Ronda,
Please allow me to attempt to answer your question. Adhesions begin forming even before the surgeons sew your incision shut. They are the body tissues way of protecting itself, but are often our worst enemies. As I said, they begin forming immediately, but then adhesion formation completes its process within the two weeks following your surgery. Adhesions do NOT continue to form after this initial insult on your body. What can and most often does happen in people is that the adhesions that have now formed attach themselves, perhaps even to a location in your abdomen totally opposite of where the adhesion is located. This, and the strengthening of the adhesion tissue is what continues to occur. These "unique" attachments are what causes many of us pain. Doctors are right when they say adhesions don't cause pain.....because the tissue that is the basis of our adhesions isn't where our pain comes from. Our pain comes from the "unnatural" twistings and pullings that have occured when our bowel has become attached to our bladder (ex.) or our left kidney attached to our gallbladder (ex.). These attachments are unnatural and the pain is coming from that bladder which is being pulled or that kidney that is being stretched across your abdominal cavity. These ARE examples of what occurs and these attachments are not limited to any particular body parts. It can happen anywhere. But, the important thing to know is that our pain is coming from those body parts that are being twisted and pulled in unnatural ways.
As I have said, adhesions stop forming after approximately that two week period. However, that is not to say that these adhesions do not strengthen themselves over time (that most definitely is what occurs). These bands that have formed become stronger and stronger over time. This strengthening is often what causes other problems to occur down the road. A person could have their appendix removed as a child, not suffer from any pain over the years...or any other symptom for that matter, yet at 45 years of age they suddenly develop a bowel obstruction. Turns out that this obstruction is caused by adhesions....from that childhood appendectomy (once again an example). Almost everyone who undergoes surgery develops adhesions afterward, but only a few develop subsequent pain or other problems.
It is possible for new adhesions to form within the abdominal cavity years down the road. How? One of the causes of adhesions has been shown to be blunt force trauma, which includes the damage caused by having worn a seatbelt in an automobile accident. You can also get adhesions from infection within your abdominal cavity. But, as before, with both of these known causes, the adhesions begin forming immediately and stop a short period later. So, if you have any of these things happen to you, in addition to having the adhesions that formed following your surgery, it is possible to have some new formation at another point. I am also not saying don't wear your seatbelts. Just because they can cause adhesion formation doesn't mean you should put your life at risk by not wearing them. I'd rather have adhesions than be dead.
Now to cover your question about riding a horse. No, riding a horse is not speeding up or causing new adhesion formations. But, as I visualize myself riding a horse I can picture your adhesions strengthening and bonding themselves as a sort of defense mechanism to protect themselves. As I said earlier it is in this strengthening that the pain evolves from. I guess, if it were me, I would try limiting my exposure to horseback riding. Perhaps not going on such vigorous workouts might cut down on the pain you are experiencing. Alter your riding habits and take note of whether this effects the way your body is reacting. But, avoiding this activity could, indeed, prevent some of the strengthening of these adhesions. It does not say, however, that the adhesions wouldn't strengthen themselves on their own over time.
This is a decision that only you can make. There are no clear cut answers...no rights, no wrongs. Only you know your body and its reactions.
I hope that this has helped you in some manner. I am just trying to help you understand some of this process. I have been around the IAS for over five years, but I do not post much any more. Should you have any questions feel free to contact me and I will do my best to assist you. Should I not respond immediately, please understand that I am often in the hospital and unable to answer immediately but will do so as quickly as I can.
God Bless,
Karla
International Adhesions Society <tracy.joslin@adhesions.org> wrote: Sender: "Tonya" Subject: Re: Can anything make adhesions form faster?
Ronda, I ask that question often. The only answer I ever get, is the only thing that speeds them up is actually removing them. Tonya