you to deeper profiles and evidence-informed, non-surgical paths so you can better manage your pain and plan next steps for your health.

    You may recognize Lena Dunham’s public account of long-term pelvic pain and interventions; her story shows how surgery and inflammation can leave an adhesion in stomach and pelvic tissues that intensifies endometriosis symptoms, drives repeat procedures, and motivates people like you to explore alternatives to more operations.

    You may relate to Halsey’s description of severe endo and the emotional and physical toll of diagnosis and treatment; her openness highlights how adhesions in the stomach and pelvic scarring can aggravate pain, delay return to normal life, and prompt questions about how to dissolve adhesions without surgery as part of comprehensive endometriosis treatment.

    You can learn from Padma Lakshmi’s long journey to accurate diagnosis and advocacy. Her experience underscores how delayed endo diagnosis and invasive interventions often leave internal scar tissue, leading many to search for natural ways to heal internal scar tissue and to weigh non-surgical options alongside standard endometriosis treatment.

    Clear Passage® Physical Therapy uses the Wurn technique® — a progressive manual therapy protocol that mobilizes and separates adhered tissues to address adhesions that can cause small bowel obstruction and the chronic pain of endometriosis; by improving tissue glide and reducing cross-links, this approach offers a practical answer to how to dissolve adhesions without surgery and how to heal internal scar tissue naturally. It can lessen post‑surgical scar pain and reduce the recurrence of symptoms after endometriosis surgery. It is a misnomer that adhesions can be dissolved, but Clear Passage® DOES loosen them or detach them to increase the function of a body part and allow individuals to return to a productive life.

    Celebrity Journeys: Tales of Pain and Resilience

    Amy Schumer’s Battle with Endometriosis

    Amy Schumer has been candid about her battle with endometriosis, discussing her diagnosis, surgery, and how persistent symptoms have affected her daily life. She mentioned experiencing stomach pain and adhesions in the stomach area, which have had a significant impact on her well-being. Schumer’s story highlights the challenges of dealing with internal scar tissue from endometriosis treatment, which can lead to recurring pain. Many individuals are exploring alternative methods, such as the Wurn Technique® from Clear Passage®, to manage adhesions and reduce the risk of complications like small bowel obstruction and post-surgical pain.

    Bindi Irwin’s Surgical Journey: From Lesions to Recovery

    You may recall Bindi Irwin undergoing surgery to remove abdominal lesions and later sharing recovery challenges tied to adhesions in the stomach area and lingering endometriosis symptoms; she reported difficulty with digestion and pain consistent with adhesion in stomach and associated complications. Bindi’s story highlights a pattern seen in many surgical patients: adhesions form in roughly 60–70% of cases that later present as small bowel obstruction, and you’ll see recurrent pain that mimics endometriosis or overlaps with endometriosis symptoms. Clear Passage® therapists use the Wurn Technique® to mechanically soften and remodel internal scar tissue, offering measurable reductions in pain and improved range of motion that can reduce the need for additional surgeries and help manage post‑endometriosis surgery discomfort.

    Dolly Parton: A Country Star’s Long Fight Against Endometriosis

    Dolly Parton’s experience with pelvic pain and a hysterectomy due to gynecologic issues highlights the challenges of a delayed endometriosis diagnosis and repeated interventions leading to adhesions in the stomach area.

    Dolly’s decades‑long journey mirrors data showing many women wait years for an endometriosis diagnosis, which increases cumulative surgical interventions and internal scar tissue burden. You can look to the Clear Passage® manual protocols to decrease adhesion density and severity, which studies and clinical audits report can lower the incidence of adhesion-related small bowel obstruction and reduce chronic pelvic pain after endometriosis surgery.

    Halsey’s Honest Account of Persistent Pain

    Halsey has shared her experiences with endometriosis, discussing symptoms and procedures that have affected her pelvic pain, stomach discomfort, and fertility plans. Her story encourages exploring non-surgical options for treating endometriosis, such as dissolving adhesions and healing scar tissue naturally through techniques like those Clear Passage® uses. Halsey’s transparency reveals how persistent endometriosis symptoms often coexist with internal scar tissue that surgery can worsen; studies link adhesions to a high proportion of SBOs and chronic pain.

    Julianne Hough’s Late Diagnosis: A Decade of Suffering

    You may have heard about Julianne Hough’s revelation of a late endo diagnosis, following years of mysterious pain and multiple surgeries that resulted in adhesions in her stomach area. This has raised important questions about non-surgical methods for dissolving adhesions and naturally healing internal scar tissue.

    Julianne’s decade‑long struggle reflects research showing diagnostic delays average 7–10 years for many women, increasing the chance of repeat surgeries and dense internal scar tissue. You can consider Clear Passage® non‑surgical protocols, which clinical case series link to reductions in pain and improvements in organ mobility, potentially lowering future adhesion‑related complications following endometriosis treatment.

    Lena Dunham: The Impact of Hysterectomy on Quality of Life

    Lena Dunham made the decision to undergo a hysterectomy due to severe endometriosis symptoms that were resistant to traditional treatments. Following the surgery, she experienced post-operative adhesions and discomfort in the stomach area, highlighting the challenges of surgical intervention.

    Lena’s decision highlights how a hysterectomy can end some endometriosis symptoms but may leave adhesions that continue to cause pain or small bowel obstruction; literature finds adhesions are a leading cause of bowel obstruction after pelvic surgery.

    Lisa Marie Presley: The Tragic Consequences of Adhesions

    You might recall hearing about Lisa Marie Presley’s unfortunate experience with severe abdominal complications caused by previous surgeries. Adhesions in her stomach area were identified as complicating factors, leading to prolonged hospitalization and pain.

    Lisa Marie’s complications align with medical data showing that adhesions can cause recurrent bowel obstructions and chronic abdominal pain after multiple surgeries. You can see how Clear Passage® applies the Wurn Technique® to non‑invasively separate adhered tissues, aiming to restore organ glide and reduce the need for additional operations and the persistent pain associated with endometriosis diagnosis and treatment.

    Did Gastric Bypass Slay Lisa Marie Presley?

    Tamra Judge’s Health Scare: Unraveling the Mystery of Intestinal Obstruction

    You’ve been with Tamra Judge as she went through a scary health situation involving intestinal blockage and urgent surgery. Post-surgery reports indicated adhesions in her stomach area that mimic or worsen symptoms of endometriosis. People often wonder how to get rid of adhesions without surgery and how to naturally heal internal scar tissue.

