By Jackie

According to a large study by Anesthesiology (2007), roughly 32% of women who undergo hysterectomies will experience chronic pelvic pain that lasts for over a year after hysterectomies. Many women also report painful intercourse and sexual dysfunction, such as poor lubrication or decreased desire, after their hysterectomies.

In a study conducted by the  Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, scientists performed second-look surgery on women who reported chronic pain after their hysterectomy. One of their common findings was adhesions. Adhesions are filmy bands of collagen that form as an integral part of the healing process in the body. Adhesions enable the tissues of the body to seal after a hysterectomy. But these adhesions can also bind other organs, tissues, and structures together, causing uncomfortable pain and pulling.

Belinda Wurn, the founder of Clear Passage Therapies, experienced the devastating affects of adhesions herself when she underwent treatment for cervical cancer. A portion of her cervix was removed and she received a grueling regimen of radiation therapy. Although medical intervention saved her life, the surgery and radiation therapy caused adhesions to form. Within a year, Belinda experienced a constant pulling sensation that gradually developed into chronic pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction.

Belinda and her husband, Larry, sought medical help, but all doctors could offer her was a repeat surgery. Belinda and Larry then traveled the world, learning new manual physical therapy techniques to reduce Belinda’s pain. Her pain gradually decreased and she eventually found herself free from pain.

Belinda and Larry decided to utilize their new knowledge and opened Clear Passage Therapies to help women who experienced pain and dysfunction due to adhesions, including women who underwent hysterectomies. You can read the story of a former patient, Katrina, who underwent a partial hysterectomy and later experienced adhesions that blocked her small bowels. If you would like to learn more about our treatment for pain and dysfunction after hysterectomies, please visit our post-surgical pain page.