Overview Causes Symptoms Treatment
What is pre-IVF treatment?
Pre-IVF therapy refers to any treatment done before starting an In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) cycle with the goal of optimizing the body for a successful full-term pregnancy. It focuses on improving the conditions that support ovulation, egg quality, uterine health, hormone balance, and overall reproductive function, so the IVF process has a higher chance of success.
Common Related Conditions
Causes of infertility
Infertility can arise from a wide range of biological, structural, and hormonal factors that interfere with normal reproductive function. Common causes include ovulation disorders such as PCOS, diminished ovarian reserve, or hormonal imbalances that prevent regular egg release. Structural issues such as blocked fallopian tubes, pelvic adhesions from prior surgery, infection, endometriosis, or uterine abnormalities such as fibroids, polyps, or scar tissue can physically hinder conception or implantation. Systemic conditions such as thyroid disorders, high prolactin levels, autoimmune issues, insulin resistance, and metabolic dysfunction can further disrupt the delicate reproductive system.
Age-related declines in egg quality, lifestyle factors like smoking or extreme weight changes, and exposure to environmental toxins may also play a significant role. In some situations, no clear cause can be identified, leading to a diagnosis of unexplained infertility.
Male factor infertility, including low sperm count, reduced motility, or blockages, also contributes to many cases. Clear Passage® does not treat male infertility; we recommend you consult a healthcare professional.
Symptoms of pre-IVF treatment
- Difficulty getting pregnant after 12 months of unprotected intercourse (or 6 months if over age 35)
- Irregular, infrequent, or absent menstrual periods
- Very heavy, very light, or unusually painful periods
- Signs of hormonal imbalance (acne, excess hair growth, scalp hair thinning, weight changes)
- Pain during intercourse
- Chronic pelvic pain
- History of pelvic infections or STIs
- Unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Hot flashes or night sweats (possible ovarian reserve issues)
- For men: low libido, erectile dysfunction, or issues with ejaculation
- For men: pelvic, testicular, or scrotal pain
- For men: reduced facial or body hair (possible low testosterone)
Pre-IVF treatment
Clear Passage® Therapy has been very effective when given within 15 months before initiating an IVF cycle. Published IVF pregnancy rates for women who receive the Clear Passage® Pre-IVF Program prior to embryo transfer show a 50% increase in IVF pregnancies over SART national success rates. Pregnancy rates were significantly higher in every age group, with rates five to nine times the national average in women aged 40 and above.
As physical therapists, Clear Passage® therapists have worked hand-in-hand with physicians for decades. Doctors may send challenging patients to us prior to initiating a cycle, or ask us to train a team of therapists to work directly for them on-site within their facilities. Published data show that Clear Passage® can assist reproductive physicians and improve IVF pregnancy rates by addressing areas no other therapy treats.
Decreasing adhesions. If bacteria enter the vagina, they can grow and proliferate throughout the vagina and onto its walls. Bacteria can easily move from the vagina into the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, complicating reproduction in a variety of ways.
The body’s natural response to bacterial infection is to send in tiny strands of collagen to cover and isolate the bacteria by forming an internal scar called an adhesion. These tiny but powerful glue-like structures can bind reproductive tissues, causing pelvic pain and decreasing the ability to conceive. In published studies, Clear Passage® Therapy has been shown to decrease these internal adhesions, with consequent pain decrease and significant increases in pregnancy rates.
Improving the HPO Axis. In a 10-year study treating over a thousand infertile women, researchers were shocked to find a nearly 40% pregnancy rate in reproductively older women treated at Clear Passage® Therapy. Easy first and second pregnancies were reported among this group, who would normally be refused IVF due to high FSH hormone levels. Researchers believe these positive outcomes were due to the therapy’s full-body approach. This includes decreasing pressure on the dura, an enveloping sock that starts at the tailbone (coccyx), then proceeds up into the cranium, where it surrounds the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. They believe these remarkable results were due to the therapists’ decreasing pressures on the dura and HP glands, allowing cranial structures to regain their normal anatomy and function without undue pressures from adhesions along the dura.
Cervical Stenosis. In some cases, we find a patient’s cervix is narrowed, hardened, or adhered to the vaginal wall. This not only makes transfer difficult for the doctor, but it can also cause a physical pull-up into the uterus with every step the woman takes. This recurrent pull can cause adhesions or spasm within the uterus above, complicating embryo transfer, uterine implantation, or both. We commonly find and treat cervical problems that interfere with successful implantation. No longer bound by glue-like adhesions, the body can return to a prior state of anatomy and function.
Decreasing Uterine Spasm. Adhesions can form on the inner walls of the uterus, constricting the walls of this highly muscular organ or pulling its sides together, mimicking an early state of Asherman’s Syndrome. Untreated, the strong pull of these cross-links can cause spasm in the uterus, complicating a successful transfer and implantation. ‘Before and After’ films from our published studies show this happening, along with our ability to reverse that situation and return the uterus to its normal anatomy, consequently with improved function.
Improving Implantation. Invisible to diagnostic tests, microscopic strands of collagen act as the building blocks of adhesions. These strands rush in as the body’s natural response to bacteria, surgery, inflammation, or infection. Binding to each other with glue-like cross-links, these strands can form blanket or curtain-like structures on the wall of the uterus, creating a less hospitable surface for implantation. Decreasing these internal scars without surgery has been the focus of Clear Passage® Therapy since our Founders first started investigating the phenomenon in the mid-1980s. By decreasing and eliminating these microscopic internal scars, we return the uterus to an earlier state of supple walls, more capable of accepting a fertilized egg.
Decreasing and Preventing Miscarriage. All three of the prior paragraphs cite ways in which this therapy decreases and prevents miscarriage, with a non-invasive hands-on therapy shown to be safe and effective in well-respected peer-reviewed medical studies.
The pre-IVF therapy Clear Passage® Program 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.
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.
Condition Specific Disclaimer:
Clear Passage® Therapy is a unique and non-invasive manual physical therapy designed to reduce adhesions and improve mobility in the reproductive structures. While some patients report improved reproductive function and enhanced IVF outcomes, no therapy can guarantee pregnancy, successful fertilization, improved egg quality, or successful IVF results. Outcomes vary widely based on each individual’s medical history, diagnosis, and overall reproductive health.
Clear Passage® is not a substitute for medical evaluation, fertility medications, or assisted reproductive technologies. All patients should continue working closely with their reproductive endocrinologist or fertility specialist to determine the most appropriate medical and procedural care. For best results, decisions regarding IVF timing and treatment plans should be made as a team between Clear Passage® therapists and your physician.
Testimonials:
To read Clear Passage® Therapy patient success stories, please visit our Testimonials page.