Listen to the live interview of Larry Wurn, Research Director, Clear Passage Therapies and co-author of Miracle Moms, with Dr. Derrick DeSilva, Jr. MD, host of Health Radio.

Click here to listen http://www.healthradio.net/archives/20091005/0941dd1b.mp3

Wurn talks with Dr. DeSilva about opening blocked fallopian tubes and treating adhesions causing small bowel obstructions, using the Wurn Technique, a nonsurgical manual physical therapy treatment.

Derrick DeSilva, Jr., MD

“Derrick DeSilva Jr., M.D. has his own radio talk show called “Ask the Doctor” , which airs on WCTC Radio in New Jersey (1450 AM), as well as his own television show, “To Your Health”, which airs on News 12 New Jersey.” More at http://www.askdrdesilva.com/

By Jackie

Our Pre-IVF treatment is custom-designed to prepare a woman’s body for an upcoming IVF transfer. A fundamental aspect of our treatment philosophy is that we cannot “fix” one part of the body. The entire body works together as a whole and in order to heal one area, we must address the entire body. Because of this approach, many women experience positive “side effects” after therapy, such as decreased pain in the back or increased sexual function. Some women who come for pre-IVF treatment experience a particularly startling side effect: a natural pregnancy.

One such woman was Rachael, who came to our clinic to prepare for her 4th IVF transfer. She and her husband had tried for five years to become pregnant, but because Rachael’s tubes were blocked by severe adhesions, her doctor told them they could only become pregnant through IVF. Unfortunately, they were still unable to become pregnant after three IVF transfers.

Rachael desperately wanted children and researched online for treatments that could boost her chance of a successful transfer. When she found our clinic and came for treatment, our therapists worked to reduce her pelvic adhesions and prepare her entire body for her upcoming transfer.

After treatment, Rachael immediately proceeded with her IVF cycle. Unfortunately, it was not successful. But a few months later, Rachel missed her period. She told us, “I couldn’t even bare to buy another pregnancy test. I finally bought it and to my utter disbelief, it was positive!” Our treatment had opened her tubes, allowing her to become naturally pregnant and later give birth to a healthy baby.

Why was she able to become pregnant naturally, but not successful with her IVF transfer? Sometimes it takes women’s bodies six months or longer to adjust after treatment. Our treatment frees tissues and structures from adhesive bonds that may have been present for years, or even decades. These tissues, structures, and organs may need time to readjust to their mobile state before full function returns. In many cases, women like Rachael feel pressured by the ticking “biological clock” and proceed with other treatment options before their body has time to adjust.

Rachael’s story is not uncommon at CPT. See Through the Fertility Ringer: Success After Multiple Disappointments to read the story of a woman who struggled with endometriosis and came to CPT for Pre-IVF treatment, only to become pregnant naturally.  If you would like to learn more about our treatment, please visit our Pre-IVF treatment. You can also learn how our treatment helps prepare a woman for a successful IVF transfer by reading Finding Success After Multiple Unsuccessful IVF Transfers.

By Jackie

“Infertility is a lonely road to walk down,” Sarah told us. She and her husband tried for over five years to become pregnant, “Every time we received a friend’s birth announcement or invitation to a baby shower, we were painfully reminded of our struggles.”

When Sarah sought the help of a reproductive endocrinologist (RE), she learned both of her fallopian tubes were blocked. The RE explained that some of her options included surgery or IVF. But Sarah told us, “I wasn’t comfortable with having surgery and IVF wasn’t an option for us because of personal and financial reasons.”

Sarah and her husband decided to take six months before making any decisions. During this time, they happened to see Clear Passage Therapies (CPT) featured on the news. Sarah decided to attend ten hours of therapy after speaking with her sister, a massage therapist, about the treatment.

Sarah’s treatment went well, but she was still not pregnant after 10 hours of treatment. CPT has a documented history that shows patients are most likely to be successful when they undergo 20 hours of treatment. After speaking with her CPT therapist, Sarah decided to return for an additional 10 hours of treatment.

