Tag Archive for fertility

A “Hands-On” Physical Therapy Replaces Infertility Surgery

December 1, 2011 alishiac 3 comments

A manual physical therapy protocol (Wurn Technique®) continues to show good results for

Physical therapist Belinda Wurn studies before and after x-rays of a patient who came to a Clear Passage clinic after being diagnosed by her physician with two severely blocked fallopian tubes.

women diagnosed infertile due to adhesions or blocked fallopian tubes,according to authors of a recent study. The therapy, considered innovative because it requires neither surgery nor drugs, focuses on decreasing the scars and adhesions that contribute to female infertility, and block fallopian tubes.

“Three years after publication of our original studies, the therapy continues to produce good results. Women diagnosed infertile are able to conceive naturally, without the physical risks and financial stress associated with fertility drugs and surgeries,” said study author, physical therapist Belinda Wurn. “Physicians are paying more attention after the work received coverage in some major medical journals,” she said.

In the initial study, the patent-pending therapy (Wurn Technique®) opened fallopian tubes in most of the women with totally blocked tubes, and most of those became pregnant naturally. A scientific examination of the therapy, performed at Clear Passage Physical Therapy® clinics, was published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, and reviewed in Contemporary Ob/Gyn. Theauthors hope to begin a larger, controlled study later this year.

Previous studies and citations on the therapy note its effectiveness in related areas, including significant decreases in pelvic pain associated with endometriosis, menstruation, and intercourse. For more information, visit http://www.clearpassage.com.

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Hope After Seven Years of Infertility

August 17, 2011 alishiac No comments

Natural Pregnancy after Seven Years of Infertility- Jennifer’s Story

My husband and I attempted unsuccessfully to get pregnant from the very beginning. Upon attending Clear Passage Physical Therapy, I had been married for six years.

I come from a large family with five siblings, including a twin sister. I love being from a large family, so I have always wanted many children. My husband has three siblings and feels the same way.

We married just a week shy of my 30th birthday, so we started working on a family right away. Early in our marriage, I suffered from discomfort and sometimes pain during intercourse. Months, and soon years, went by and I was not getting pregnant despite the fact that I had never used any form of birth control. I felt intuitively that the intercourse discomfort and pain must be connected to my infertility.

I decided it was time to visit my gynecologist to gain some understanding of the problem. My doctor said that after two years of unprotected sex and no pregnancy, I was officially “infertile.”  Wow, I never thought that it would happen to me! But sure enough, that diagnosis became part of my life.

I then began the next step, trying a fertility drug called Clomid. I tried three months of Clomid with no success. My doctor then suggested that I undergo some diagnostic tests to see if there was a physical problem.

I went through the typical battery of tests. In fact, my HSG was done on the morning of September 11, 2001. It was a bad morning in many ways to say the least! The doctors told me that I was not getting spill of the dye into one side and they suspected one of my fallopian tubes was blocked. However, because of where the blockage occurred, they could not be certain that it was totally blocked. They encouraged me not to worry because, “Sometimes this procedure opens things up, and women often get pregnant afterward.”

I left with a bittersweet feeling. I had a blockage on one side, but it could be “opened up.” Although I was hopeful initially, months went by, and I still was not pregnant. I then went back to my gynecologist, who sent me to the local infertility specialist.

During consultation, he suggested that I had two primary options; I could either do in vitro fertilization (IVF) or artificial insemination. He said with the statistics, IVF was the most likely method to produce results. As a practicing Catholic, I knew this was not a good choice for me.

I decided to speak with several Catholic priests about this. They all suggested that even though we do not always understand God’s plan, or the church’s “rules” on sanctity of  life, we must still obey as Catholics. We cannot “pick and choose” which rules to obey and which not just because they do not fit into our lives. I knew this was a spiritual lesson for me as well, and my responsibility was clear.

I thought about adoption, and would be open to it, but my husband was not fully on board. He felt that God would give us a baby one day, and that we should wait longer. Easier said than done!

