Consequences of Fibrous Adhesion

Consequences of Fibrous Adhesion

Why fibrous adhesion is a big deal and may be the reason for your chronic pain.

We discuss the causes and problems associated with fibrous adhesion on a daily basis. And most of our readership is familiar with this topic. However, it's no less important to educate our new followers or have information for people to share with others that suffer with chronic pain.

Put simply, fibrous adhesion is a build up of disorganized, sticky connective tissue. We call it the "glue". It's arguably the most common reason for muscle, joint, nerve, and tendon pain.

This glue can form from trauma/injury, surgery, repetitive motions, sustained postures, or as a matter of aging. But it doesn't stop there. This glue causes decreased flexibility, muscle weakness, and pain. So once you develop enough of it, you're more likely to develop more--it's a negative feedback loop.

Part of what makes this tricky for people to understand is because fibrous adhesion build up is so insidious. The vast majority of people have significant fibrous adhesion problems in the absence of trauma.

Typically what brings people to the doctor is an acute event as a consequence of fibrous adhesion accumulation. Some examples are disc herniation, tendon tear, painful trigger points, joint arthritis, muscle tear, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, rotator cuff tendonitis, just to name a few.

Understandably, smart people will ask, "How can I prevent fibrous adhesion?" and "How will I know if fibrous adhesion is part of my problem?"

Let's start with the first question. Prevention is important but an important point to keep is mind is that fibrous adhesion is so ubiquitous. Likely everyone will have once they are past the age of 30. There's also likely a genetic component involved--meaning some people are more likely to develop fibrous adhesion than others. High level steps to keep in mind would be varied movement every day, quality sleep, avoidance of smoking, avoidance/reduction of alcohol, managed stress, and a nutrient rich diet that doesn't include highly processed food and food that causes known bodily irritation.

Now on to the second question. The vast majority of people with fibrous adhesion talk about becoming tighter as they age. This is because adhesion restricts healthy muscle flexibility. A noticeable discrepancy in strength from one limb to the other, or in your postural endurance is another sign. One shoulder or hip may sit higher than the other. Some people can even feel the large tissue knots that develop as fibrous adhesion thickens. Lastly, pain that's lasting for longer than 6 months despite other treatment modalities is a sign of fibrous adhesion.

Consulting with fibrous adhesion experts like us can confirm the presence, amount, and relevance of fibrous adhesion to your pain.

The take home message is that fibrous adhesion is common, it's a big deal in regards to pain, but it's reversible with the proper treatment!