What is the Getting Started Program?
This guided hands-on program teaches you:
- How abdominal adhesions can affect the tissues of your belly
- How to use soft tissue manipulation (STM, massage, manual therapy) to help your belly feel better
- Simple techniques to start to work with abdominal adhesions, pain, or distress.
.This Getting Started program is for those who aren’t sure they’re ready to jump into the Recover Program.
Here’s what people who have used the Getting Started Program have to say:
“I’m so glad to have found a simple technique that I can use to lessen my scar tissue.”
“Excelent results. M[y] digestion now is sweet and easy.”
“I have uncontrollable stomach pain due to adhesion. It often times results in twisted bowl and debilitating pain … no one could help. I found this massage very helpful to me. I am planning to buy full recovery program. Thank you very much Isabel.”
What, exactly, is in this Program?
Video #1: I give visual demonstrations of what adhesions are and how they act in your belly. I also teach you to safely feel through the different layers of your belly. This includes:
- how to position yourself for the work
- warm-up techniques
- initial techniques for working with your adhesions or pain.
Video #2: This teaches you the first self-care routine. It builds on the first video and adds techniques to help you make even more progress in your specific pain or problem areas.
Video #3: Here I help you through the most common stumbling blocks as you go through your work. This routine builds on what you’ve already learned and goes further to start addressing the larger patterns at work in your belly.
Video #4: Here I address how to safely keep yourself moving forward with your progress. This routine builds on what you’ve already learned and we add new skills for addressing your “scariest” spots.
Are you thinking . . .
“I want to try this, but I just don’t think I can learn how.”
I have made these videos with the understanding that you are starting from scratch.
“I can’t feel anything when I touch my belly.”
This is often resolved by just starting to do the work. It takes a bit of practice sometimes.
“I am so scared I will make myself feel worse.”
While anything is possible, in all my years of practice and teaching I have not had anyone tell me my programs have made them feel worse long-term. There is sometimes a little soreness after things start to release, and sometimes it doesn’t help at all, but I haven’t been told of any overall negative results. The Getting Started program has been around since 2017.
I want you to succeed.
In the first video I tell you WHY we’re doing what we’re doing so that you have a full understanding of the approach.
Then we go slow and steady with lots of specific instruction to help you learn how to safely and effectively work with your own belly.
All of the considerations for whether Getting Started might be right for you are the same as the Recover Program.
When this program can be right for you:
*All of these symptoms can be caused by other, serious conditions and medications. Be sure you have talked to your doctor about your symptoms before beginning this program.*
Sudden onset of any symptom should always be checked out with your doctor as soon as possible. Abdominal pain and nausea/vomiting can be a sign of heart attack. Certain symptoms such as stomach pain and nausea/vomiting occur more often for women and can precede heart attacks by weeks. If in doubt, get a work-up!
Assuming you have ruled out the scary stuff, these are the most common symptoms that this program can help:
- Acid reflux (especially when not resolved by dietary changes or medication)
- Abdominal adhesions diagnosis
- Bowel obstructions history
- Breathing feels chronically restricted and cardiac and lung workup shows no other illness
- Changes of bowel movements and/or urination (constipation, loose stool, urinary or bowel incontinence, pain with urination or bowel movements, etc.)
- Digestive distress
- Hiatal hernia
- Increase or change in menstrual cramps
- Pain or discomfort in unexpected places, especially after surgery
- Pain to the touch, even at the skin level without infection present
- Pain in your low back, hip joints, and/or groin
- Pain with urination or bowel movements
- Pubic bone pain (most common after pregnancy)
- Restricted abdominal range of motion
- Scars: Hard, immobile
- Scars: Uncomfortable and/or numb
- Scars: Red and/or very puckered without infection present
- Swelling or bloating, especially unexplained or benign
- Tugging, pulling, or brief sharp stabbing sensations in your abdomen, often feels very random
- Undiagnosable abdominal pain (pre- or post-surgical)
- On-again-off-again abdominal pain that doesn’t have an evident pattern
- A job or hobby that results in stress to the abdomen (e.x. sitting all day, heavy lifting, martial arts, extreme sports, etc.).
- A desire to establish a better, more informed relationship with your body and abdomen
When should you NOT do this program? When you have:
- Sudden onset of any of the symptoms above or extreme pain – go to your doctor or the hospital immediately
- Sudden nausea/vomiting or diarrhea
- Excessive abdominal pain
- Open or seeping/oozing wounds in the abdomen
- Active flares of inflammatory conditions such as IBS or Chron’s Disease. During latent periods manual work can be effective, but working while there are active intestinal lesions or active inflammation, etc. is a no-go
- During pregnancy, unless ok’d by your doctor
- Surgery within the previous twelve weeks, unless released by your doctor to do this work sooner
- Abdominal aneurism
- Uncontrolled Heart Failure (CHF)
- Uncontrolled kidney disease
“[Y]our introductory program has kept my problem from becoming even worse.”
“Felt more relaxed and slept better.”
“I think the program is helpful especially for folks that do not have a lot of familiarity with working on themselves.”
I am currently updating this program. It will be available again by 5/1/25! Subscribe to blog notifications if you’d like to be notified when it’s available.
All Program files are digital, online files. Nothing is mailed. Once you have signed up, you will immediately be able to stream the videos from your computer or device.
Something to consider:
From 2017 – 2023, after giving people some time to settle in the program I would send an anonymous poll asking if the program met expectations. Exactly 75% of respondents said YES, it’s what they were looking for. That’s a pretty good track record, and I hope you find what you are looking for here, too.
(c) Spradlin Bodyworks, LLC