I decided to buy the sticks that would tell me when I was ovulating and keep trying naturally. I used those sticks nearly daily for four years! I also tried the “basal temperature/natural family planning” method, but I didn’t have success with it either.

In the meantime, I was having chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs). I went through a battery of tests regarding this, and even received antibiotic treatment for six months. All testing was inconclusive or negative, yet the UTIs continued.

Through all of this, I couldn’t help feeling that these issues were all somehow connected to my infertility. After all, they were in the same general part of the body. How could I have occasional discomfort during intercourse, chronic UTIs, and infertility all generally unexplained? I also knew I had chronic back pain from two accidents I was in. I asked my doctors if these were related, and most said no. But I still was not convinced.

My emotions during this process were difficult to bear. Any time a friend would tell me she was pregnant, I received an invitation to a baby shower, or a baby was born, I would feel happiness for the friend, but incredible sadness that it was not me.

My twin sister married several years after me. I warned her to try to get pregnant right away if she wanted a family. After all, I was having such a difficult time and we were twins. Wouldn’t you know, she conceived on her honeymoon! She miscarried a month later, and re-conceived again within two months. Two pregnancies within three months!

Finally, in 2004, my sister-in-law was working as a medical director in a medium-sized hospital. She was receiving medical journals online, and found an article regarding the efficacy of treatment by Clear Passage. She forwarded the article to me, and I felt that this may just be the answer that I was looking for. Many of their patients also had chronic UTIs and infertility, as well as pain during intercourse. This sounded familiar!

I thought this may be an answer to my prayers, and I contacted them immediately. They gave me a medical history form to complete in order to determine if I was an appropriate candidate for treatment. The closest treatment center at the time was in a city about 2.5 hours north of my home.

When I was accepted into the fertility treatment program, I set up my first 10 hours during a holiday break. My family doctor specialized in physical medicine, and he readily gave me a script for “physical therapy” due to chronic pain, which ultimately helped to alleviate some of the cost of the program.

I began my treatment the week after Christmas in 2005. I am in the rehabilitation field myself, and have worked alongside physical therapists, so I had an inkling of an idea of whatwas to occur, but did not know fully, so I was slightly nervous.

The process consisted of both typical physical therapy maneuvers, but also “internal” maneuvers. This was uncomfortable at first, but it proved to be one of the most beneficial parts of the process. It was kind of like going to the Ob/Gyn for a check-up. The therapist was thoughtful and described what she was doing, why, and what she was finding in her assessment, and during treatment. She also explained why I may be feeling pain during intercourse on occasion.

I left feeling filled with hope and looking forward to completing the process.

Six months later in June of 2005, I went to Florida, and completed the final 10 hours. I had multiple therapists, all of whom were professional and caring. The halls of the center were filled with baby pictures, and a new mother was there showing the therapists her child. I started to cry. I felt hope and anxiety at the same time. Would this really work for me or was I just a hopeless case? Why would this work after six years of no success? Just because there are some success stories doesn’t mean it will happen to me. I was 36 years old now.

As I completed my treatment, they gave me some suggestions and materials for preventing pain during intercourse. When I returned home, I was eager to see my husband. We had a wonderful night, pain-free and pleasurable! I had a new intimate life with my husband! This was an unexpected bonus!

By September of 2005 (three months later), I took a home pregnancy test at my sister’s house because I suspected I could be pregnant. It was positive! I never cried so hard in my entire life! I felt so relieved and so filled with joy and excitement. I couldn’t wait to tell everyone. I wanted the world to know — I didn’t care about “waiting until the first trimester is over just in case.” I just couldn’t hold it in. I gave my husband a “Parents” magazine with a positive test inside to tell him our news. He was elated as well. We were finally going to be parents.

However, we were not out of the woods yet. During the pregnancy, I contracted “fifth’s disease” while working at a school with young children. I had never heard of it before, but apparently it is one of the diseases on the “don’t get this when you’re pregnant” list. So I had to have weekly ultrasounds. It was another blessing in disguise because I had a chronicled picture history of my daughter’s development in-utero.

