At Wed, 25 Oct 2000, ZIMLICKI,PAULA M wrote:
>
> A note: I wrote this reply on Tuesday, October 24, 2000, before
>Beverly put in the postings her fear that a "marketeer (sic) I fear we have
>a marketeer looking for some business with a group of people in pain.." As I
>said in a posting earlier today, I am not a marketer looking for business. I
>am a fellow sufferer from adhesions who is only trying to pass along
>information that helped me, and I hope will help you. I thought that was the
>purpose of these postings. If anyone would like to talk to me or send me
>email, please do so. I ask that you send to my home email of pmzim@msn.com.
>Thank you.
>
>Dear Beverly,
>Thanks for your reply. I would be glad to answer all your questions. I want
>to be sure to answer all your questions (they are all very good questions).
>But, briefly, I have had three laparotomies for Stage IV endometriosis, two
>laparoscopies, a hysterectomy/oophorectomy done through laparotomy at age
>30, and another laparotomy for adhesions. I have suffered from abdominal
>adhesions since 1987 and from pelvic pain since the age of 15 (I am now 47.)
>I make my living as a medical writer who specializes in women's health
>issues. I am a member of the American Medical Writers Association. I have
>been a volunteer for the Endometriosis Association for 18 of the 20 years
>the organization has been in existence. I am cofounder of the Boston Chapter
>of the Endometriosis Association and ran its support/education group for six
>years.
>
>You are correct in that treatments need to be studied and confirmed through
>scientific studies, and that using physical therapy for abdominal adhesion
>treatment is not a well-known treatment. You are absolutely right in that
>comments about treatments need to be substantiated. I hope this discussion
>helps to do that. One way in which treatments that are considered
>experimental finally become standard is through controlled studies. However,
>to get to a controlled study, often it is the voices and experiences of
>people who have suffered from a condition that get medical researchers to
>consider other treatments. Just as not all medications help all people with
>the same disease, just as surgery does not help all people with the same
>disease, the same can be said for physical therapy.
>
>When I used the word "soften" in my previous post, I was not using it as a
>medical term, but as a means to describe how I feel my adhesions have become
>through physical therapy, exercise, and Yoga. Believe me when I say I have
>been through the medical mill and back with endometriosis, infertility, and
>adhesions. I am a skeptic by nature, too.
>
>Let me take your comments one by one.
> Your comment: Adhesions are located deep within the abdomen and many
>surround the
> intestines, as time goes by the adhesion tissue toughens thus
>constricts the
> intestine or pulls other attached organs out of position more and
>more, how
> can PT help in that process?
> How does a therepist massage adhesion on the bowel? What about in
>the deep
> abdomen? There ia the large thick rectus muscle as well as a layer
>of fatty
> tissue between the surface of the abdomen and the adhesions, how are
>the
>adhesions massaged?
>
>What you describe above is exactly how my adhesions were. They had
>constricted my bowel to the point that having a bowel movement was painful
>and almost impossible. That is when I had my surgery. Things were fine for
>awhile until the pain returned again. I did not want more abdominal surgery
>as my abdomen already looked like a road map with multiple incisions, and
>the risk of bowel and urethra damage were high. Desperate to avoid surgery,
>I decided to try physical therapy. The way my PT massaged my adhesions was
>by massaging the scars to which they were stuck. She did this manually
>through a massage technique called "myofascial release" that stretches
>specific tissues and scars, and through ultrasound. The physical therapist
>also used heat on my abdomen before and after simple stretching movements to
>help with pain.
>
> In the beginning, I saw the physical therapist twice a week. Gradually,
>exercises (not aerobic or anything that causes jolting movement) were
>introduced into my program. These exercises involved very gentle movement,
>and anything that caused pain was not included as part of the program.
>
> Your comment: A TENS unit is a nerve stimulator, how would that be
>of benefit on adhesion
> tissue as there is no nerves in adhesion tissue? And where would a
>TENS be
> placed on a person for abdominal adhesions, as without a
>laporoscopic
>surgery, it is unknown where the adhesion are and what they are attached to?
>
>While there may not be nerves in adhesion tissue, there are nerves in the
>pelvis. The TENS unit did not "get rid" of my adhesions (nor did physical
>therapy) but what the TENS unit did do is help me with the pain. Because I
>had had laparoscopic surgery, I was fortunate in knowing where my adhesions
>were located. You are right in that only through laparoscopy can abdominal
>adhesions be diagnosed. My statements were meant as suggestions for people
>in whom abdominal adhesions had been diagnosed. Since the physical therapist
>could refer to my medical records in knowing the location of the adhesions,
>she was able to place the TENS unit on my abdomen in optimal location to
>help relieve pain from the nerves.
