Overcome Unexplained Infertility Without Surgery or Drugs

Unexplained infertility (UI), also called “idiopathic infertility,” is one of the most frequently made diagnoses in reproductive medicine¹.  When a couple is given the diagnosis of UI, it does not mean that there is no specific cause for their infertility – it simply means the cause has yet to be found. Therefore, it is important to consider which diagnostic tests have been given (or omitted) and the quality of care. The most frequently misdiagnosed conditions include endometriosis, tubal infertility (blocked fallopian tubes), premature ovarian ageing and immunological infertility². Any woman who experiences unexplained infertility should speak with her gynecologist or a reproductive endocrinologist (RE) to make sure these conditions have been ruled out.

Adhesions and Unexplained Infertility

Adhesions are small, sometimes microscopic, bands of collagen. After an injury to the body, collagen surrounds the area with strong glue-like fibers that create tiny but powerful bonds. These bonds may be shaped like curtains, ropes, woven patterns, or a combination of these (see our general adhesions page for more detail). These adhesions can attach any structure in the pelvis to nearby structures. For example, if a woman falls on her hip, adhesions will rush to the area. As the body heals and the adhesions grow, they may attach to the nearby intestines or fallopian tubes. Although the area will eventually appear healed on the outside, the adhesions will remain on the inside.

Adhesions that are located near the reproductive tract can impact fertility in numerous ways. Some examples include:

• Adhesions on uterine walls and ligaments can cause uterine spasm or inflammation, thus preventing implantation or causing a miscarriage
• Adhesions within the tissues of cervix can cause the cervix to close (stenosis), stiffen (fibrosis), or spasm, thus impeding the passage of sperm into the uterus
• Adhesions on the surface of the ovaries can prevent an egg from being released
• Adhesions in or near the fallopian tube can cause restrictions and prevent sperm and egg from passing to the uterus

Adhesions that pull on the bones of the cranium can also put unusual pressure on the pituitary-hypothalmus complex. The pituitary is the master gland of female reproduction and is responsible for the regulation of hormones. Based on clinical trials conducted at our facility, unimpeded structure and mobility of this gland appear to be critical for the proper function of fertility.

Adhesions are a particularly difficult condition because they do not appear on most diagnostic tests. Unless the adhesions are extremely large, doctors cannot know they are there unless directly visualized during surgery.

Thus, it is extremely important that a woman with unexplained infertility examine her personal and medical history to see if she has undergone experiences that commonly lead to adhesion formation. These conditions include:

• Infection (e.g. vaginal, bladder, yeast, etc.)
• Inflammation (e.g., endometriosis, chlamydia, PID, etc.)
• Surgery (any surgery to the pelvis, abdomen, hip or back, etc.)
• Trauma (fall onto tailbone, back or hip, physical or sexual abuse, car accident, etc.)

Surgery for Adhesions and Unexplained Infertility

Until recently, lysis of adhesions was the only choice medical science offered to treat pelvic adhesions. Lysis refers to cutting or burning the pelvic adhesions under general anesthesia, via laparoscopy or laparotomy (open surgery).

While lysis of pelvic adhesions can be effective, surgery carries risks and possible complications:

1. It carries risks from anesthesia, infection, and accidental damage to organs
2. Despite the best skills of the finest surgeon, the body creates more pelvic adhesions as it heals from the surgery designed to remove them.

A study in Digestive Surgery found that more than 90% of patients develop adhesions following open abdominal surgery and 55% to 100% of women develop adhesions following pelvic surgery.³ Another study reported that 35% of all open abdominal or pelvic surgery patients were readmitted to the hospital more than twice to treat post-surgical adhesions during the 10 years after their original surgery.⁴ Thus, surgery itself has been implicated as a major cause of adhesion formation and many patients become trapped in a cycle of surgery-adhesions-surgery – with no end in sight.

The same holds true for diagnostic surgery. When doctors cannot find a cause for infertility, they frequently recommend laparoscopic surgery to visualize the woman’s pelvis and see if any mechanical factors (such as adhesions or endometriosis) are present. Unfortunately, surgery is the only certain method to diagnose endometriosis – one of the most common conditions found when physicians attempt to find the cause of unexplained infertility. Although a surgeon can cut and remove endometrial implants during the procedure, adhesions can form because of the surgery. Even if a surgeon can remove 100% of the endometriosis, women can face infertility due to the resulting glue-like adhesions that form after surgery; these adhesions can bind the delicate reproductive structures, sometimes causing pain, dysfunction, or infertility.

Treating Pelvic Adhesions with Clear Passage Physical Therapy®

We know pelvic adhesions well. We faced this situation 20 years ago when the physical therapist director of Clear Passage Physical Therapy®, Belinda Wurn, developed severe adhesions after surgery and radiation therapy to her pelvis. Unable to work due to the pain, and having seen the devastating and debilitating effects of pelvic adhesions in her own patients, she was determined to find a non-surgical way to reduce or eliminate pelvic adhesions, non-surgically.

With her husband, massage therapist Larry Wurn, Belinda took a much deeper look at the etiology and biomechanics of adhesion formation. They found that the chemical bonds that attached each of the tiny collagen fibers to its neighbor appeared to dissipate or dissolve with certain techniques the Wurns were using. With this knowledge, they developed the Wurn Technique® to unravel the bonds between the crosslinks that comprise adhesions.

When a patient with unexplained infertility comes to our clinic, we first do an in-depth analysis of her entire body. We evaluate the entire body for areas of tension or restricted mobility, paying particular attention to the areas around incisions and sites of prior trauma, infection inflammation, etc.

The “hands-on” work practiced at Clear Passage Physical Therapy® clinics is designed to reduce or eliminate adhesions, crosslink by crosslink. It has been shown in peer-reviewed medical journals to increase fertility, reduce adhesions, decrease pain, and improve soft tissue mobility, without the risks of surgery or drugs.

Visit our “what treatment is like” web page for more information, or click the link at the bottom of this page now, to complete a medical history questionnaire and apply for a free, in-depth consultation.

1. http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/8/1951
2. http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/8/1951
3. Liakakos T, Thomakos N, Fine PM, Dervenis C, Young RL. Peritoneal Adhesions: Etiology, Pathophysiology, and Clinical Significance.Dig Surg. 2001; 18: 260-273. PMID 11528133.
4. Ellis H, Moran BJ, Thompson JN, Parker MC, Wilson MS, Menzies D, McGuire A, Lower AM, Hawthorn RJ, O’Brien F, Buchan S, Crowe AM. Adhesion-related hospital readmissions after abdominal and pelvic surgery: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet Br J Med. 1999; 353: 1476-80. PMID 10232313.