    Tamra’s case reflects statistics that adhesions account for the majority of small bowel obstructions, often following abdominal procedures.

    Padma Lakshmi’s Advocacy for Endometriosis Awareness

    Public voice and practical impact

    In 2016, Padma Lakshmi shared her battle with endometriosis, which had caused her years of pelvic pain. She now advocates for increased awareness of endometriosis symptoms, quicker diagnosis, and more effective treatments. Lakshmi warns of the dangers of adhesions in the stomach area, which can result in small bowel obstruction. She promotes non-surgical methods like acupuncture, heat pads, and tea to manage her endometriosis symptoms. The Wurn Technique®, employed by Clear Passage® Physical Therapy, is another non-surgical method for reducing adhesions, alleviating post-surgery pain from Endometriosis, and reducing the risk of obstruction.

    A New Perspective on Healing: Community and Awareness

    Peer networks accelerate recovery by connecting you to research, clinicians, and lived experience; Endometriosis affects about 1 in 10 people of reproductive age, and diagnostic delays average seven years, while adhesions cause up to 70% of small-bowel obstructions. You can learn from others about endometriosis symptoms, endometriosis diagnosis, and endometriosis treatment options.

    The Importance of Support Networks for Endometriosis Warriors

    By becoming part of local groups or online communities, you can gain valuable advice on managing pain, recovering from surgery, and exploring alternative methods like natural healing of internal scar tissue and adhesion dissolution without undergoing further procedures. These resources also offer real-life examples of individuals who have successfully reduced adhesions and alleviated pain in the stomach area through techniques like Clear Passage® Physical Therapy’s Wurn Technique® method. Additionally, you can learn effective strategies for navigating endometriosis treatment and advocating for yourself during the diagnosis process.

    Raising Awareness: How Advocacy Can Change Lives

    Public campaigns shorten the seven-year average time to diagnosis by promoting clinician education and screening for endometriosis symptoms; advocacy also pressures insurers to cover less-invasive options. Spotlighting adhesion in stomach complications and adhesions in stomach area pain helps fund studies into methods like the Wurn technique, increasing access to Clear Passage® Physical Therapy that can reduce pain from endo surgery and lower rates of adhesion-caused small bowel obstruction.

    There are several ways to support endometriosis research and treatment innovation. You can reach out to lawmakers, contribute to research foundations, or become a part of patient registries to help increase funding. The efforts of advocates have already resulted in new clinic referrals and pilot programs aimed at finding non-surgical methods to dissolve adhesions. By sharing your personal experience with stomach pain caused by adhesions or post-surgical scarring in the stomach region, you can have an impact on policy decisions.

    Conclusion

    In order to make informed decisions moving forward, it is important to understand how adhesion in stomach tissue and adhesions in the stomach area can exacerbate Endometriosis and trigger symptoms. By delving into alternatives to repeated surgeries, such as exploring different pathways for an endometriosis diagnosis, treatment choices, and non-surgical options like the Wurn Technique®, you can learn how to dissolve adhesions without surgery and naturally heal internal scar tissue to alleviate pain and enhance functionality. Contact Clear Passage®®Therapy today to see how we can help you.

  • 30 Internal Scarring Facts for National Self-Check Month

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    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.

    1. Based on your observations about my appearance, vital signs, and weight, what is your initial impression of my health?
      1. Ask for an explanation of your blood work results or other diagnostic test results, if available.
    2. Do you have any suggestions regarding my health habits?
    3. Am I prone to certain health risks based on my family history? 
    4. Should I continue taking medications? Should the dosages be adjusted?
    5. 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?”
    6. What treatment options are available for (fill in the blank)?
    7. 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.

    1. Menstrual Pain / Dysmenorrhea – Adhesions pull ligaments, fascias, or connective tissues that attach the uterus to surrounding structures
    2. 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.
      1. This reduces elasticity, potentially pulling the tailbone forward, and negatively impacts desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction.
    3. Endometriosis Pain – Adhesions pull on pain-sensitive structures caused by endometriosis.
    4. Genital Mutilation – Adhesions can cause a lifetime of chronic pain and dysfunction.
    5. Cervical Stenosis – Adhesions can tighten, narrow, or close the entrance to the uterus and pull on the uterus, causing inflammation, pain, and more adhesions.
      1. These can ascend within the uterus to block one or both fallopian tubes.
    6. Mastectomy Pain – Adhesions can form in the chest wall, neck, shoulders, and arms, causing pain and tightness or a condition called “frozen shoulder.”
    7. Hysterectomy Pain – Adhesions can form at the surgical site and connect to neighboring structures like the intestines, bowels, vagina, or bladder.
    8. C-Section Pain – Adhesions can form at the surgical site and cause pain and tightness in the pelvic region.
    9. 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.
    10. Blocked Fallopian Tubes – Adhesions and internal scars are the primary causes of tubal blockage.
    11. Hydrosalpinx – Adhesions can cause the swelling of the fallopian tubes.
    12. Endometriosis Infertility – Inflammation that accompanies the endometrial swelling can continually cause more and more adhesions to form, impairing functions necessary for fertility.
    13. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) – Adhesions can cover the ovaries.
    14. 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.
    15. Unexplained Infertility (UI), a.k.a. Idiopathic Infertility – Adhesions are invisible on X-rays, ultrasounds, MRI, or CT scans.
    16. Secondary Infertility – A reproductive tract traumatized by the initial pregnancy or birth can result in adhesions that interfere with future fertility.
    17. Neck Pain – Adhesions can form when neck muscles are inflamed by poor posture, injury, or other causes.
    18. Back & Hip Pain – Adhesions can form at the sacral joints, causing biomechanical and soft tissue dysfunctions. 
    19. Tailbone Pain – A misaligned tailbone can cause mobility problems, constipation, reproductive problems, and the formation of adhesions that aggravate all of these issues.
    20. 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.
    21. Migraines/Chronic Headaches – Internal scarring creates unnatural pressure that affects complex pain-sensitive structures in the head.
    22. TMJ/TMD – Adhesions can cause tightness or asymmetries that affect the jaw or temporomandibular joints.
    23. Myofascial Pain (MPS) – Adhesions cause mechanical problems with the body’s structure, resulting in pain.
    24. Post-Radiation Pain – Radiation therapy adhesions cause irradiated tissues to adhere to nearby organs, muscles, bones, and connective tissues.
    25. Pain After Abuse – Trauma causes adhesions that can remain in the body for a lifetime without intervention.
    26. Abdominal Pain – Internal scarring can form between the ribs and the pubic bone, decreasing function and causing pain.
    27. 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.
    28. 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.
    29. 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.
    30. 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.