Once she was finished with treatment, Sarah had another test to check on the status of her fallopian tubes. Sarah reported, “Afterward, the doctor brought in the results and showed me that the dye had gone through my tubes – both of my tubes were clear! Tears of joy ran down my face.”

Sarah and her husband later used Clomid (a drug to boost ovulation) and an IUI (a procedure that places sperm directly in the uterus) to become pregnant. Sarah told us, “After seven agonizing years of infertility, I was finally going to experience pregnancy and parenthood.”

Sarah’s baby girl is now three years old. Her full story, told in her own words, is featured in the Blocked Fallopian Tubes Chapter of our new book Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain. Miracle Moms contains over 80 patient stories, 100 images, and 700 pages of educational text to guide women through a treatment that can improve female infertility, boost sexual function, and decrease chronic pain.

Belinda Wurn treats a patient

By Jackie

Many people are beginning to note the great “exodus” from conventional western medicine to complementary and alternative medicine. As patients search for different treatments, people and businesses are responding to the increased demand. New treatments and alternative medicine practitioners are popping up left and right. It’s hard to know whether these businesses and treatments are trying to make a buck off the next “craze” or are genuinely interested in helping people.

I firmly believe that whatever you do in life, it should be something that helps others and promotes good in the world. When I began searching for a job, I wanted to work for a company that also held true to these principles. When I found Clear Passage Therapies and learned about their history, I was hooked. The Wurns have a proven dedication to helping people – they have been helping patients for over 20 years. Furthermore, their treatment was born from a desire to help Belinda Wurn return to a pain-free and functional life.

In her early 30’s, Belinda was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She underwent surgery and two months of radiation therapy. Although this regimen saved her life, it adhered her pelvis and Belinda soon experienced chronic pain. Her pain became so severe she had to quit her job. Belinda and her husband, Larry, knew more surgery was not the answer and began exploring manual physical therapy. They took class after class and then built on the principles they learned. Using the techniques they learned and developed, Belinda was finally free from pain.

Belinda and Larry then knew what they had to do: use the techniques they learned to help others. They opened a physical therapy practice and began helping other men and women who had been told their pain was “untreatable.”

It was only by chance that the Wurns learned their techniques could treat female infertility. A woman who experienced chronic pelvic pain and infertility came to the Wurns for help with her pain. After treatment, the woman became naturally pregnant – her blocked fallopian tubes had opened because of therapy. The Wurns had the opportunity to treat many more women with infertility and were amazed that their treatment could help.

To celebrate their new finding, the Wurns opened Clear Passage Therapies. I think CPT couldn’t have had a better start. A treatment to help women conceive was born from a couple’s desire to help others. The “discoveries” of the conditions that the Wurn Technique ® can treat continues to grow each year, including hormonal infertility, hydrosalpinx, endometriosis, and much more. All of these were conditions that the Wurns had no idea they could treat until they heard positive feedback from their patients.

By Jackie

Most women who experience secondary infertility would never consider the possibility that a sexually transmitted disease (STD) was the culprit. For many women, the suggestion is offensive because they have remained happily wed through their first pregnancy and while trying to conceive a second time. Other women who are with different partners are still reluctant to consider an STD because of the stigma associated with it.

But a new study released by Fertility and Sterility (Jan 2009) shows that women who experience secondary infertility cannot readily rule-out the possibility of an STD.  The study examined women who experienced secondary infertility and found that 55% of the participants tested positive for Chlamydia. Chlamydia is a particularly difficult STD to catch because it causes no visible or sensible side-effects. It can silently ravage a woman’s fertility by causing chronic inflammation and adhesions to form.

70% of the women who tested positive for the infection had an inactive infection – meaning it could have been present before the woman’s first pregnancy and went undetected. An inactive infection does not mean that a woman’s fertility is safe. The study found that Chlamydia (whether active or inactive) was the cause of secondary infertility in 72.7% of the women. Chlamydia caused total tubal occlusion (both fallopian tubes blocked) in 63.6% of the women with the infection (both active and inactive).

The study concluded that screening for Chlamydia is strongly recommended for women experiencing secondary infertility. Although social taboos around STD may make you feel embarrassed about being tested, it is well worth looking past this to find the cause and proper treatment of female infertility.