In June of 2006, we had a beautiful, healthy baby girl 8 pounds 6 ounces. She was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I was 37 years old at her birth, and I finally had the child I had always wanted my entire life. I can’t even look at her without crying tears of joy. I am so grateful to God and to the caring, skillful therapists at Clear Passage. They not only helped me conceive my daughter, but also conceive again naturally — I’m 11 weeks pregnant!  They truly changed my life!

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New Clear Passage Clinic in Virginia

July 29, 2011 alishiac No comments

Relief for chronic pain and natural treatment for infertility will soon be available in Northern Virginia, just south of Washington D.C. Clear Passage Physical Therapy welcomes physical therapist, Kathy Hess, to their newest clinic, opening on August 1, 2011.

With over 1,000 babies born to women diagnosed infertile, and research published in major medical journals, Clear Passage Physical Therapy is expanding its pioneering hands-on treatment for infertility and pain to Northern Virginia. Opening August 1, 2011 south of Washington, D.C., the new clinic will provide a natural alternative to surgery for complex conditions including infertility, chronic pain, adhesions, endometriosis, and small bowel obstruction.

“Due to its central East Coast location, this clinic will allow patients from Boston to Savannah the option to travel to the clinic by car, train, or by air to the three nearby airports,” said Belinda Wurn, PT, and National Director for the group.

Clinic Director Kathy Hess, PT, has over 20 years of hands-on therapy skills. While her experience spans many areas of rehabilitation, Kathy has a strong focus on treating chronic pain and dysfunction over the last two decades. Her expanded role with Clear Passage now includes treatment of female infertility, post-surgical adhesion pain, and small bowel obstruction – a common life-threatening condition.



The therapy she will provide, the Wurn Technique®, has been featured in major medical journals for its ability to improve fertility, decrease pain and open blocked fallopian tubes. Her certification will allow the merger of her extensive experience with the pioneering work of the Wurns in their continuing efforts to research uncharted areas of non-surgical therapy. Recent clinical data shows the therapy’s success in clearing small bowel obstruction, a condition previously treatable only by surgery.

About Clear Passage Physical Therapy

Clear Passage Physical Therapy is a network of high quality physical therapy clinics specializing in hands-on treatment of women’s health conditions, adhesions, and chronic pain. Clear Passage treats patients from all over the world. “About 20 percent of our patients are healthcare professionals,” Wurn said.

Clear Passage was co-founded by therapists Larry and Belinda Wurn, a husband and wife team. It was born from Belinda’s own personal experiences and quest for relief from debilitating adhesion pain after surgery to remove cancer.

About the Wurn Technique

The Wurn Technique is a hands-on soft tissue manual therapy developed to treat adhesions, female infertility, pain, endometriosis, and small bowel obstruction. This therapy is practiced exclusively at Clear Passage Physical Therapy clinics.

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Fourth Times a Charm

July 29, 2011 alishiac No comments

Natural Pregnancy after Three Unsuccessful IVFs – Faith’s Story

After trying to conceive for over a year, I started down the path of infertility treatments. I was 35 years old and the doctors reminded me that I was getting “old.” I started with IUI treatments (two), but when both failed the doctors told me I should start IVF treatments.

I had my first IVF and had three embryos transferred. A few months later, I started experiencing a lot of pain. I went to the hospital and the doctor discovered one of the embryos had implanted in my right tube causing an ectopic pregnancy. He immediately scheduled me for surgery to remove the tube.  After the surgery, the doctor told me I had a lot of scar tissue at my right tube and that I probably had scar tissue surrounding my left tube, as well.

Remarkably, the other two embryos were still alive inside my uterus. However, on a business trip to California, I started getting sick. When they diagnosed that pain, the physicians said that my gallbladder had to be removed. When they then checked on the embryos, we found that they didn’t make it. Crushed, I had to have a D&C as well. After the last round, my doctor again reminded me that I was getting “old” and the only way to get pregnant was to go through another (fourth) round of IVF.

When I returned home, my doctor tried to be positive and said that we should start right away on another round of IVF, but when they checked my uterus, they found that I had remaining tissue and I had to have another D&C before we could start. My second round of IVF began and they transferred two embryos, but with no success.