    Set up a free consultation today! 

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  • Hysterectomy Pain

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    Discover lasting relief from post-hysterectomy pain with Clear Passage® Physical Therapy’s Free Consult and Request Info – learn how their unique, non-surgical approach has helped countless women regain comfort and quality of life, and take the first step towards your personalized treatment plan today. To learn more, visit our Apply to Therapy page.

    We Treat Hysterectomy Pain Naturally, Without Surgery or Drugs

    Hysterectomy is a major surgery performed in some of the deepest parts of the body. This surgery can cause adhesions to form, creating pain that lasts long after the surgery. Clear Passage® Physical Therapy is a world leader in the non-surgical, drug-free treatment of pelvic pain and adhesions, with over 30 years of experience treating post-hysterectomy pain. Studies and citations published in peer-reviewed U.S. and international medical journals find that this physio/physical therapy decreased adhesion-related pelvic pain significantly. 

    Complete our online Request Consultation form to receive a free phone consultation with an expert therapist and learn whether our therapy can help you.

    For some women, the pain begins soon after surgery; for others, it may start months or even years after the procedure. Without therapy, most women find, the pain never goes away; it remains or gets worse over time.

    Hysterectomy Pain Overview

    The most common surgical technique for hysterectomy is abdominal surgery. To access the uterus, the surgeon must first cut through several structures, including the skin and the peritoneum (tissue enclosing the abdominal and pelvic organs). After surgery, all of the cut tissues must heal.

    Doctors generally expect complete recovery within four to eight weeks. For vaginal surgery, recovery usually occurs within one to two weeks. Either approach presents the possibility for adhesions to form deep within the abdomen, pelvis, or both. 

    Hysterectomy has become a fairly common surgery. In fact, so many women struggle with issues related to the pelvis that one in three women in the U.S. over age 60 has had a hysterectomy. (Office of Women’s Health, 2009b)

    Of the 600,000 women who undergo hysterectomies in the U.S. every year, most recover within the given time frame and return to pain-free lives. (Office of Women’s Health, 2009b) However, a study in 2007 found that 32% of women who underwent hysterectomies experienced chronic pelvic pain one year after their hysterectomy. The study also found that a vaginal surgery (rather than an abdominal surgery) did not significantly lower the risk of chronic pain. (Brandsborg et al., 2007)

    Adhesions are thick strands of collagen that form to help the body heal and repair after infection, trauma, surgery, or various other injuries. Although the body needs these strands to help tissue repair, adhesions can spread, with the unwanted side-effect of binding and restricting structures that were previously mobile. This causes tightness in many women after a hysterectomy.

    The tissues of the pelvis are extremely delicate and are meant to glide easily over each other. During a hysterectomy, the surgeon cuts or burns through pelvic tissues to remove the uterus and sometimes other structures. Tiny but powerful collagen fibers rush in to repair the tissues at the surgical sites. Attached to each other with molecular-chemical bonds called cross-links, the fibers create adhesions (internal scars) as the first step in the process of healing. Thus, adhesions form naturally after surgery. Pain and problems come when these adhesions spread. They can act like a powerful glue, binding neighboring structures – such as the intestines, bowels, vagina, or bladder.

    Symptoms of Adhesions After a Hysterectomy

    When adhesions form after hysterectomy, women can experience a variety of side effects, including:

    • Pelvic or intercourse pain
    • Low back pain (due to adhesive pulls into that area)
    • Uncomfortable tightness or pulling
    • Decreased desire, lubrication, and orgasm
    • Pain with or after urination
    • Constipation or painful bowel movements
    • Small bowel (intestinal) obstruction (SBO)
    • Cramps after hysterectomy
    • Tightness after hysterectomy

    Symptoms can range from moderate discomfort to severe, recurring pain or tightness. In the case of SBO, they can become life-threatening as adhesions block the intestines, preventing food from passing through the digestive tract.

    Intercourse pain and sexual dysfunction after hysterectomy

    Following a hysterectomy, a woman can expect intercourse to be uncomfortable the first couple of times. If a woman has had one or both ovaries removed, she may also experience a decrease in lubrication and desire as her body goes through menopause.

    If a woman feels pain with intercourse after six weeks, she may have a ‘mechanical’ problem, such as vaginal adhesions or adherent pelvic ligaments. Many women feel that if they continue to try and push past the pain, the pain will eventually go away. If it doesn’t resolve after three or four attempts, we generally find that adhesions have formed in this area, pulling or restricting the vagina or attaching its delicate tissues to nearby structures, causing pain with intercourse.

    The Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy classified female sexual function into six measurable domains: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. (Rosen et al., 2000) Although a woman who has undergone a hysterectomy may initially experience decreased function in these areas, function should return within a few weeks. If they do not, it is a sign that adhesions may be restricting the area, preventing normal sensation and function. In our published studies on this phenomenon, we found that treating the adhesions can significantly restore function in these important areas.

    Abdominal hysterectomy is a common but major surgery. The physician cuts through the skin, muscles, fascia, and abdominal wall to expose, then remove the uterus. Some physicians perform vaginal or laparoscopic hysterectomy, hoping to avoid new adhesions. We find the same types of post-surgical adhesion pain can occur with either approach.
    Whether the surgery is performed vaginally or as an open surgery, cutting so deeply into the body can create significant adhesions as the body heals. These can spread into pain-sensitive structures, causing pain or dysfunction.

    Treatments

    Clear Passage®️ Treatment

    The Clear Passage® Approach is designed to reduce or eliminate adhesions cross-link by cross-link. It has been shown in numerous peer-reviewed medical journals to decrease pain and improve function without surgery or drugs.

    We know pelvic adhesions well. Thirty years ago, our Director, physical therapist Belinda Wurn, developed severe adhesions after pelvic surgery and radiation therapy. Unable to work due to chronic pelvic pain and having seen the devastating and debilitating effects of pelvic adhesions in her own patients, she was determined to find a non-surgical way to address chronic pelvic pain and to decrease or eliminate pelvic adhesions.

    With her husband, massage therapist Larry Wurn, Belinda took a much deeper look at the etiology and biomechanics of adhesion formation. They found that the molecular bonds that attached each of the tiny collagen fibers to its neighbor appeared to dissipate or dissolve with certain site-specific manual techniques. With this knowledge, they created the Clear Passage® approach to free adhesive bonds and return pain-sensitive structures to a more functional, pain-free state.

