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Adhesion Endometriosis

Endometrial tissue (shown in red) normally forms within the delicate cilia on the walls of the uterus, as seen in this drawing based an electron microscope view of the uterine wall. Endometrial tissue (shown in red) normally forms within the delicate cilia on the walls of the uterus, as seen in this drawing based on an electron microscope view of the uterine wall.

Endometriosis refers to a condition in which endometrial tissue that normally lines the uterus is found in other areas of the body. It may appear on or near the reproductive organs or within the abdominal cavity. When it appears, it causes inflammation, often accompanied by adhesions that form to help the body heal from the inflammation. Adhesions from endometriosis can join structures with strong glue-like bonds that can last a lifetime (see our general adhesions page for more detail.)

Adhesions, endometriosis, pain, and dysfunction are intimately related. Adhesions from endometriosis can cause pain anywhere in the body ( abdomen, pelvis, low back). Dysfunctions such as poor digestion, irritable bowel, and infertility may also result from the adhesions and endometriosis. We believe that the pull of adhesions on pain-sensitive structures is what causes the severe, debilitating pain in many women with endometriosis.

Two of our studies (summarized below) attracted the attention of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) who asked us to present our findings to its several physician members in the fall of 2006. The abstracts were published in Fertility and Sterility (9/06).


Adhesions: endometriosis pain study:

Adhesions and Endometriosis Adhesions and Endometriosis

In "Treating endometriosis pain with a manual pelvic physical therapy," we examined adhesion and endometriosis pain at several times during the cycle

Results showed that our non-surgical therapy decreased pain at all times during the menstrual cycle. The greatest improvements were shown at (typically) the most painful times – during menstruation and sexual intercourse.

Adhesions: endometriosis sexual function study: In “Improving sexual function in patients with endometriosis via a pelvic physical therapy,” we reported the results of our therapy in women with endometriosis on the six domains of sexual function measurable by science

Following therapy, patients reported improvements in all six areas, and overall. The greatest improvements were in intercourse pain (93% of patients reported decreased pain).


Treating Adhesions from Endometriosis with Surgery

Lysis of adhesions involves surgery and anesthesia.Lysis of adhesions involves surgery and anesthesia.

Drugs have been prescribed to suppress the growth and pain of endometriosis, but they are not a long-term solution, and many of them interfere with fertility. Until recently, the only choice medical science has offered to treat adhesions from endometriosis was a surgical procedure called “lysis of adhesions.”

While lysis of adhesions can be effective, surgery has two major drawbacks:

  1. it carries risks from anesthesia and infection, and
  2. despite the best skills of the finest surgeon, the body creates more adhesions as it heals from the surgery designed to remove them.

Lancet: The British Journal of Surgery reported that 67% to 93% of patients developed adhesions following open abdominal surgery. Another study in that same journal reported that 35% 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, abdominal 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.


Treating Adhesions from Endometriosis with Clear Passage Therapies ®

Belinda Wurn, PT treats a patient with her manual physical therapy which has been shown to reduce adhesions, decrease pain, and improve function, in peer-reviewed medical journals. Belinda Wurn, PT treats a patient with her manual physical therapy which has been shown to reduce adhesions, decrease pain, and improve function, in peer-reviewed medical journals.

We know adhesions well. We faced this situation 20 years ago when the physical therapist director of Clear Passage Therapies®, Belinda Wurn, developed severe adhesions after pelvic surgery and radiation therapy to her abdomen. Unable to work due to the pain, and having seen the devastating and debilitating effects of adhesions in her own patients, she was determined to find a non-surgical way to address 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 chemical bonds that attached each of the tiny collagen fibers to its neighbor appeared to dissipate or dissolve when placed under sustained pressure over time. With this knowledge, they developed the Wurn Technique® to unravel the bonds between the crosslinks that comprise adhesions.

The “hands-on” work practiced at Clear Passage Therapies® clinics is designed to reduce or eliminate adhesions, crosslink by crosslink. It has been shown in peer-reviewed medical journals to reduce adhesions, decrease pain, and improve soft tissue mobility, without the risks of surgery or drugs.

Visit our “what treatment is like” web page for more information, or click the link at the bottom of this page now, to complete a medical history questionnaire and apply for a free, in-depth consultation.