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Hi all,

I know there are a number of Teal Sisters who along with me, suffer from abdominal pain that is most likely caused by adhesions that form from post surgical scar tissue. Adhesions are bands of internal scar tissue that causes organs to stick together. Adhesions can also wrap around nerves causing pain. They can form in up to 90% of gynecological surgeries as the body tries to heal. While many adhesions cause no issues, they can pull on nerves, block organs, cause bowel blockages, and cause chronic pain or digestive issues. Sadly imaging e.g., MRI's, Ultrasounds and CTs, cannot detect the adhesions.

I've experienced chronic left side abdominal pain for over 1.5 years. My CT scans including my most recent one in early May have confirmed I remain cancer free. 👏 My gastroenterologist confirmed during my routine colonoscopy that my sigmoid colon (left side of abdomen) had narrowed likely due to scar tissue. The narrowing caused her to use a pediatric vs adult size scope during the procedure.  

I have reported my chronic abdominal issues to my oncology team as well as my GP who are all in agreement that the pain is more than likely being caused by adhesions. So...what to do about it.

The only way to 100% confirm adhesions is via Laparoscopic surgery where they can look 'inside' and if necessary, cut the scar bands. Sadly this can be a catch-22 as the adhesions often just reform because it's just another type of 'surgery'. As well, this surgery is often considered a 'last ditch' effort and typically performed on someone who has extreme pain and discomfort. Some of the more common approaches to address adhesions include (note this is not an exhaustive list), physiotherapy, dietary changes and/or medication e.g., Gabapentin which is a nerve blocker that could help with pain.

I have made dietary changes to help address any possible bowel changes. They have not helped reduce the pain. I have Gabapentin "on hand" however prefer not to go via the medicine route if I can avoid it. That brings me to physiotherapy and particularly "visceral manipulation".

Visceral manipulation is a gentle, hands-on manual therapy that targets your internal organs (viscera) and the surrounding connective tissues (fascia). By using precise, light pressure, practitioners release restrictions and adhesions to help organs move freely, which can reduce chronic pain, improve organ function, and alleviate digestive issues. It is performed by licensed healthcare professionals who have completed specialized post-graduate training. This can include Osteopaths, Physiotherapists, Registered Massage Therapists, Chiropractors, Naturopathic doctors and Medical Doctors.

I live in southwestern Ontario about 2.5 hours from Toronto and 1:30 from London. I googled 'visceral manipulation practitioners'. I was disappointed to find so few individuals in a 3 hour distance from my house. I did find a licensed Osteopath in London (Ontario) whom I had my first assessment and session with a week ago. I will admit it was a bit 'funky' for me as unlike a regular massage or perhaps physio appointment, this one really did involve manipulation around organs. It felt kind of weird and he did find a very sore area where the adhesions had wrapped around nerves. 

I've kept daily notes post session and admittedly the pain did increase quite a bit for 5 days post session. This was expected. We just weren't sure how long it might last. It is now day 6 post session and the pain has normalized back to the pre-session level. So, it tells us he's hit the right areas that's for sure!

My next session is in a week. I would have preferred a week between sessions however I had conflicts with other appointments so we deferred to two weeks this time. I will post how it goes following my next session.

I'm sharing in the event this technique may be of use to others. Also, wondering if anyone else has undertaken visceral manipulation. What was your experience? What tpe of practitioner did you use? Did it ultimately help with pain reduction? I'd love to hear if this has worked for other Teal Sisters.

Sorry as well for the long post. 

#Healthandwellness #Treatmentandsideeffects

Thank you for your post.  It's not too long and very informative.  I look forward to following along with you as you share your experiences with this treatment for scar tissue, positive or negative.  

@jobo you are most welcome!

@brendalee happy to share!

Hello

I have had two bowel obstructions and have adhesions and am nervous to try this but curious.  I don't have a gastroenterologist right now but have asked for a referral. Did he/she clear you for this treatment?  Good luck. 

Hi @BellaDonna1959 ... always nice to 'hear' your voice. I recall you mentioning these previously. I don't work with a gastroenterologist on a regular basis so no, I did not get a referral from her. You don't actually (here in Ontario) need a referral for an osteopath for visceral manipulation. I did get a letter from my GP so that I could claim for the sessions through my private health care but I could book the appointment directly. I mentioned to both my oncologist and GP that I was going to try this since nothing seems to be working to reduce the pain. No one dissuaded me. I'm approaching it slowly. I was a bit too sore post session so I intend to discuss with the Osteopath but I will stay the course to see if it does work. I did a lot of online research before even going to the session. I'll continue to post how things progress. Thanks for the good wishes. I hope it helps!

#Healthandwellness

Hello!  Like many others, my team suggests that many of my aches and pains are scar tissue.  I also have been experiencing a lot of joint and muscle pain which they don't believe is a side-effect of my Zejula.  My GP suggested an osteopath.  I have had 2 sessions recently. After the first one, I was a little achey but manageable and apparently expected.  However, I had my second session on Monday of this week.  Within 1 hour of treatment, I was doubled over in severe abdominal pain and crampting, naseau, vomitting and weakness.  It actually brought me right back to my worst chemo round!  I reached out to my osteo who said that can happen, although not the outcome they hope for.  It makes me scared to return however, will give it one more go and she will adjust accordingly.  I'm not sure the difference on what osteo I had compared to the visceral manipulation as this is the first I've heard.  

Also, when I was seeing a pelvic physiotherapist, they also did some work on my for scar tissue. I continue to do similar to myself now when the pain flares.

Thanks for listening and hope you see some improvement!

Hi @Diamond17. Thank you for sharing. I'm so sorry you had such a horrible experience from your second session. It sounds awful and almost like the pain you'd experience if you had a bowel obstruction. It's definitely important to discuss with the osteopath and ensure they understand what happened. Their job is to adjust their approach accordingly for sure. I can understand your reluctance to do another session. Please let us know how the next session goes and how you feel afterwards.

I did ask my pelvic physiotherapist if she could do visceral manipulation and she said she is not 'officially' trained in that area and would defer to an osteopath. I appreciated her honesty.

This is all such a journey isn't it?! Good luck with your next session. I hope it yields positive results.

#Healthandwellness

Hi all. I thought I'd provide an update. Following my first session I kept daily notes to see how my body reacted. I will admit that my lower left quadrant area did increase in pain for the 4 days following my session including my lower back. The nerves and ligaments in that area are all connected so it's not surprising that pain in the front radiates to the back. By day 5 my pain was back to it's normal level and my lower back pain eased up. I do a lot of stretching as well which might have helped.

I had my second session with the Osteopath on Tuesday. We spent the first 25 minutes going over some of the exercises I do for my abs and legs. As I have lower back issues we were trying to make adjustments. It was great! He had excellent suggestions which I've been implementing. He then did the 'hands on' massaging and admittedly there was noticeable improvement. Much less pain when he was doing the massaging. It has now been two days post session and I did not experience any spike in pain. It has remained at the same level as before the session. I believe that's progress!

My next session is on Tuesday. I did ask him if adhesions can be 'cured'. He said the correct terminology is 'softened' and he said yes they can. That is the ultimately goal. It's about 'releasing' the grip the adhesions have on the nerves and surrounding tissues/organs.

I'll keep y'all posted. If anyone else is using this form of therapy feel free to share your experience.

#Healthandwellness