    Most patients report significant to profound pain relief, and a return to normal life, facts that are reflected in dozens of testimonials and numerous published studies about our work.
    Clear Passage®️ offers a non-surgical treatment. Our therapists focus on breaking down the cross-links that comprise adhesions (shown at a microscopic level). As the adhesive pull is diminished, the pain disappears.

    Other Treatments for Hysterectomy Pain (Surgery, Drugs)

    Until recently, lysis (burning or cutting adhesions during laparoscopy or laparotomy) was the only option to remove adhesions in the pelvis. While lysis of pelvic adhesions can be effective, surgery has major drawbacks:

    • It carries risks associated with anesthesia or infection.
    • Surgeons can mistakenly cut off or burn nearby or underlying structures.
    • Despite the best skills of the finest surgeon, the body tends to create more adhesions as it heals from the very surgery designed to remove them.
    Until recently, surgery to cut or burn adhesions was the only choice for treating post-hysterectomy adhesions. Despite excellent surgical skills, the procedure can cause adhesions (internal scars) to form.

    A study in Digestive Surgery showed that 55% to 100% of women develop adhesions following pelvic surgery. Another study reported that 35 percent of all open abdominal or pelvic surgery patients were readmitted to the hospital more than twice to treat post-surgical adhesions during the 10 years after their original surgery. Thus, pelvic surgery itself has been implicated as a major cause of adhesion formation, and many patients become trapped in a cycle of surgery-adhesions-surgery – with no end in sight. Clear Passage®️ therapists provide the end to that cycle for many women. 

    Published Success Rates

    To view a full list of our published success rates, please visit our Success Rates page.

    Testimonials

    To read past patient success stories, please visit our Testimonials page.

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  • High Success Rates Treating Intercourse Pain, Naturally

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    We Treat Intercourse Pain Naturally, Without Surgery or Drugs

    “After years of struggling with endometriosis pain and painful intercourse, I felt relieved to find a facility that would treat the root of my problems. Everyone was so professional, knowledgeable, and caring. Thank You!” – Rosie

    “My primary goal was to become pregnant, and one week after treatment, I was! My pregnancy went very well, and I was also blessed to no longer experience painful intercourse or lower abdominal pain.” – Jasmine

    Patients often report profound changes after receiving our hands-on, non-surgical therapy for painful intercourse.

    Our therapists decrease pain, increase sexual intercourse, and restore the pleasure of intimacy and intercourse for most of the women we treat for pain. In doing so, we enrich their lives and those of their partners. We are one of the only therapy groups to have treated a large enough population that we can report our results in peer-reviewed medical journals, available at the National Library of Medicine

    Causes and Frequency of Dyspareunia (Intercourse Pain)

    Sixty percent of women in the U.S. report pain with intercourse (also called dyspareunia) at some point in their lives. (Heim, 2001) Intercourse pain that recurs or worsens over time is called chronic dyspareunia, a condition that can disrupt a woman’s relationship with her partner and cause moderate to debilitating pain at a time when most women experience great pleasure.

    For many women, the search for a cure becomes a frustrating and unproductive journey of referrals from one doctor to another (gynecologist, urologist, pain specialist). Adding to the frustration, many are told to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist because the pain “must be in your head.” But their pain persists because it actually occurs in the vagina, precisely where they feel it. As a result, we find that telling a patient that intercourse pain is “all in your head” is generally inaccurate and totally disempowering.

    Pain at the Vaginal Entrance
    When the body heals from an infection, trauma, or surgery, it forms tiny but powerful collagen cross-links–the building blocks of adhesions. These tiny internal scars act like straitjackets, attaching to the vaginal wall or entrance or other pain-sensitive structures. Robbed of their usual elasticity, the adhered tissues cause pain when a finger, penis, or other device enters instead of the pleasure that should come from intercourse.

    Pain With Deep Penetration
    Tiny adhesions that form at the tailbone (coccyx) after a fall can pull that structure forward, causing pain when a woman’s partner hits that structure during deep penetration. Adhesions can also form between muscle cells deep within the cervix (stenosis of cervix), also known as stenotic cervix, causing a similar deep pain during sexual intercourse.

    Adhesions form in response to any of the infections, inflammations, surgeries, or traumas to which the female reproductive tract is subjected. Conditions that cause these adhesions include:

    • Endometriosis
    • Physical or sexual abuse
    • Intercourse when not fully lubricated
    • Bladder or vaginal infection or inflammation
    • Vaginismus (a spasm of the muscles around the opening of the vagina)
    • Surgery (e.g., abortion, episiotomy, C-section, hysterectomy, female circumcision)
    • Trauma to the tailbone, pelvis, or nearby structures (hip, low back, etc.), such as a fall or sports injury (e.g. a cheerleading, skating, horseback riding, or bicycle injury)
    Adhesions act like straitjackets, attaching to the vaginal wall or entrance or other pain-sensitive structures. Robbed of their usual elasticity, the adhered tissues cause pain instead of the pleasure that should come from intercourse.
    Tiny but powerful adhesions can form on the inner vaginal walls, causing pain at the entrance, or more deeply when the walls are rubbed by a partner. When we clear these adhesions, pleasure returns. Without these internal bonds, intercourse feels good againーor for the first time ever. Without further tissue damage, results generally last a lifetime.

    Treatment Options for Dyspareunia

    Clear Passage®️ Treatment

    In the hundreds of women we have treated for dyspareunia pain, we usually find that tiny adhesions, or internal scars, are the direct cause or significantly contribute to their pain. Physicians often overlook these small, sometimes microscopic structures for several reasons. Adhesions can be so small that they are often difficult or impossible to view, even using advanced medical imaging such as CT, MRI, ultrasound, or X-ray. In addition, adhesions are nearly impossible for doctors to treat when they form on or within the delicate tissues of the vagina.

    Our therapists use their hands and a protocol of over 200 manual techniques to detach pelvic and vaginal adhesions, often reducing or eliminating dyspareunia pain permanently. We always work well within the patient’s tolerance level, and the patient is always in control of the pressure we use at each moment during therapy. Most of our therapy is external, as we treat the legs, hips, and other structures that attach to the areas of pain. If we treat internally, we use a gloved hand and work slowly and gently. All therapy is performed with respect and dignity in a private treatment room, following established guidelines for draping and the presence of chaperones. The patient always has the choice to refuse internal therapy, although it is highly recommended for dyspareunia. 

    We direct therapy to the areas that are causing symptoms. For some women, pain may occur at first penetration as a sharp and specific pain in one or more locations at or near the opening of the vagina. Others experience pain with deep penetration. They generally describe a broader, deeper pain as if “… my partner is hitting something.” Some women experience pain in both areas.

