Overview Causes Symptoms Treatment
What is unexplained infertility?
Unexplained infertility is a diagnosis given to couples or individuals who are unable to conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected intercourse (or 6 months if the woman is over 35) despite standard fertility testing showing no identifiable cause.
Common Related Conditions
Causes of unexplained infertility
Causes of unexplained infertility are often subtle or complex, making them difficult to detect with standard testing. Even when ovulation, hormone levels, sperm quality, and reproductive anatomy appear normal, undiagnosed issues may still interfere with conception. These can include microscopic problems with egg or sperm quality, early embryo development, or implantation difficulties. Subtle immune system or biochemical imbalances may prevent fertilization or embryo attachment. Lifestyle factors such as stress, poor nutrition, or environmental exposures can also play a role.
We often find tiny but powerful strands of collagen that form as the first step in healing from a prior surgery, endometriosis, injury, or infection can restrict the mobility and function of reproductive organs. Microscopic and invisible to diagnostic imaging, they can bind structures like a powerful internal glue when they form within the delicate tissues of the female reproductive tract. These micro-adhesions can constrict or bind a woman’s reproductive structures to other structures, causing unexplained infertility and sometimes pain.
Mechanically, the delicate female reproductive organs can lose function due to these adhesive bonds. Initially, adhesions form to start the healing process after a surgery, injury, inflammation or endometriosis. When they form in the female reproductive tract, they create tiny but powerful bonds that attach like glue to delicate pelvic and reproductive structures. We find adhesions to be a major problem in most patients diagnosed with unexplained infertility. They can cause infertility and sometimes pain as they envelop reproductive organs in adhesive “straitjackets,” decreasing the chance of implantation or causing miscarriage. Adhesions located in or near the reproductive tract can impact fertility in numerous ways.
Examples include:
- Adhesions on the uterine walls and ligaments can cause uterine spasms or inflammation, preventing implantation or causing miscarriage.
- Adhesions within the tissues of the cervix can cause stenosis of the cervix, which causes the cervix to narrow or close, stiffen (fibrosis), or create uterine spasm, any of which can impede the passage of sperm into the uterus.
- Adhesions on the surface of the ovaries can prevent an egg from being released.
- Adhesions in or near the fallopian tube can restrict or prevent sperm and egg from meeting, preventing conception.
Symptoms of unexplained infertility
Some symptoms that accompany unexplained infertility include:
- Inability to conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected intercourse (6 months if the woman is over 35)
- No obvious changes in menstrual cycle (regular periods)
- No identifiable issues with ovulation or hormone levels
- No known structural problems in the uterus, fallopian tubes, or pelvic organs
- Partner’s sperm appears normal on standard testing
- Often, there are no other noticeable symptoms, making the condition “unexplained.”
Treatment for unexplained infertility
After reviewing your history of healing events, we conduct a thorough evaluation of your entire body. We palpate for areas of tension or restricted mobility, with particular attention to areas of prior surgery, trauma, infection, or inflammation. We narrow our focus to areas that could affect your ability to conceive and carry a child to term. All the while, we educate you about your body and invite you to become a valued member of your treatment team. Then we begin therapy, using our hands to find, reduce, and eliminate the adhesions, bond by bond, to return your organs to previous mobility, increase function, and improve your fertility.
No medical techniques have a 100% success rate. If you do not achieve a natural pregnancy with us, your chances for a successful IVF performed within 15 months after therapy increase by roughly 50%.
Other Treatment Options (Surgery, Drugs)
Before the Clear Passage® Approach, lysis of adhesions was the only documented choice medical science offered for treating adhesions. This involves cutting or burning the adhesions under general anesthesia via laparoscopy or laparotomy (open surgery). While lysis of adhesions can be effective, the surgery has some drawbacks:
- It carries risks associated with anesthesia or infection.
- Because adhesions can prevent the ability to see underlying structures, surgeons can mistakenly cut or burn unintended organs or other structures.
- The body tends to create more adhesions as it heals from the very surgery designed to remove them.
Condition Specific Disclaimer:
Clear Passage® Therapy provides specialized manual physical therapy aimed at improving pelvic mobility and reducing adhesions to decrease pain and improve reproductive health. Results vary by individual; no medical technique or therapy can guarantee pregnancy. We encourage every patient to consult their physician to discuss comprehensive fertility options and help determine their most appropriate course of care.
Testimonials:
To read Clear Passage® Therapy patient success stories, please visit our Testimonials page.