>
> Also, let me emphasize, that all the treatment my physical therapist did
>was done in conjunction with a physician's order, and regular updates were
>given to my physician on my treatment and condition.
>
> Your comment: Excersise that cause pulling of the organs that
>adhesions are connected to
> will increase inflamation thus pain, if a person cannot bend or sit
>for long
> due to the intestines not being able to move up and to the back of
>that
> person becasue they are attched to the peritoneum ( inner abdominal
>wall )
> wouldn't excersise create even more pain? At times even movement
>while
>riding in a car can cause pain simply from the motion of the moving vehicle.
>
>You are absolutely correct that exercise can pull pelvic organs, thus
>increasing pain. I did not say that all people with pelvic pain are
>candidates for trying PT. What I did say is that PT might be a viable option
>for some people to try, depending on where they are with treatment of
>whatever disease process is causing their pain. My adhesions were attached
>to my bowel, to the cul de sac of my pelvis, to the scars from previous
>surgeries. Even movement in a car caused pain if that part of my body was
>jolted. I benefited from the one adhelyosis I had had, but I still had
>adhesions.
>
>It had been years since I was able to do any type of exercise as most
>movement caused pain. My body felt as though it had folded in on itself and
>was becoming more and more inflexible and rigid as I tried to protect myself
>from pain from the abdominal adhesions. Physical therapy helped me become
>less rigid and more flexible.
>
>Your question: Have you seen adhesion of the bowel or pelvis?
>
>Yes, I have in my work as a medical writer, from observing surgery in the
>OR, from attending certified medical education programs for health care
>workers, and from researching the medical literature. I have published an
>article on adhesions (1988) that appears in the book, The Endometriosis
>Sourcebook.
>
>Your comment: It is imarative that comments of this nature be substantiated
>for those who
> are desperatly looking for medical intervetion and it is also
>important for
> them not to pay money they do not have in treatments that will be
> ineffective for this disease...it is my opinion that PT will not
>help
> adhesion sufferers other then to empty the pocket books. BUT...show
>me
> proof of all that was discribed here and I will be very willing to
>research
>it.
>
>My ONLY goal here is to offer a possible option for those who have tried
>other options that have not worked. I obviously disagree with your comment
>about PT not helping abdominal adhesion sufferers other than emptying their
>pocket books.
>
>All of this treatment took time. Nothing about it was magical. I had to
>commit to seeing a physical therapist twice a week in the beginning. After a
>few months, my appointments were weekly, and then, every other week. I was
>very fortunate to have insurance that covered most of the cost of this
>treatment, which is expensive.
>
> I am no longer in treatment. I continue to do my exercises, use TENS and
>heat when I need it. Three months ago, I began taking a Yoga class, and that
>has helped me. However, I would not have been able to take Yoga at the
>beginning of my treatment because of the pain and inflexibility caused by
>the adhesions.
>
>Let me emphasize that I know what it is like to live with daily, unrelenting
>pelvic pain. I know what it is like to not be able to do the things you want
>and to not be able to exercise because any movement causes pain. I know the
>hopelessness and anxiety that can be created when nothing seems to help the
>pain. I know what it is like to be exploited in my efforts to find
>treatments for my pain.
>
>Yes, not much has been written in the medical literature on using physical
>therapy to treat pain from adhesions. But, if a person has tried all else, I
>firmly believe trying physical therapy as a viable option for abdominal
>adhesions with a physician's order, as I did. I am living proof, and believe
>me, I am as skeptical as anyone when it comes to treatments that aren't
>supposed to work.
>Paula M. Zimlicki
>mkt-pmz@womans.com
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Bernie and Beverly Doucette [SMTP:bnb@cybrzn.com]
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 2:30 PM
>> To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
>> Subject: Re: How do I prevent them from coming back?
>>
>> Please send substantiating information as to how PT can soften adhesion
>> tissue?
>>
>> Adhesions are located deep within the abdomen and many surround the
>> intestines, as time goes by the adhesion tissue toughens thus constricts
>> the
>> intestine or pulls other attached organs out of position more and more,
>> how
>> can PT help in that process?
>> How does a therepist massage adhesion on the bowel? What about in the deep
>> abdomen? There ia the large thick rectus muscle as well as a layer of
>> fatty
>> tissue between the surface of the abdomen and the adhesions, how are the
>> adhesions massaged?