    Women who bring their partner along to therapy are able to test their progress during the week. This feedback can help us determine which areas are being relieved and which areas still need attention during upcoming treatment sessions.

    Some women absorb repetitive traumas and stresses to the pelvis without experiencing symptoms or negative side effects. However, some women experience significant, long-lasting symptoms, as tiny but powerful adhesive fibers rob their bodies of the easy mobility and extensibility of normal tissues. 

    Bound by adhesions, they may also experience other symptoms, such as anorgasmia (inability or difficulty reaching orgasm) and decreased desire or lubrication. When we treat the vaginal tissues, these symptoms generally resolve or improve dramatically. Our work addresses all of these conditions, with positive results generally lasting years or a lifetime.

    Adhesions at the cervix (shown above) or tailbone can cause pain with deep penetration. Women tell us, “It feels like my partner is hitting something,” and he is. Once we clear these small but powerful bonds, the tissues return to normal, pain-free structure, and sex feels good againーas it should.
    After surgery such as laparoscopy or C-section, adhesions can form on and within reproductive structures, causing pain or infertility. Once we clear these adhesions, tissues can function more normally, and generally decrease or totally eliminate pain.

    Other Treatments for Dyspareunia (Surgery, Drugs)

    Intercourse pain is an area that often confounds physicians and their patients. The tiny adhesions we have found to be the cause of pain are microscopic and do not appear in diagnostic tests. In addition, the delicate tissues of the vagina are not generally amenable to surgery, which itself can cause more adhesions. As a result, many gynecologists prescribe palliatives and pain relievers for patients who experience pain during or after sex. Typical gynecologic recommendations would be (in this order):

    1. Increase foreplay;
    2. Use more lubrication.
    3. If the above does not help, the doctor may prescribe either analgesics (pain relievers) or desensitizing gel (so the patient feels less pain). As a result, the patient is numbed to pain – and to pleasure;
    4. If the patient still has complaints of dyspareunia pain, she is generally referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist to help her deal with the pain issues. In some cases, the physician feels the pain is “all in the patient’s head.”

    Published Research

    To view a full list of success rates for treating painful intercourse and sexual dysfunction, please visit our Success Rates page. 

    Our first sexual function study was published in Medscape General Medicine (Wurn et al., 2004b), a highly respected international medical journal owned by WebMD. In that study, our work decreased or eliminated intercourse pain in 96% of the participants. These published results represent one of our highest success rates among all of the conditions we treat. That same study reported improvements in every domain of sexual function for participants, including desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm. Subsequent study findings published in the Journal of Endometriosis investigated the decrease of painful intercourse in our patients with endometriosis.

    In addition to eliminating intercourse pain, our therapy significantly increased orgasm and sexual function in our sexual function study participants (Wurn et al., 2011), as noted below:

    • 64% reported increased intensity and duration of orgasm, or “first time in life” orgasms
    • 71% reported increased desire (libido)
    • 86% reported increased arousal
    • 79% reported increased lubrication
    • 71% reported increased satisfaction
    • 94% reported decreased intercourse pain
    • 93% reported improved overall sexual function
    We consistently see dramatic decreases in intercourse pain, as noted in several published studies.

    Testimonials

    To read past patient success stories, please visit our Testimonials page.

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  • What You Need to Know About Pelvic Adhesions

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    What are Pelvic Adhesions?

    Many women are not receiving the education needed from their doctors about adhesions. Very few women even know they have adhesions. Most commonly known as “scar tissue,” adhesions are simply scar tissue that forms inside the body. Once formed, the body has no way to deal with the scar tissue, so it will remain in place and sometimes spread to neighboring structures.

    Adhesions consist of tiny strands of collagen that form around injured tissue as the body’s first step in the process of healing. Common areas of adhesion formation are areas affected by a prior infection, inflammation, or endometriosis. Pelvic adhesions can lead to a host of female health problems, ranging from infertility to chronic pain, including pain with intercourse. If you’ve had any kind of surgery, infection, injury, or endometriosis, there’s a good chance you have adhesions. We made a short guide that can help you figure out if you have adhesions after surgery.

    What Causes Pelvic Adhesions?

    You can see here that pelvic and abdominal adhesions can form all around the delicate structures of the body.
    • Surgery – Studies show that 55% to 100% of people who undergo pelvic surgery will develop pelvic adhesions. Cutting into the delicate tissues near your reproductive structures can result in a large amount of scar tissue growing around the healing site. Many of the women we treat for secondary infertility or chronic pelvic pain have undergone a prior C-section, hysterectomy, or appendectomy  (appendix removal).
    • Inflammation – Recurring inflammation is a very common cause of adhesions. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a major contributor to many of the infertility and pain cases we have treated. The constant inflammation causes scar tissue to grow in the pelvic area, often around the fallopian tubes or ovaries.
    • Infection/STIs – Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) can lead to chronic infection and inflammation, which cause scar tissue to grow within the pelvis. The longer an infection or STD remains untreated, the more adhesions will form as the body attempts to surround and contain the infection. A major cause of blocked fallopian tubes is an untreated infection, as a result of chlamydia or gonorrhea.
    • Trauma – Contact sports, car accidents, falls, or work-related injuries are common traumas that can cause the formation of pelvic adhesions. Since the body’s first step in healing is to create adhesions to contain and isolate the injury, almost everyone has adhesions somewhere in their body.
    • Chronic conditions – Conditions that don’t have a definitive cure and recur periodically are considered chronic conditions. Two conditions responsible for a large portion of pelvic adhesions are polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Both conditions share characteristics that result in adhesion formation. Chronic inflammation is explained in detail above, and abnormal growths within a woman’s reproductive tract are discussed. PCOS gets its name from the cysts that form on a woman’s ovary. Both the cysts and the surgeries needed to remove the cysts will cause adhesions. Endometriosis occurs when endometrial tissue forms outside of the uterus. Endometriomas and endometrial implants can become inflamed and cause scar tissue to form around the site, causing endometriosis infertility, period, or intercourse pain.
    • Radiation Therapy – We have treated many previous cancer patients for chronic pelvic pain because of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is a treatment that can cause significant scarring and mechanical dysfunction inside a woman’s abdomen and pelvis. We often hear these patients describe their pain as a “stuck” or “tight” feeling that won’t go away.
    At left, we can see adhesions at sites of endometriosis. At right, adhesions are shown on the inside of the uterus and fallopian tubes, decreasing fertility. At the bottom, adhesions within the muscle of the cervix can cause pain with deep intercourse.

