By Jackie

In the upcoming book Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain, co-authors Belinda and Larry Wurn explain how manual physical therapy can improve hormonal function, help women with advanced reproductive age, boost ovulation, treat poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, and lower FSH levels. In the chapter specifically devoted to hormonal issues, over ten women share their personal stories and experiences with Clear Passage Therapies (CPT).

Adhesions within the pelvis

One of these women is Sophia, who was unable to naturally ovulate prior to attending treatment at CPT. In fact, she had no menstrual cycle at all. Prior to trying to conceive, Sophia was on birth control. But when she went off, her menstrual cycle did not return.

She sought the help of her doctor, who prescribed Clomid ®, an oral medication designed to boost ovulation. But after three months, Sophia was still not ovulating. Her doctor suggested experimental medication, but Sophia was unhappy with this option.

Sophia researched different treatment options and found CPT. She decided to attend treatment on a weekly basis. When our therapists examined Sophia, they noted adhesion formation and restriction throughout her pelvis. They suspected adhesions were restricting the mobility of her ovaries and preventing ovulation and thus focused their efforts in this area.

Within the first month of treatment, Sophia became unexpectedly pregnant, but lost the pregnancy in a very early miscarriage. Although this was a difficult event for Sophia, our therapists were still optimistic. They knew it was likely that adhesions also constricted and pulled on her uterus, possibly causing Sophia’s early miscarriage.

After her second month of treatment, Sophia became pregnant naturally. She carried her baby to full-term and delivered a healthy baby boy. Sophia later told us, “I definitely attribute the treatment at CPT to the return of my ovulation and putting me in a positive frame of mind which ultimately enabled conception.”

If you would like to read more stories like Sophia’s or receive excerpts of Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain, sign-up for our newsletter. To learn about our treatment for hormonal infertility or female hormonal dysfunction, please see our website.

By Jackie

A study released in December 2008 by Fertility and Sterility, evaluated the outcome of women undergoing an intrauterine insemination (IUI) with clomiphene citrate (CC). The study examined over 4,100 cycles and found that age drastically impacted pregnancy rates. They found a significant drop in success rates for women aged 41-42. However, the drop for women over age 42 was so sharp that the study concluded, “CC with IUI has virtually no place in the treatment (of infertile women over age 42).”

Every cycle counts for women with advanced reproductive age. This study can help women and their doctors to make better treatment options for each cycle.

The study also found that pregnancy rates dropped for women undergoing a 3rd through 9th IUI cycle. Women were more likely to become pregnant if it was their first or second IUI cycle.

By Jackie

When Jocelyn and her husband decided to have a second child, they never expected they would struggle to become pregnant. Four years earlier, they had become pregnant and given birth without any problems.

Jocelyn sought the help of her doctor, who performed a series of tests and found that her FSH was 14.2. Most reproductive endocrinologists recommend a FSH from 1-10 to conceive naturally. Her doctor referred her to a reproductive endocrinologist who confirmed that her FSH was too high and suggested she try IVF.

“I’m a naturalist,” Jocelyn told us. “I wasn’t excited with this option.” She decided to look for alternative treatments on her own and found CPT. She came to us for a week of treatment. One week after she returned home, Jocelyn became naturally pregnant and is now six months pregnant.

Jocelyn’s story is a testament to the importance of listening to your intuition and doing what you feel is right for you – whether that be conventional treatment or treatment with us. Her full story will be featured in our upcoming book, Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain, along with the stories of 75 former CPT patients. Please visit our hormonal infertility page to learn more about our treatment for premature ovarian failure and hormonal infertility.

By Jackie

A study published in Fertility and Sterility recently found that ovarian dimensions are reliable predictors of ovarian reserve. Scientists found that the length, width, and diameter of an ovary can predict the production level and quality of eggs. To complete the study, doctors measured the ovaries and FSH levels of each participant. After adjusting for factors known to influence ovarian size (such as smoking, BMI, and a history of anovulation), they found that women whose ovaries had smaller dimensions also had decreased ovarian reserve. They found that ovarian width was the strongest predictor for ovarian reserve.

This information may partly explain why our treatment helps women with advanced ovarian age, hormonal dysfunction, and high FSH. At CPT, we focus on finding areas of the body that are restricted by adhesions. We frequently find that a woman’s ovaries are confined or restricted by adhesions that have formed over her lifetime. Through manual physical therapy techniques, our therapists gently deform and detach these adhesions, allowing the ovary to expand and return to its mobile state. Following the premise of the above study, the ovaries are then larger and function better, allowing an increase in ovarian reserve (and thus a decrease in FSH).

Please visit our hormonal dysfunction page to read more about our treatment for high FSH, hormonal dysfunction, and advanced reproductive age.

By Jackie

With constant baby showers, baptisms, and birth notices from friends, infertility can be a painful journey for any woman. Women who come from exceptionally fertile families often find that their experience with infertility is especially difficult.

Paulina, a former patient who struggled with infertility, told us, “I never expected to have any problems getting pregnant. My mother had four children and both of my sisters have one son. So as I faced my mid-thirties I kept wondering what was wrong with me, what was wrong with my body, why was this happening to me? I am healthy. I take care of myself. I try to eat right and exercise. Why is getting pregnant so hard?”

Jen, who also struggled with infertility, shared similar sentiments as Paulina and told us, “From an early age, I always knew I wanted children. My grandmother gave birth to 15 children, my mother 4, and my brothers and sister have 7 more kids among them.”

While women like Jen and Paulina may feel that their bodies somehow “failed” them in light of their family’s fertility, at CPT we believe female infertility can result from various experiences such as car accidents, falls, surgery, infections, etc. When these events occur, adhesions and scar tissue form to help the body. However, these adhesions can cause previously mobile structures to become adhered and restricted, thus reducing proper function – such as fertility. At CPT, we manually detach, deform, and reduce adhesions to allow tissues and organs to return to their proper function.

Paulina came to CPT for treatment after experiencing two unsuccessful IVF transfers. After treatment, she became pregnant with a third IVF transfer and delivered twins. Jen, who was denied IVF due to an FSH of 26.2, came for treatment and later became naturally pregnant. After she delivered a healthy girl, she surprised everyone by becoming naturally pregnant again and delivering twins.

Paulina and Jen’s full stories, along with 75 patient stories, will be featured in our upcoming book Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain. If you would like to read sneak-peaks of stories in the book, please sign-up for our newsletter.

By Jackie

Quite a few women who came to CPT have told us that their abnormal menstrual cycle became “normal” in length after therapy. One patient told us, “After treatment ended, I felt better, with less pain in my uterus overall. I also noticed my cycles were stronger and healthier.” Another patient reported, “The most astounding result from my treatment was that my menstrual cycle returned!”

Both of these women were diagnosed infertile prior to treatment and then had healthy children afterward. Perhaps part of the reason these women and many others achieve pregnancy is that our treatment normalizes the menstrual cycle length, thus increasing female fertility.

A recent study in Fertility and Sterility (11/2008) found that menstrual cycle length correlates with pregnancy and delivery rates of women undergoing IVF. They also found that as a woman ages, there is a subtle shortening of her menstrual cycle length.

We hypothesize that we improve menstrual cycle length by addressing hormonal and mechanical factors. Throughout life, women go through many events (surgery, trauma, infections, etc.) that can cause adhesions to form within the body. Adhesions that restrict the pituitary-hypothalamus feedback loop can negatively affect hormones that trigger menstruation. Adhesions that form within the reproductive tract can impair menstruation by restricting the uterus and ovaries. When we break-apart, detach, and deform these adhesions during treatment, function and mobility are restored, often resulting in healthier menstrual cycles.