Monday, October 10, 2011

What is Adhesion Pain?

Adhesion pain:  chances are that you have not heard of this medical term unless you or a loved one has had very extensive or invasive medical treatments; however, adhesion pain is a very real and painful medical disorder.  Adhesion pain can best be described as pain resulting from internal scar tissue that fuses together, most often in the abdominal region.  Adhesion scars can come not only from surgical procedures, but from injuries that do not require invasive surgery, such as getting hit in the stomach or being in a car accident.  Pain Pathways magazine reported on this phenomenon in their recent Fall 2011 issue (pages 48-52).  Adhesion scars can result in a myriad of medical complications, including chronic abdominal pain, fusion of internal organs, obstruction of the bowels, and infertility.  Unfortunately, adhesion scars are more complicated to treat and diagnose since they do not appear on medical scans, such as CAT, PET, or x-rays.  Treatment normally involves attending to the symptoms, such as bowel obstruction, and not the actual adhesion scar.  Surgery is available to cut adhesion tissue in the abdominal cavity, but may in fact lead to more scar tissue, so it is not the normal course of action.  As a result of the recognition and diagnosis of adhesion scar pain, some foundations and support networks have been formed around the country for those suffering from adhesion scar pain.

The formation of adhesion scar tissue can occur after a wide variety of accidents and injuries, such as car accidents.  It is very important to monitor your pain and consult with a knowledgeable physician if you suspect that you may have a case of adhesion scar pain, especially if it leads to bowel obstruction or other painful disorders.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer located in Altoona, PA and serves the central and western Pennsylvania area.  For more information on him and his firm, please click here.

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