    Symptoms and Conditions Caused by Pelvic Adhesions

    • Blocked fallopian tubes – One of the most common forms of infertility caused by adhesions is blocked fallopian tubes. Adhesions wrap around delicate structures inside the reproductive tract, preventing the reproductive system from working normally. Adhesions can restrict the flow of sperm through the fallopian tubes, preventing the fertilization of an egg. Most physicians no longer perform surgery on these delicate structures because post-surgical adhesions tend to block the tubes once again when the body heals from the surgery.
    • Hydrosalpinx – Another common tubal blockage is a hydrosalpinx. This occurs when fluid collects in the fallopian tube – generally as the result of an infection. As adhesions form at the end of the tube closest to the ovary, the tube swells, much as your knee might swell after a knee injury. Hydrosalpinx usually indicates a totally blocked tube; in the rare case that the end is open, the sperm still tend to get lost in a large amount of fluid in the tube, greatly decreasing the chance for conception and increasing the chance for an ectopic pregnancy, in which the fertilized egg becomes stuck in the tube.
    • Unexplained infertility – Adhesions don’t show up on most diagnostic tests. In order to verify that a patient has adhesions, an exploratory surgery is required to directly visualize the adhesions. Unfortunately, since most patients are unaware of adhesions, the question is never asked: “Maybe my infertility is caused by adhesions?” This can lead to many women suffering from unexplained infertility.
    • Prior surgery – Surgeries are sometimes necessary to save a woman’s life, as in the case of an appendectomy. There may be less urgency to perform surgery in the case of undiagnosed pain. In these cases, a doctor may suggest doing an exploratory surgery to directly visualize the pelvic contents. Because adhesions form after most pelvic surgeries, the very surgery to correct a problem can be the cause of adhesion formation as the body heals.
    • Chronic pain – Stuck, tight, immobile, constantly uncomfortable. These are all common descriptions we hear from patients suffering from adhesions. Because adhesions bind to structures and create constant tension, it is no wonder that so many patients with adhesions also suffer from chronic pain.
    • Sexual dysfunction – Some non-surgical treatments are available for women with intercourse pain (dyspareunia) or other sexual dysfunction. Studies on our work in this area have shown that women have an increase in every measurable criterion of their sexual health (desire, orgasm, lubrication, pain, and arousal) after being treated for adhesions.

    Treatments for Pelvic Adhesions

    Experience relief from debilitating pelvic adhesions with Clear Passage® Physical Therapy’s Free Consult and Request Info – discover how their unique, non-surgical Clear Passage® Approach has helped countless women overcome infertility, chronic pain, and sexual dysfunction caused by internal scarring, without the risks of additional surgery or medication. To learn more, visit our Apply to Therapy page.

    Few options exist for treating pelvic adhesions. Many treatments are aimed at treating the symptoms of adhesions, rather than the adhesions themselves. Following the Hippocratic Oath that all physicians should adhere to, we have always believed that a natural, non-surgical, and drug-free approach should be the first step in the treatment of adhesions. Below are the options we see that have passed scientific scrutiny and been found to be effective, listed from safest to most invasive:

    • Manual Physical Therapy – A non-surgical, all-natural treatment plan is what we consider the best treatment for adhesions. Clear Passage® has been researching and treating patients with adhesions for over 25 years. The Clear Passage® Approach (CPA) is a hands-on therapy that focuses on detaching and weakening adhesions inside the body. Helping patients have natural pregnancies, live a pain-free life, and avoid future surgeries is our number one goal.

    If you or a woman you know is suffering from the symptoms above, we encourage you to complete a contact form or call us at 1-352-336-1433. You will be able to schedule a phone consultation with a member of our patient support team at no cost, and learn whether our non-surgical and drug-free treatment is right for you.

    • Pain Medications – The rise in chronic pain conditions has been met with a rise in pain medication prescriptions. The opioid epidemic is a well-known phenomenon in America. Pain medication simply masks pain; they do nothing to address the cause of the pain. They do not provide permanent solutions; further, they can lead to severe digestive issues along with addiction and dependency. Pain medications should be considered a temporary palliative measure while the patient searches for an actual treatment.
    • Surgery – Lysis (destruction) of adhesions by cutting or burning them during surgery is one of the most common ways to combat adhesion growth. Many surgeons note that this isn’t a permanent solution and often leads to more surgeries, because surgery is the number one cause of adhesions. Surgery also has risks, such as the risk of anesthesia, complications, or infection, and “inadvertent enterotomy” in which a surgeon mistakenly cuts into or through an organ s/he had not intended to, in the crowded and adherent structures of the pelvis.

  • Dyspareunia Is Treatable – and More Common Than You Think

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    Is Painful Sex (Dyspareunia) Common?

    Did you know that dyspareunia is one of the most prevalent conditions among women? Sixty percent of women in the U.S. report having intercourse pain at some point in their lives.

    If there is one thing we want our readers to take away, it is that intercourse pain is more common than you may think, and there is no need to feel embarrassed. Acknowledging the problem and being open with your physician about it are important first steps to feeling better — both physically and mentally.

     

    Hear a Former Patient Discuss Treatment for Dyspareunia

    The different kinds of dyspareunia

    There are many different causes of dyspareunia, resulting in different levels and kinds of pain. Providing a concrete description of where and when the pain occurs, and what it feels like, will not only help your physician determine the appropriate treatment plan but also help you feel more at ease when discussing the issue.

    To help you accurately describe the pain, here is a list of commonly used terms to describe the different sensations you may be experiencing:

    • Burning
    • Tearing
    • Aching
    • Stinging

    There are several locations where the pain may occur:

    • On the outside of the vagina
    • Pelvic area
    • At the vaginal opening
    • Deep inside the pelvis (pain would usually occur during deep penetration)

    Speaking with your doctor

    There you are — sitting in the waiting room, wondering the entire time if, how, and when to bring up the pain you have been experiencing during intercourse. Sound familiar? You may be telling yourself, “It will go away, it’s nothing,” or “I’m too embarrassed.” The doctor finally walks through the door and sits on that oddly short stool. Now is the time — talk to her about your pain!

    You’ve already done the hard part – you have accepted the fact that you are dealing with a problem and begun educating yourself on what to do about it. You just learned how to describe the type of pain you are experiencing, narrowing in on where in your body the pain occurs. Your doctor has seen it all, so you will not shock or surprise her when discussing intercourse pain.

