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.

by Jackie Schuld

I grew up hearing the old adage, “Everything Happens for a Reason.” I’ve tried to apply the principle to different obstacles in my life, but in September, my mother was diagnosed with recurrent ovarian cancer. As my mother faces a life-threatening illness, it hardly seems fair to think such a painful thing is happening for a reason.

In my job, I speak with infertile women almost every day. I believe that they too must find it painful when people suggest that everything happens for a reason. Did they do something to deserve this struggle? Is there something they need to be taught through infertility? Asking these types of questions only adds unneeded stress and guilt. I believe the old adage still has value, but it is better used when examining life retrospectively.

So what do women do when they are still in the midst of their struggles? Instead of trying to find a reason, women may be better served to use the time to look introspectively. Women can seize the opportunity to examine their lives and see how much time they are devoting for their personal health and well-being. Examining areas like nutrition, exercise, relaxation, personal relationships, and personal happiness can open the doors for growth and change.

This is especially important for women who struggle with infertility. The constant cycle of treatments, charts, medication, and schedules can be very draining and stressful. By taking the time to focus on themselves, infertile women are not only creating something good from an unfortunate situation, they are improving their fertility.

If you would like to read how nutrition, exercise, and stress affect infertility check out our studies of interest at http://www.clearpassage.com/resources/studies.php

A new group, My Fertility Plan, announces the launch of their 1^st Annual International Infertility Haiku Competition.  You could win up to $50 and it is free to enter. Your haiku must relate in some way to your family-building journey and it must follow the haiku-syllable rules. There are 2 categories – Serious and Light-Hearted. Clear Passage is sponsoring the $50 prize for the serious category and our very own Belinda Wurn is pleased to be one of the six volunteer judges for the competition. Entries will be accepted beginning Monday, October 28 through Monday, November 24^th at noon, EST. Information on how to enter may be found at their blog – http://myfertilityplan.typepad.com/.

Clear Passage Therapies was born when we discovered that we could open blocked fallopian tubes naturally, without drugs or surgery. We never set out to accomplish this task, it found us, and we have been grateful ever since. Many people find the history of our discovery fascinating. If you would like to read more about how Clear Passage came ‘to be’ please visit our history page.

Our goal for this blog is to provide a resource for the millions in need to discuss and share advice on infertility, pain, and dysfunction. We want to build a personal relationship among our team and you and among you and others facing the same issues. We’d like to say, “this is not our blog, it is yours.” We welcome comments and encourage participation by all — no registration required.

This is a moderated blog. By moderating we hope to ensure that posts are on topics that are of general interest to our readers and this blog. We pledge to post opposing views so that all voices are heard. However, we will not publish profanity, racial or ethnic slurs, defamatory or libelous statements, or rude attacks on other bloggers. All other posts are welcome.

We kindly request your patience when waiting for a response from one of our team members. Many of our team members are therapists with full schedules treating patients one-on-one. They promise to provide you with the same one-on-one consideration, just please give them time and know that they have busy schedules away from the computer. In the meantime, we hope you will take the opportunity to communicate with other bloggers on the site.

Thanks and we look forward to blogging with you!

Sincerely,

The Clear Passage Therapies Team

New Orleans, LA., November 2, 2006/PRNewswire/ — Scientists at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) reported encouraging findings on a new treatment for endometriosis pain using a pelvic physical therapy that feels like a deep massage. Until now, the primary treatments for endometriosis pain have involved either surgery or drugs.

The manual physical therapy (Wurn Technique®) decreased pain throughout the menstrual cycle. Relief continued six weeks after therapy, according to an abstract published in Fertility and Sterility (9/2006). A related abstract in the same issue reported the therapy significantly decreased dyspareunia (intercourse pain) and improved sexual function for women with endometriosis.

“Endometriosis can cause severe pain, disrupt lifestyle and contribute to infertility for millions of women worldwide. Unfortunately, there is no known cure,” said co-author, research gynecologist Richard King, former Chief of Staff of North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida.

Endometriosis is thought to occur in about 10% of adult females, with a higher incidence among infertile women. In an earlier published study (Medscape General Medicine, 6/2004), the therapy improved pregnancy rates for patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and appeared to improve natural fertility rates.

The treatment is of interest because it decreased pain without the risks associated with surgery or pharmaceuticals. The manual therapy “feels similar to a deep massage, but the mechanism is totally different,” according to author, physical therapist Belinda Wurn. “We are encouraged by the results and will expand this study.”

Wurn began developing the treatment with her husband in 1987 to help her recover from painful adhesions following pelvic surgery.  Her spouse and co-author, Larry Wurn says, “The therapy appears to break adhesive crosslinks that form when a patient heals from injury, infection, surgery or inflammation.”

“Adhesions are commonly associated with endometriosis and are implicated in many chronic pain conditions,” explains Dr. King. “This therapy is a natural adjunct to gynecologic care and should be considered by physicians whose patients have endometriosis, dyspareunia, or chronic pain.”

Media contact: Larry Wurn 352-336-1433 or cptherapy(at)aol.com