By Jackie

In Dr. Carolyn Demarco’s A Woman’s Bill of Rights, her 7th right states, “I have a right to choose natural therapies and not be ridiculed for doings so.”

It has unfortunately been my personal experience and that of many other women that this right is not upheld. Earlier in this blog, I shared the experience of Jocelyn, whose FSH level was 14.2. She refused traditional treatment options and decided to come to CPT. Jocelyn was originally discouraged from attending treatment by her reproductive endocrinologist (RE). When she asked her RE what he thought of CPT, he sternly stated it would be a waste of her time and money. Fortunately, she decided to attend and became naturally pregnant one week after treatment.

Another patient, Hannah, was diagnosed with endometriosis and blocked fallopian tubes. Her doctor told her she would never be able to become pregnant naturally. Hannah searched for alternative treatments and decided to attend treatment at CPT. Because she wanted to attend our clinic in California, she needed a referral form from her doctor. Hannah told us, “My doctor scoffed at the treatment and refused to sign the paperwork. I didn’t give up, and finally he reluctantly signed.” After treatment, Hannah returned to her doctor for a follow-up HSG. When he saw her test, he told her, “I cannot believe what I am seeing. You have the tubes of a 20-year-old that has never had any problems. There is no reason you cannot get pregnant.” Shortly afterward, Hannah became naturally pregnant and today has a healthy baby boy.

Unfortunately, experiences like Jocelyn’s and Hannah’s are not uncommon. We continually hear of women who are discouraged by their doctors to pursue natural treatment options. Luckily for Jocelyn and Hannah, they went with their intuition and were eventually able to have children. But for other women, the opinion of their doctors is enough to deter them from natural treatments that may be able to help – whether that be CPT, a mind-body program, acupuncture, or other treatment.

If your doctor has discouraged you from a natural treatment, first understand that he or she may be unfamiliar with this treatment and therefore cannot legally recommend it. You may need to provide your doctor with more information about the treatment you wish to try. If your doctor is still not receptive, it may be time to seek a second opinion.

By Jackie

CPT was formed when Belinda and Larry Wurn discovered they could open blocked fallopian tubes, thus ensuring a “clear passage” for egg and sperm to meet. In the upcoming book, Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain, Belinda and Larry Wurn, along with Dr. Richard King, chronicle how they developed a manual physical therapy treatment protocol that can decrease pain, improve sexual function, and improve fertility in multiple ways.

An entire chapter of the book is devoted to blocked fallopian tubes. The chapter begins with the Wurn’s exciting discovery that their technique for chronic pain could open blocked fallopian tube. Belinda and Larry Wurn discuss the different patients who unexpectedly became pregnant and their subsequent decision to open a clinic devoted to helping women become pregnant.

The chapter dives into the different causes of blocked fallopian tubes and explains the role of adhesions. They also discuss other conditions closely related to blocked tubes, such as hydrosalpinx and ectopic pregnancies.

It was my job to help gather patient stories for this chapter, and let me assure you, there was no short supply! There are so many women who have had success at CPT with blocked fallopian tubes, hydrosalpinx, and ectopic pregnancies that we couldn’t include even close to half! Over 15 women share their personal journeys with infertility, blocked fallopian tubes, treatment at CPT, and ultimate success in the chapter.

If you would like to read sneak previews of these and other women’s stories, sign-up for our newsletter. Please also feel free to visit our book page, Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain, and discover the other interesting topics addressed in the book.

By Jackie

When trying to make treatment choices for blocked fallopian tubes, it is crucial to understand the type of blockage. The success of treatment options vary greatly depending on the location of the blockage. Fallopian tubes can be blocked in three places:

• Proximal: Near the uterus
• Medial: In the middle of the tube
• Distal: At the end of the tube, near the fimbrea

Fallopian tubes that are blocked proximally have the highest success rate for opening with conventional treatment. Doctors generally recommend a procedure in which a catheter is inserted through the uterus into the fallopian tube. Once there, a balloon can be used to try and open the tube. The success rate for proximally blocked fallopian tubes is high, granting women a window of time to become pregnant.