    One of the main reasons so many cases go untreated is that women feel uncomfortable or embarrassed speaking with their doctor about this very private issue. Instead of worrying about having the conversation, imagine going home knowing that you have taken the first steps toward resolving the problem. So, if you are feeling anxious about this conversation with your doctor, say to yourself, “I am one of the millions of women suffering from dyspareunia, and I will get the help I deserve.”

    Dyspareunia Symptoms

    The following are the most common symptoms:

    • Pain during or after intercourse
    • Pain can be superficial or internal
    • Pain during initial penetration
    • Painful swelling that can last for hours after intercourse
    • Burning, itching, stinging, or aching
    • Vulvar pain

    However, dyspareunia itself can be a symptom; painful intercourse can be an indicator of other issues in a woman’s body that require medical attention, addressed in the following section.

    Dyspareunia Causes

    The type of pain you experience with intercourse can help your physician determine the underlying cause.

    Causes of superficial dyspareunia

    • Inflammation or infection
    • Sexually transmitted diseases
    • Trauma to the genital area
    • Urinary tract infections
    • Radiation therapy (can cause deep pain as well)
    • Allergic reaction to lubricants or latex condoms
    • Insufficient lubrication
    • Vaginismus (involuntary contraction or reflex muscle tightening of the pelvic floor)

    Causes of deep pain

    • Infection or inflammation of the cervix, uterus, or fallopian tubes
    • Pelvic inflammatory disease
    • Ovarian cysts
    • Scar tissue from pelvic surgery, such as a hysterectomy
    • Post-surgical infections
    • Internal adhesions
    • Endometriosis
    • Irritable bowel syndrome

    Dyspareunia Treatments

    Treatments for dyspareunia – from estrogen supplements to vaginal relaxation — vary depending on the underlying cause of the pain. Treatments for painful intercourse due to adhesion-related conditions, such as endometriosis and post-surgical pain, are limited. Adhesions are bands of internal scar tissue that form as part of the body’s natural healing process after surgery, infection, inflammation, or other types of trauma. Traditionally, adhesions have been addressed through surgical removal. However, research has shown that roughly 90 percent of patients who undergo pelvic surgery will develop more adhesions after the procedure (Liakakos et al., 2001), making it likely that pain with intercourse with persist. As a result, a growing number of women are seeking alternative treatment options.

    Manual physical therapy can be an effective treatment for intercourse pain, providing relief without the need for medications or invasive surgical procedures. In addition to reducing pain, the Clear Passage® Approach has been shown to dramatically increase sexual function in women. Our first sexual function study was published in Medscape General Medicine (Wurn et al., 2004b), showing that our work decreased or eliminated intercourse pain in 96 percent of participants. Learn more about our success treating dyspareunia.

    If you or a woman you know is suffering from intercourse pain, schedule a phone consultation with one of our therapists at no cost to learn more about our natural treatment for dyspareunia.

  • Severe Post-Surgical Adhesions – Patient Success Story

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    Watch a former patient discuss her extensive surgical history, which left her with debilitating adhesions and chronic pain. You’ll also hear from her husband, describing the Clear Passage® experience from the spouse’s perspective.

    Click on the video below to play.

    Transcription

    I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997, and I had a radical mastectomy with a trans flap reconstruction, which involves taking belly fat and bringing it up to reconstruct the breast from the right side to the left side.

    I would say that within a year to a year and a half, I knew that there were problems. I was having a lot of pain, and no one could explain why to me. I went back to the doctor, and the doctor didn’t want to even acknowledge the pain. He just blew it off and didn’t want to go any further,  so I went and found another doctor who would listen to me. He went in and did surgery in the same area, from hip bone to hip bone. He removed scar tissue, but I also had one hernia at the time that they had to repair. It was 18 months after that, I started having problems again, and the doctor said he didn’t know what more he could do for me. We started looking, and through friends, we found another doctor who was able to go in, and this time, he removed the mesh.

    Then, in 2008, I had to have a hysterectomy. After that surgery, within a year, there were problems — really intense pain, burning, and running down my legs, just curling me up. I couldn’t do anything – everything was so painful. He removed clumps of scar tissue in my lower abdomen and off to the side, and I started coming back to my original self. Six months after that, I was starting to do really well; then, around eight to ten months later, I was back in excruciating pain. Across my whole abdomen and running down my legs to the top of my toes was this intense burning pain. Just walking from my bed to my bathroom, 20 feet away, was so incredibly painful, and I didn’t know what I was going to do. The doctors didn’t know what to do.

    It has been five days, and what you did to my body in five days is just unbelievable — releasing the tension, the pain, and the agony. Right from the beginning, everyone was very thorough in explaining what was going on and helping me understand what was going to happen when they started working on my stomach, where all my problems were. They went slowly, and they started stretching out those areas that were so tight.  You could feel the release of the tightness in those muscles and adhesions, and scar tissue. You just felt them release in your body. At the end of the day, I would go lie down, and the second night I lay in bed and fell asleep. When I fell asleep, I slept a sound consecutive eight hours. I don’t remember the last time I did that. When I woke up, just from the rest alone, the relief from all the tightness, pain, and tension was incredible. When you have an incision that goes across your pelvic bone, every move you make — even riding in a car — causes excruciating pain.

    We went to pain management, and the doctor walked in the door. He asked us, “Who sent you here? Why are you here? We can’t do anything for you.” It could have saved years of aging and time lost with my family, and my friends – if I had this therapy from the beginning. My life was non-existent – and now it is. Now the possibilities are endless, and I can’t wait to get out there and do them all.

    Therapy From the Spouse’s Perspective

    I thought I was going to come here and be sitting in a waiting room watching television for a week, but I was right there with her. I got to ask questions and watch. I saw how even the slightest hand movements make such a difference. I would ask, “What are you doing?” and they would tell me what they were doing. They told me when they felt the release of scar tissue. I can see that now she is going to be able to go back and work and do what she likes to do around the house — yard work, and the pool. We will be able to go back to what we were used to doing. She will be able to drive. She couldn’t even drive for months, probably a year. I was definitely skeptical prior to coming here. It just seemed too good to be true. You don’t have to be skeptical. I’m the biggest one, and I’m not skeptical anymore. It opened me up.

    Do you have post-surgical adhesions that are causing pain and/or dysfunction? Request a phone consultation with a therapist, at no cost to you, to learn more about our therapy and whether it can help you.