When my third round of IVF began, the doctors discovered that my uterus lining was not thick enough, so they had to freeze those embryos until my uterus was “ready.” When the third transfer finally occurred; it was also unsuccessful.

After the last round my doctor again reminded me that I was getting “old” and the only way to get pregnant was to go through another (fourth) round of IVF.

I felt that my body had been beat up and I was sick of all the shots. I wanted to try to heal my body and think about next steps, which is when I found Clear Passage Physical Therapy. I found their clinic online and thought it might be the right path for me after what I had experienced. It made sense to me that my body needed to heal and that the therapy was something I needed. I could feel the changes occurring in my body. Even though the IVF doctors told me it would not happen (and I was too old) I have proved them wrong!

I spent one week (20 hours of therapy) at Clear Passage’s Gainesville, FL clinic.  All of the therapists were wonderful and I could feel the changes occurring in my body. I left Clear Passage feeling that my body was in a much better state than when I arrived.

When I returned home, I thought trying another other natural fertility treatment to help heal my body. I started to see a homeopath and began yoga to get my body in shape. I realized that I needed time to heal from all the treatments and surgeries and I wanted to feel stronger.

Then a few months later, I found out that I was pregnant – naturally! I am still a little shocked because I feel great. I think the reason why this worked for me is a combination of everything, but it started at Clear Passage. Even though the IVF doctors told me it would not happen (and that I was too “old”) I have proved them wrong!

Do you have a remarkable story to tell? We’d love to hear it. Leave us a comment below.

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Finding Hope After 13 Failed Fertility Treatments

July 26, 2011 alishiac 4 comments

-Terri’s Story

In 2001, my husband and I decided we wanted to have a child. But after a year, we were still unable to conceive. I was 35 and did not want to waste any time, so we spoke with mydoctor right away. We completed a series of tests and all of the results came back normal.

My husband and I continued trying to conceive, but we still had no success. Our diagnosis of “unexplained infertility” was extremely frustrating because at least when you know a cause, you can find an answer, or you have something to battle against. I, on the other hand, didn’t even know where to begin.

I looked into natural infertility treatments and tried everything I could find. I saw an acupuncturist, tried different fertility diets, and tried massage to help relax my body. I strived to remain calm, but the more I thought about my inability to conceive, the more I stressed.

After some time passed, my husband and I decided to see more infertility specialists and started intrauterine inseminations (IUI). The insemination process was difficult because it depersonalized the act of making a baby — the wonderful part of making love with your husband. It soon became an effort, a job, a chore, and that was very sad. We did thirteen inseminations, but none of them worked.

I continued reading fertility books and read a great one entitled, Taking Charge of your Fertility. The book helped me learn more about my body and my treatments. I decided to find a new doctor. He examined our history and felt that IVF would be our best choice. However, that wasn’t an option for us because our insurance did not cover it. About that time, I read about Clear Passage Physical Therapy online. When I read about their treatment, it just clicked with me. I felt that it made sense and it could work for me. I attended treatment in 2005.

My treatment went extremely well and my therapist helped me to think positively about becoming pregnant. I think a huge part of the success of any treatment or becoming pregnant is believing that it will work. My treatment ended in early September and my period started September 10th. I was concerned that this meant thetherapy didn’t work. I knew I was getting older and my “time was running out.” My husband and I decided to return to the doctor and discuss IVF. We decided to go through with the cycle and my doctor said he would start me on medications after my next period.

The entire month, I kept thinking,“Please just start your period so we can get going with IVF.” I kept waiting and when my period was late, I decided to take a pregnancy test; that’s when I learned that I was pregnant. I didn’t have to do IVF. Clear Passage worked!

Our beautiful baby was born in 2006. After her birth, my husband and I didn’t think about contraceptives. We decided that if something happened, then something happened.

In 2008, at age 40, I became pregnant naturally again. We recently learned we will be having another girl.

I am grateful for the treatment I received at Clear Passage and that I am able to share my story with other women.

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