If the blockage is located medially, it is harder for the doctor to access. Doctors generally recommend laparoscopic surgery, in which adhesions are cauterized and the tube is cut and then rejoined. Because it is a much more complicated procedure and scar tissue can easily grow and block the tube, success rates are lower for medially blocked fallopian tubes.

Fallopian tubes that are blocked distally are the hardest to treat. Because the blockage is located near the delicate fimbrea, a surgeon may not be able to remove adhesions without damaging the fimbrea. Furthermore, the area is harder to access and if adhesions re-grow, they can cover the ovary. Doctors generally do not recommend surgery for this type of blockage because of the success rates and instead offer IVF.

To read more about the causes of blocked fallopian tubes and alternative treatment options, please visit our website.

By Jackie

Chlamydia, often know as the “silent” STD, can cause extensive scarring and adhesions within the female reproductive tract. Because Chlamydia produces relatively few noticeable symptoms, women are often unaware they have it until they struggle with infertility and undergo extensive diagnostic testing. Although doctors can cure Chlamydia with pharmaceuticals, the adhesions and scar tissue caused by the disease will remain in the body.

The only option conventional medicine can offer women with adhesions is laparoscopic surgery. However, surgery to open blocked fallopian tubes is not always successful. Furthermore, laparoscopic surgery itself can cause more adhesions and scar tissue to form.

Nicole, one of our former patients, struggled with just this problem. When Nicole and her husband couldn’t become pregnant after three years, they sought the help of a reproductive endocrinologist (RE). Her RE performed a series of tests. Nicole told us, “That when I found out I had an undetected STD, Chlamydia. It had caused scar tissue to form around and block my fallopian tubes.”

Her specialist recommended surgery to open the tubes or IVF. Nicole sought a second opinion with another RE who suspected she had fibroids in her uterus in addition to blocked tubes. He suggested she undergo a myomectomy to remove the fibroids and he would also try to open her blocked fallopian tubes at the same time. He successfully removed the fibroids, but he couldn’t open her tubes.

Nicole then tried three IVFs, all of which were unsuccessful or ended in miscarriage. Afterward, she heard about our clinic on an infertility chat site and decided to attend. After treatment, her HSG test showed her fallopian tubes were clear!

However, Nicole’s doctor encouraged her to undergo IVF. Nicole, concerned about her biological clock, she chose to undergo the procedure and told us, “At nine weeks, I discovered I had twins, but one passed away early in the pregnancy.” Nicole later gave birth to her baby girl, Joy.

Everyone was later surprised when Nicole became unexpectedly pregnant after the birth of Joy. Nicole exclaimed, “We didn’t try anything and we got pregnant!” Nicole’s tubes had indeed opened and she later gave birth to a little boy.

If you would like to read more about treatment for blocked fallopian tubes, please visit our blocked tubes page. Nicole’s story, along with the stories of 75 former patients, will be showcased in our upcoming book, Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain.

By Jackie

When a woman receives the devastating news that both of her fallopian tubes are blocked, there is only one option that Western Medicine can offer – surgery. But depending on the location and type of blockage, surgery may not be appropriate. If a blockage is near the fimbria, surgery has a low success rate and many surgeons fear that they may damage the delicate fimbria.

CPT offers an effective treatment for women who find themselves in this predicament. I recently spoke with a former CPT patient, Tina, who was diagnosed with blocked fallopian tubes. Her doctor told her, “I would not advise surgery to open your tubes. Sometimes this type of surgery is not useful, and in your case, I recommend you move straight to IVF.” Tina tried IVF, but it was unfortunately unsuccessful. She then sought our help to see if we could unblock her tubes. After twenty hours of treatment, Tina returned for a follow-up HSG and learned that her right tube was completely open and her left tube was half open.

Tina’s story is not uncommon at CPT. Research shows that CPT has a 61% success rate for opening blocked fallopian tubes. Tina’s full story, along with 75 CPT patient stories, will be featured in our upcoming book, Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain. If you would like to read other patient stories before the book is published, please sign-up for our newsletter.