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  • Study: 1 in 5 Hysterectomies Are Unnecessary

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    Imagine going through an invasive surgery without being offered alternative options. Now imagine that the surgery didn’t alleviate the pain it was supposed to. This is a grim reality many women are facing, according to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, which found that 1 in 5 U.S. women who have a hysterectomy do not need the surgery. This statistic is troubling, particularly given the link between hysterectomy and chronic post-surgical pain and/or dysfunction.

    In the study, researchers observed 3,397 women with non-cancerous diagnoses for 10 months. Key findings included:

    • More women under the age of 40 had unnecessary hysterectomies (38%) than those over 40 (7.5%).
    • Approximately 40% of study participants had not been advised of alternative treatment options.

    Endometriosis—a condition in which endometrial tissue that normally lines the uterus is found in other areas of the body—is one of the most common reasons women consider hysterectomy. Yet, the study reported that women with endometriosis were among the most likely to have pathology reports that did not support the surgery.

    Whether their chronic pelvic pain is due to endometriosis or stems from another condition, we encourage women to investigate available non-surgical treatments. Our hope is that greater awareness of alternative approaches will help reduce the number of unnecessary hysterectomies.

    Non-surgical treatment of endometriosis

    Our therapy addresses endometriosis and other women’s health conditions that cause chronic pelvic pain, without drugs or surgery. We believe the endometriosis pain to be the result of adhesions, which form in response to the inflammation caused by endometrial implants. Adhesions are internal scars that the body develops as part of its natural healing process after inflammation, infection, surgery, or other tissue trauma. Our therapists use manual therapy techniques designed to deform and detach adhesions.

    We have high success rates treating endometriosis pain non-surgically. In 2011, we published a study titled “Decreasing dyspareunia and dysmenorrhea in women with endometriosis via a manual physical therapy: Results from two independent studies” in the Journal of Endometriosis. It showed that women with endo who received our therapy experienced pain reduction in the following categories:

    • 80% had reduced pain during intercourse
    • 61% had reduced menstrual pain
    • 50% had pain reduction during ovulation

    In 2014, we published a follow-up study in the same journal, titled “Update on ‘Decreasing dyspareunia and dysmenorrhea in women with endometriosis via a manual physical therapy: Results from two dependent studies.’” This follow-up report showed that participants had lasting pain relief, including:

    • significant reduction in menstrual pain four and 12 months after therapy
    • significant reduction in intercourse pain at four months and suggestive at 12 months after therapy, with 50% reporting a complete reduction of pain

    Treating post-hysterectomy pain naturally

    Our therapists are also experts in treating post-surgical pain. We have treated many women with pain and/or dysfunction following hysterectomy or other pelvic surgery procedures that often cause adhesions to form. When adhesions form after a hysterectomy, patients can experience various side effects, such as pelvic or intercourse pain and pain during or after urination.

    Post-surgical adhesion formation has been documented in medical literature. After surgery, 55-100% of patients saw adhesions form in the pelvis, and 90% of the patients saw adhesions form in the abdomen, according to a study in Digestive Surgery. As a result, post-surgical pain is common after hysterectomy — a procedure many women choose to have in order to eliminate pelvic pain. Using their hands, our therapists address post-hysterectomy pain by detaching the adhesions binding pelvic organs and tissues together.

    Request a free phone consultation with a therapist to learn more about our work.

  • Treatment of Adhesions Caused by Transvaginal Mesh: Guest Post by Drugwatch.com

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    After experiencing trauma—like surgery, infections, or inflammation—the body forms internal scars, called adhesions, as it heals. Sexual abuse, injury, or a fall on the backside or hips can all prompt adhesion formation and contribute to chronic pelvic pain as well as conditions like colitis, gastritis, perforated ulcer, or appendicitis.

    Pelvic inflammatory disease, STDs, endometriosis, surgery to correct conditions such as uterine prolapse, and bladder, vaginal, or yeast infections all incite the same bodily response—adhesions. These adhesions can result in chronic pain and pelvic dysfunction. Adhesions are like internal scars, forming strong bonds between tissues that should be free to move independently. They can restrict movement and create a pulling effect that only irritates the area more.

    Surgery Causes Adhesion Formation

    Transvaginal mesh is a medical device that is used to repair common pelvic floor disorders in women. It is implanted through the vagina to improve continence issues and/or provide support for prolapsed organs.

    Surgery to correct uterine prolapse and other forms of pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence can cause adhesions to form. In addition, hysterectomy, C-section, and childbirth can also cause adhesions.

    Surgery has been cited as the primary cause of adhesions, with between 55 to 100 percent of women developing adhesions after pelvic surgery. While revision surgery can be performed to remove adhesions, the body creates new adhesions to heal itself from additional surgery.

    Complications

    Because adhesions can form like a rope between distant bodily structures, seemingly inexplicable pain in areas distant from the trauma or infection may result. When adhesions form at the reproductive organs—fallopian tubes, ovaries, and uterus—they can cause pain and hinder reproductive function. Adhesions have been cited as a major cause of infertility.

    When the cervix is adhered to, adhesions can cause stenosis of the cervix or fibrosis, fertility is jeopardized, and sex can be painful. The adhesions can form on the ligaments that keep the cervix aligned, pulling the cervix out of position. Everyday movements can exacerbate the problem, perpetuating the cycle of inflammation and adhesion formation.

    Sometimes, adhesions can completely obstruct the intestines, causing a life-threatening condition called small bowel obstruction.

    Treatments

    Doctors may prescribe painkillers to treat post-surgical chronic pelvic pain resulting from conditions such as uterine prolapse. This may help with pain, but does not treat adhesions. If patients do not respond to pain management medications, surgery to remove the adhesions may be recommended.

    Lysis of adhesions, which can be performed via open surgery or less-invasive laparoscopy, is the surgical removal (cutting or burning) of adhesions. This can be effective, although it is usually not a permanent fix because the body will form adhesions again to heal itself. Follow-up surgery is probable.

    Manual therapy, performed by some pelvic physical therapists, involves applying pressure specifically to affected areas—muscles, fascia, organs, nerves, ligaments, and tendons. The intent of this therapy is to break down adhesions and restore function. This technique often identifies adhesive pain patterns for the therapist to focus on.

    The Wurn Technique® is a total-body treatment system that employs over 200 techniques, developed over 20 years by Larry Wurn, LMT, and Belinda Wurn, PT.  In attempts to treat Belinda’s chronic pain, the Wurn method proves that with sustained pressure applied over time, adhesions can be detached or dissolved. Patients, including Belinda, have experienced pain relief and improved function, mobility, and flexibility.

    Linda Grayling is a writer for Drugwatch.com. She enjoys keeping up with the latest news in the medical field.