C-Section - Cesarean Sections and Side Effects of AdhesionOne in four women who give birth in the United States will have a Cesarean Section (c-section), however, of these surgeries; no less than 50 to 85 percent will develop adhesions related to the scar. When a laboring mom has a c-section, there usually is already a flood of hormones. Heightened emotions, possibly adrenal, cortisol and other bio-chemical mix in the milieu at the time of surgery contribute to scar formation. A c-section cuts across the connective tissues of the skin, peritoneum linings, protective layers of the abdominal muscles, past the lining of the omentum, and the muscular body of the uterus, revealing the newborn. Each layer of organ and connective tissue must heal separately if they are to migrate back to their original positions. Structurally, the uterus recedes back into the pelvis from the abdomen. All the layers of the abdomen slide past each other to allow for the traffic as individual organs and tissues complete this postnatal dance. These adhesions can cause further complications that are not recognized as a single cause. What happens over time is even more alarming than the short term scar. The adhesions respond to increased tension as the adhered uterus attempts to slide back behind the bladder. At times, it will pull the layers of the abdomen with it, folding into a visibly puckered shelf. As the connective tissues continue to pull and tighten over time, the myofascial train is affected. A Myofascial train is a group of connective tissues that translate pressures in sequence to protect the body much like the arches transfer load to the pillars. A pressure or stress can travel along these lines to protect the body from a strain that is concentrated in one area. This process also transfers the stress and creates referred pain distal to the site of injury. The body naturally tries to encapsulate an area of injury with a membrane, increase fat layers, and lay down tougher fibers. The resulting adhesion limits the tissue’s ability to move lymph, exchange cellular metabolism, and bio-chemical regulations. Fibroids, cysts, and tumors may be the results of the connective tissue’s protective response. One study indicated that 25% of people with a region of adhesion may develop tumors over several years.
Some subtle sign of systemic problems are:
How then should we treat adhesions and scars? Manual therapy, medical Qi Gong, acupuncture, nutrition, and gentle stretching will start to untangle the mechanical stress, relieve the systems most burdened, and feed the tissues to allow cellular repair. Seek a specialist trained in Visceral Manipulation, CranioSacral, or Integrative Manual Therapy to address the structural adhesions. Like the picture of the wooden dowels rearranging themselves after being given slack, our connective tissues will reorganize with the right technique. Tensegrity is the principle of correct tension creating the form and structures of our bodies. Gently releasing the tension allows the body to self correct. These insidious adhesions impact multiple systems and create symptoms that may be very far from the original trauma, but the damage can be corrected with consistent and persistent treatments over time. Better posture, improved digestion, better breathing, regulation of the autonomic and hormone system, better circulation, and improved nervous system function are all possibilities with the correct gentle techniques, exercises, and diet. References: Calias-Germain, Blandine, 2003, The Female Pelvis, English edition, edited by Blandine Calias-Germain and Allan Kaplan, Seattle, WA, Eastland Press, Inc. Visceral Manipulation , Jean-Pierre Barral and Paul Mercier, Eastland Press, Seattle,1988. Trauma, An Osteopathic Approach, Jean-Pierre Barral, Alain Crobier, Eastland Press, Seattle, 1999. Atlas of Human Anatomy, 2nd Edition, Frank H, Netter, Novartis, East Hanover, New Jersey, 1997. Anatomy Trains, Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists, Thomas Myers, Harcourt Publishers, London 2001. |
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