Figuring out how to work with, and hopefully resolve, abdominal adhesions can be challenging. There are several kinds of treatments to look into:
- Surgery
- Soft Tissue Manipulation (massage, manual therapy, movement, etc.)
- Machine-based therapies such as low-level laser therapies, electrical stimulation therapies, bio-electric magnet therapies, and more
- Supplements such as high-dose Vitamin C, various forms and applications of hyaluronic acid, collagenases, and more
Each approach has its own (often limited) body of research and clinical application; some of them are only used in certain parts of the world and not others. All of them come with their own cautions. Of course, they all can overlap and work together to some degree, but due to the complexity of the human body we will probably never understand exactly how.
Surgery
In my practice, clients often struggle with the decision about whether or not to pursue a surgical intervention. The best information I have received over the past two decades has come from these two surgical resources: NW Endometriosis and Pelvic Surgery and Vital Health Endometriosis Center.
Non-Surgical Interventions
Hands-on work for scar tissue and adhesions has been my specialty for a long time. I’ve seen it bring people a lot of relief from chronic pain and dysfunction in the abdomen. There has recently been an increase high-quality research to suggest that soft tissue manipulation (massage) is effective in more than just an anecdotal way [1].
No matter what kind of treatment you pursue, ask lots of questions and make sure that the surgeon, therapist, or other practitioner is a good fit for you and your needs.
Resources
- Wasserman, J. B., Copeland, M., Upp, M., & Abraham, K. (2019). Effect of soft tissue mobilization techniques on adhesion-related pain and function in the abdomen: A systematic review. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 23(2), 262–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2018.06.004