How Do I Know if I Have Adhesions?

Multiple Causes

Without a surgery to see them, it can be difficult to know if your symptoms are being caused by abdominal adhesions or by some other process in your body. So, where to start? Very briefly, here are some common causes of abdominal distress:

• Diet and hydration
• Stress
• Scar tissue or adhesions (most often caused by surgery or blunt force trauma)
• Medical conditions, including infections, that create inflammation or affect the intestines or other systems (Crohn’s, IBS, Diverticulitis, and many more)
• Medications

First Steps

If you don’t know if you have adhesions, the first step for most people is to rule out all of the scary and/or systemic causes of your pain or distress. This is where your primary care provider comes in. Working with your doctor(s) to fully review your medications and to get the necessary imaging and other tests is the first step. If those tests come up negative, that’s a great time to start looking at the soft tissues of your belly.

Unfortunately, modern medical imaging cannot detect abdominal adhesions [1]. That means many people aren’t aware they have adhesions unless they have had surgery (often that surgery is for other reasons and the adhesions are seen during).

Some doctors and surgeons are willing to make the diagnosis based on your medical history and symptoms. 

High quality research suggests that about 54% of abdominal surgeries, particularly those affecting the peritoneum, result in the formation of adhesions [2]. In this research the adhesions were only confirmed during another surgery, so they are considered to be more prevalent than what was reported.

What’s Next

Whether you have a diagnosis of adhesions or not, a lot of good can come from understanding how the soft tissues of the body work with your nervous system.

• Nerves can send pain from one spot to another. Sometimes, nerves that are caught or activated by tight muscle or fascia in the ribs, shoulders, legs, and other places can send referred pain to your belly (and vice versa).
• Digestive distress, including bowel obstructions, can be caused by adhesions that are preventing your intestines from expanding and contracting as much as they need to.
• Fibroids can cause internal pressure or inflammation that causes other tissues of your belly to stick together.
• The inflammatory process can set up your body to create adhesions.

How to Move Forward

Whether or not you have a formal diagnosis of adhesions, knowing how to start working with your belly can be a relief. This article has a short exercise to get started.