>>
>> A TENS unit is a nerve stimulator, how would that be of benefit on
>> adhesion
>> tissue as there is no nerves in adhesion tissue? And where would a TENS be
>> placed on a person for abdominal adhesions, as without a laporoscopic
>> surgery, it is unknown where the adhesion are and what they are attached
>> to?
>>
>> Excersise that cause pulling of the organs that adhesions are connected to
>> will increase inflamation thus pain, if a person cannot bend or sit for
>> long
>> due to the intestines not being able to move up and to the back of that
>> person becasue they are attched to the peritoneum ( inner abdominal wall )
>> wouldn't excersise create even more pain? At times even movement while
>> riding in a car can cause pain simply from the motion of the moving
>> vehicle.
>>
>> Are there brochures or information on these treatmenst? What has the
>> history
>> been as far as success? How is this success tracked if there is statistics
>> on PT & Adhesion disease?
>>
>> Have you seen adhesion of the bowel or pelvis?
>>
>> It is imarative that comments of this nature be substantiated for those
>> who
>> are desperatly looking for medical intervetion and it is also important
>> for
>> them not to pay money they do not have in treatments that will be
>> ineffective for this disease...it is my opinion that PT will not help
>> adhesion sufferers other then to empty the pocket books. BUT...show me
>> proof of all that was discribed here and I will be very willing to
>> research
>> it.
>>
>> Your new here, and we are happy that it worked for you, Paula, and who did
>> your surgery? How many surgeries have you had and how may years have you
>> suffered with adhesions? Did you have endo as well my dear? Thank-you for
>> sharing this and we look forward to hearing more on this and answers to
>> these questions as well.
>>
>> Sincerely yours
>> Beverly
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: ZIMLICKI,PAULA M <MKT-PMZ@womans.com>
>> To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
>> <adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 12:10 PM
>> Subject: RE: How do I prevent them from coming back?
>>
>> > I suffer from adhesions due to so much abdominal surgery. I had one
>> surgery
>> > for the adhesions, which I always found ironic since surgery is what
>> caused
>> > them in the first place! The second time the adhesions began giving me
>> lots
>> > of pain I tried physical therapy, and it worked. The pain was so severe
>> that
>> > it woke me up whenever I turned over at night. It's important to get a
>> > physical therapist who has received specific training in abdominal
>> > adhesions. The American Physical Therapy Association, which has a
>> website,
>> > can give you information as to whether a PT in your area is available. I
>> > encourage all of you to try this. Through the use of ultrasound, scar
>> > massage, heat, TENS unit, and exercises tailored toward the adhesions, I
>> was
>> > spared another abdominal surgery. The PT treatment does not get rid of
>> the
>> > adhesions but can soften them enough so that they don't cause the pain.
>> It
>> > spared me another abdominal surgery! I would be glad to answer any
>> > questions.
>> >
>> > Paula M. Zimlicki
>> >
>> > mkt-pmz@womans.com
>> >
>> > > -----Original Message-----
>> > > From: acinom@primenet.com [SMTP:acinom@primenet.com]
>> > > Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2000 9:09 PM
>> > > To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
>> > > Subject: How do I prevent them from coming back?
>> > >
>> > > Hi everyone! I just stumbled upon this site tonight, I have yet to
>> join
>> > > the forum, but I was wondering if anyone could help me. I have endo,
>> I
>> > > had 2 laps in 99, and I have another one scheduled for October 30th.
>> > > Each of the last times they found more problems with the surgical
>> > > adhesions from an appendectomy back in 88 with minimal endo. The
>> amount
>> > > that came back in just 4 months was amazing. Well, the pain is back,
>> > > and again I suspect it to be adhesions rather than endo, but who is to
>> > > know for sure which is causing the pain since I have both problems? I
>> > > dont want to take Lupron or any other hormonal treatment other than
>> > > bcp's particularly because I fear the big problem is the adhsions so
>> why
>> > > mess with endo drugs if that isnt the issue? Anyway, my questions for
>> > > you are these:
>> > > Have any of you tried Acupuncture? Either to relieve pain or to keep
>> > > adhesions from reforming (is this possible?)
>> > > Is there anything I can do after this surgery to retard the growth of
>> > > this stuff?
>> > > Please email me at acinom@primenet.com if you can be of any
>> assistance.
>> > > I appreciate it more than you can imagine!
>> > > I hope this finds you all pain free and blessed with love and laughter
>> > > *HUGS*
>> > > Monica
>> > >
>> > > to the unsubscribe form at
>> http://www.adhesions.org/forums/listcmds.htm
>> >
>>