I’m a huge skeptic. Ask me about p.volve, yep-a skeptic turned fan. And turns out, manual adhesion release too. Big fan! Been telling everyone every chance I get. By the way, I’m not affiliated with either p.volve or Whole Life Soft Tissue, nor am I getting compensation for raving about them. I’m just a gal hoping to spread the news on good stuff. My mission has always been to lead by example in this chronic pain journey to help all you chronic pain warriors out there. And you know me, I don’t like meds! I refuse to mess up my internal organs for temporary pain relief that I have to rely on for the rest of my life.
I was intrigued the moment I saw this video pop up on my IG feed late 2020. After months of consideration and failing to find unbiased reviews and research on adhesion release (and only seeing results about adhesions after abdominal surgery), I decided to jump on that free consultation Whole Life Soft Tissue offered; not to be confused with the $125 initial exam fee that followed after the consultation I ended up paying for after the first two sessions. (EDITED: 4/19/2023 | Since then, they no longer offer a free consultation and their rates have increased. Contact Whole Life Soft Tissue for their latest rates.)
Dr. Codina, owner of Whole Life Soft Tissue put it simply:
Adhesions are like superglue between the muscles
Think of it like this: have you ever had difficulty moving your wrist, arms, shoulders, neck, back, legs, etc.? Do you feel pain because of that? Ever feel like your body is so tight, your mobility is limited? That’s adhesion. The tissue surrounding our muscles and bones. When they’re unhappy, your body ends up suffering.
It’s difficult to see on an MRI scan because it could look like any other tissue. Dr. Codina said, “You’d need to be able to look at it microscopically in order to see it.” But really, there’s no need for an MRI at all–I mean, if you have it great, but if not, don’t fret. My doctor was able to pinpoint what areas need the most attention based on what I say and where I point to, followed by a hands-on assessment. Though in extreme circumstances, it would probably be recommended to have an MRI. That’s for the doctor and the patient to do at their discretion.
It seems adhesion specialists can fix about anything! I have been seeing Dr. Codina for over a year now and he has helped me in so many areas than my most complex problem. I had the worst sciatica pain going down both legs for years, which made sitting for longer than 20 minutes difficult and driving a pain in the a**, literally. Dr. Codina was able to heal my sciatica within 12 sessions or so, maybe less. At one point during the year, my wrist was acting up, he worked on that for one session and I haven’t had any complaints since. My hip joint has been popping lately and one day, I had difficulty walking, he tended to it for one session so far, but I think I’ll need a little more attention seeing how it’s not fully cured. My husband started going to him– since late 2021, skipping an entire month due to scheduling, and he’s already gained so much mobility back in his wrist. (He’s a chef, in case that helps.) My friend went to him for a while too, for her migraines. He even helps with nerve pain-sciatica is a nerve pain that travels from lower back, lower butt through the leg and I have a lot of nerve problems with my condition. Throughout my sessions with Dr. Codina, I realized how extensive the body is and just how beneficial manual adhesion release is to a healthy, movable body.
Everyone has adhesions, just some people are more prone to experience pain than others. As for me, I have my fusion, scar tissue from surgeries, and the degeneration working against me, then I have the adhesions. Dr. Codina has stated that I may not be able to rid myself 100% from the pain, but the goal is to help lessen the pain to the point of not finding myself on bed rest for days at a time anymore. That’s the goal. Reclaiming back my life!
I mean, the treatment is painful AF, but to be able to receive significant pain relief after 15+ years of chronic pain and the instability of pain levels, it is well worth the 15 min of pain and the initial first month or so sessions. In the beginning, I was able to notice a difference, but it was subtle. I still found myself on bed rest on many days for many hours, but slowly the bed rest decreased to only a few hours a day, and then to only a few times a week, and now I find myself on bed rest sometimes, but I’m able to carry on with my life just as quickly.
It’s been a total game-changer. I started with twice a week, then went down to once a week, and now I am currently going bi-weekly. All within less than a year of sessions with him, and now the goal is once a month, then hopefully once every other month. I think I’m far from that day though. My issue is complex and needs attention.
I nearly cried after my fourth session, tears of joy that is! Because of where my fusion is in my neck, I know I will never be able to rotate my head fully, but after that session, I was able to look much farther right for the first time in 15 years!! I did it so much that it kinda hurt, but it was the most amazing feeling. And just after the fourth session too, I’m sure if my dad were alive, he’d be raving like me! It’s still nowhere near where I wish to be, but I never thought I would be able to ever look right again. But again, since it is still in fact fused together, we highly doubt I’ll be able to look over my shoulder, but hey–what a progression!
I think of adhesion release as some kind of holistic approach like another version of acupuncture, physical therapy, or seeing a chiropractor. All of which I’ve tried, except chiropractic since I’m not allowed to have my neck cracked. Acupuncture was a form of torture to me, hated every second of it with minimal relief and zero improvement. What works for some, may not work for all. Physical therapy was nice, I always got massage therapy with my sessions, but it always had an expiration date, you need a doctor’s note to do it, and it got pretty expensive after a while.
Adhesion release could come off as equally expensive at $50 each session that only lasts 15 minutes, especially if you need long term treatment, have more than two sessions/month, and an insurance that doesn’t cover such a new method. Speaking from experience, all worth it to reach a common goal. I wouldn’t continue if I knew it wasn’t helping me. Some of his clients don’t even meet monthly anymore, some can go several months before needing a 15 min. session.
Sure, it’s only 15 minutes, but you wouldn’t want any longer than that. Trust me. The sessions aren’t meant to be relaxing. When I say they hurt, I mean they hurt, but a good hurt – If you know what I mean. And apparently not as painful as acupuncture, in my eyes. If you’re an active person, you know how when you finish a really good workout you’re really sore for the next few days? Well, it’s like that. A good hurt.
The key to manual adhesion release is to increase your body’s mobility, decrease any pain to either nothing at all or in my case . . . manageable.
It’s not a miracle cure. I mean, it’s a miracle I found this at the height of my painful life, but it’s not a quick fix, nor should it be the only thing to rely on to do it’s job. Life is all about balance, right? Whether that’s a work-life balance, or hitting the gym and having a well-rounded routine of not just cardio, but also weight lift training, etc. and not to mention a good diet and exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You can’t solely rely on sessions with an adhesion release specialist to do the trick. You have to do what you know is needed to be done. If you notice, you’re in pain from working at the desk all day, remember to take breaks, because that is important and essential to your health.
Whew–I know that was quite the post. Thanks for sticking it out with me to the end! Hope this helps in your research of manual adhesion release or this opens your eyes to something new for chronic pain management. If you don’t suffer from chronic pain, but have some kind of physical pain, worth checking out. Please forward and share with anyone you know that has any physical ailments. It might just work for someone you love or YOU!
Stay healthy ❤
rebeccanneuy
Disclaimer: I am not a health care professional. This blog post should not be a substitution to diagnose or treat you. Please seek a health care professional if you are experiencing health problems. This post is solely a review on adhesion release as I talk about my personal experience.
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