9 of 10 People Who Have Had Abdominal Surgery
Have Abdominal Adhesions
Even laproscopic surgery can cause adhesions
What Are Abdominal Adhesions?
Abdominal adhesions are a web of scar tissue that prevents organs and other structures from moving easily and pain-free.
What Causes Abdominal Adhesions?
Anything that causes injury to the abdomen, will cause adhesions.
Adhesions (scar formation) is the body’s normal way of healing.
Things that cause abdominal adhesions include
- Surgery (laproscopic or open)
- Trauma (like motor vehicle injuries, seat belt injuries, and falls)
- Constipation
- Eating food that you are sensitive to
- Eating an inflammatory diet
- Having an inflammatory bowel condition
- Having an inflammatory pelvic condition
- Infections
- Inflammation
- Endometriosis
- Radiation Therapy
What Are the Complications of Abdominal Adhesions?
The possible complications of abdominal adhesions are intestinal obstruction and infertility.
What Are the Symptoms of Abdominal Adhesions?
Abdominal adhesions frequently are not symptomatic.
Abdominal pain is the most common symptoms of abdominal adhesions.
Other symptoms of abdominal adhesions are:
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Not Passing Gas
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Bladder Dysfunction
- Pain or Difficulty Having a Bowel Movement
- Pain with Certain Movements
- Emotional Dispair or Depression
How Are Abdominal Adhesions Diagnosed?
While biomedical practitioners use imaging to diagnose abdominal adhesions, Dr. Caroline Peterson uses her hands to listen to the organs and other structures in your abdomen to see if they are moving properly.
Is There Natural Treatment for Abdominal Adhesions?
Yes there is natural treatment for abdominal adhesions.
Biomedicine offers surgery for abdominal adhesions, but surgery will always cause new adhesions, even if it removes the old ones.
Dr. Caroline Peterson relies on visceral/vascular manipulation for treatment of abdominal adhesions.
She will also prescribe castor oil packs on your abdomen.
Finally, in some cases she will prescribe proteolytic enzymes between meals to help dissolve the adhesions.
What to Expect from Your Natural Medicine Treatment of Abdominal Adhesions?
You will need approximately 20 hours of manual therapy to help free your abdomen from the adhesions.
We will spend about 1-2 hours talking about diet and lifestyle to determine if these are inflammatory factors for the abdominal adhesions.
Home-Care
You will need to use castor oil packs on your abdomen for 2 hours daily four times a week.
You will be taught and encouraged to massage your own abdomen for about 5-10 minutes daily in ways that will facilitate your healing.
Dr. Caroline Peterson recommends that you receive intensive treatment sessions of 2 hours each several times a week.
Dr. Caroline Peterson is in Portland for 1-2 weeks every 4-8 weeks, so it is good to get at least 10 hours of care while she is in town.