If you have pain after abdominal surgery, read this
After abdominal or pelvic surgery, adhesions can form. This is the body’s way of over compensating in trying to heal itself whereby scar tissue makes the abdominal and pelvic organs stick together. With the organs sticking together, this causes pain.
Before trying more medications or surgery and with physician clearance, talk to your medical care provider and inquire about abdominal physical therapy to break up the adhesions and reduce pain.
The Research
J Clin Med. 2013 Feb 4;2(1):1-12. doi: 10.3390/jcm2010001.
Manual Physical Therapy for Non-Surgical Treatment of Adhesion-Related Small Bowel Obstructions: Two Case Reports.
Rice AD1, King R2, Reed ED3, Patterson K4, Wurn BF5, Wurn LJ6.
1 Clear Passage Physical Therapy, 4421 NW 39th Ave, Ste 2-2, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA. amandar@clearpassage.com.
2 Clear Passage Physical Therapy, 4421 NW 39th Ave, Ste 2-2, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA. richardk@clearpassage.com.
3 Clear Passage Physical Therapy, 4421 NW 39th Ave, Ste 2-2, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA. evetter@clearpassage.com.
4 Clear Passage Physical Therapy, 4421 NW 39th Ave, Ste 2-2, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA. kimp@clearpassage.com.
5 Clear Passage Physical Therapy, 4421 NW 39th Ave, Ste 2-2, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA. belindaw@clearpassage.com.
6 Clear Passage Physical Therapy, 4421 NW 39th Ave, Ste 2-2, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA. larryw@clearpassage.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Adhesion formation is a widely acknowledged risk following abdominal or pelvic surgery. Adhesions in the abdomen or pelvis can cause or contribute to partial or total small bowel obstruction (SBO). These adhesions deter or prevent the passage of nutrients through the digestive tract, and may bind the bowel to the peritoneum, or other organs. Small bowel obstructions can quickly become life-threatening, requiring immediate surgery to resect the bowel, or lyse any adhesions the surgeon can safely access. Bowel repair is an invasive surgery, with risks including bowel rupture, infection, and peritonitis. An additional risk includes the formation of new adhesions during the healing process, creating the potential for subsequent adhesiolysis or SBO surgeries.
OBJECTIVE:
Report the use of manual soft tissue physical therapy for the reversal of adhesion-related partial SBOs, and create an initial inquiry into the possibility of nonsurgical lysis of adhesions.
CASE REPORTS:
Two patients presenting with SBO symptoms due to abdominal adhesions secondary to abdominal and pelvic surgery were treated with manual soft tissue physical therapy focused on decreasing adhesions.
CONCLUSIONS:
Successful treatment with resolution of symptom presentation of partial SBO and sustained results were observed in both patients treated.
KEYWORDS:
SBO treatment; manual physical therapy; small bowel obstruction; surgery alternative
