Decrease Your Pain and Symptoms from Genital Mutilation Naturally

Female circumcision, a tribal ritual that is centuries old, is practiced most prevalently in the central and north-eastern countries of Africa. The procedure involves the partial or total excision of the external female genitals. It is most commonly performed during the adolescent years (typically before age 12), and for many girls the circumcision occurs as early as infancy.

Because there is no medical cause for female circumcision and due to the risks involved, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies it as female genital mutilation (FGM) and has fought for the international recognition of this practice as a violation of the human rights of children and women. According to WHO, 100 to 140 million girls and women worldwide are currently living with the consequences of FGM and three million more girls are at risk every year. (map by permission of afrol News, www.afrol.com)

Female circumcision is usually performed in a non-sterile environment without anesthesia and can be fatal if the child goes into shock, hemorrhages, or becomes septic with infection. Depending on the degree and severity of the procedure chosen for the girl, she may experience a lifetime of chronic pain and dysfunction.

There are three main types of female circumcision. In a clitoridectomy (type I), the clitoris is removed (partially or completely). If an excision (type II) is performed, the clitoris and the labia minora (lips of the vagina) are removed. In a full infibulation (type III), the vaginal opening is narrowed by cutting and stitching of the labia minora and majora, and the clitoris may also be removed.

Adhesions after female circumcision (FGM)

At whatever age FGM occurs, it can cause severe scarring and adhesions as the delicate tissues of the vagina heal from where the genitalia was cut and or stitched together. Adhesions that form around the vaginal opening and over the urethra can cause recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections, cysts, infertility, potential childbirth complications and newborn deaths. Women who have undergone type III are often cut and re-stitched several times in their life to allow for intercourse and childbirth, creating an ongoing cycle of vaginal adhesions. Victims of FGM we treat often arrive at our clinics reporting extremely painful intercourse, inability to have intercourse (due to pain or tightness), and other types of sexual dysfunction such as decreased desire, lubrication, and orgasm.

Adhesions form naturally to help the body heal from being cut. With a tensile strength of nearly 2,000 pounds per square inch, these adhesions bind structures in place, keeping tissues frozen or glued down after any surgery (such as FGM), inflammation, or other physical trauma. Like tiny but very strong straight-jackets, these adhesions form wherever the body heals, binding down tissues that should be able to move freely and independently, as they did before the trauma of FGM.

Non-surgical treatment for adhesions after female circumcision (FGM)

The therapists at Clear Passage Physical Therapy are very familiar with the physical scars that occur at the female urogenital and reproductive organs. We have been treating post-surgical vaginal and pelvic adhesions for two decades. We have treated many women who were victims of FGM for severe intercourse pain, pelvic pain, and dysfunction that accompanied their lives since the time they were children.

Our work in this area began over 20 years ago, when our director began her search for relief from her own post-surgical vaginal adhesions. We have treated vaginal and pelvic adhesions in hundreds of women ever since that time.

We use our hands to slowly peel apart adhered tissues, always working with respect, and within your comfort and tolerance levels. Like gently breaking apart a nylon rope composed of hundreds of tiny strands, we work to detach the adhesions from structures that are causing your pain, tightness, or dysfunction.

We also understand the need to treat these delicate tissues in a ‘safe place,’ with the dignity and sensitivity your unique situation requires. While our work is physical, we also understand the psychological issues that can naturally accompany a lifetime of pain, dysfunction, or simply knowing that you are somehow different from other women. We are always glad to consult and work with your physician or counselor before, during, or after therapy.

FGM patients tend to arrive at our clinic two or more decades after their original circumcision. Most find that we free them of the adhesions that formed so many years ago. When this happens, they find that their bodies become much more mobile and pain-free. This paves the way for them to move on in their lives, unhindered or less hindered by the physical scars that have been their unwanted companions for a lifetime.

All of our work is done by sensitive, caring therapists in private treatment rooms. If you would like to learn more, please click here to apply for a free consultation with one of our therapist directors.