Abdominal Adhesions
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Abdominal Adhesions - Editor's Choice

| Modified on Feb 11, 2025
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A problem for some after one or more surgeries are abdominal adhesions. These adhesions can cause pain and discomfort. The medical solution is surgery, which, unfortunately, can cause more adhesions. However, there are several natural remedies for abdominal adhesions that are simple, inexpensive, and non-invasive.

These remedies include the supplement serrapeptase, castor oil packs and certain herbs like comfrey and calendula.

Natural Remedies for Abdominal Adhesions

There are several natural remedies that can be used for abdominal adhesions. They are inexpensive and non-invasive, but they do take some persistence and diligence on your part to implement.

Serrapeptase

Serrapeptase is an enzyme produced by silkworms. Serrapeptase dissolves non-living tissue. It can be bought at health food stores and online. If you have any artificial parts, mesh, etc. in your body, you should NOT use serrapeptase. You do not want to inadvertently dissolve any materials in your body that are critical to your body function! However, there are more options for you, if this is the case.

Castor Oil Packs

Castor oil packs are external poultices used on the abdomen. Castor oil packs reduce pain and inflammation. Used faithfully over time they can reduce scar tissue and adhesions.

How to Use a Castor Oil Pack for Adhesions

Soak a cotton flannel or wool cloth that is several layers thick with castor oil. (You don't want it dripping wet.) Place the cloth over your abdomen. You can choose a size that is appropriate for you. If you have had multiple surgeries and many adhesions, you may need a large cloth to cover a large area. If you know your adhesions are more focused in one area (if perhaps you have had your gall bladder out, or had gynecological surgery) then you can make a pack that suits that area of the body.

Cover the castor oil cloth with a piece of plastic. Plastic wrap from the kitchen is fine. Use an ace bandage or something similar to help secure the castor oil pack to your abdomen. Ladies will find that a spandex camisole and/or leggings will hold the pack in place nicely. (But know that your garments may end up stained with castor oil; use old garments.)

Next, apply a heating pad or hot water bottle. The heat helps the castor oil to penetrate the skin.

Use the castor oil pack for 2 hours or overnight. (Do not use a heating pad overnight - turn it off when you are going to sleep; the heat will be retained for a while.) Do this 4 nights on, 3 nights off. Using this overnight may help you to sleep better! Women should not do this during their periods, though they may find that it relieves PMS menstrual cramping if used in the days leading up to menstruation.

You may want to sleep in old clothes and on old towels to make sure you don't get castor oil stains where you do not want them.

You do not need to make a new castor oil pack each day. You can add more castor oil to the pack as needed. If you use this treatment for several months, start with a fresh pack each month.

Herbs for Adhesions

Comfrey is an amazing herb known for its ability to heal tissue. Used regularly it has been known to heal even old scar tissue. Calendula is another strong herb useful for skin and scar issues.

Comfrey and calendula can be used individually or together to make a tea to take internally or an oil to use externally for adhesions.

Comfrey and Calendula Adhesion Tea

  • 1/2 tablespoon comfrey leaf
  • 1/2 tablespoon calendula flowers
  • 2 cups water
  • Boil the water and pour over the herbs. Steep for 15 minutes. Strain herbs. Sweeten with honey if desired. Drink this tea daily.

Adhesion Oil Recipe

  • 1 cup comfrey leaf (dried)
  • 1 cup calendula flowers (dry - they should be bright orange/yellow)
  • Castor Oil
  • Olive Oil
  • Put your herbs in a jar. Use equal parts of olive and castor oil to completely cover the herbs. Cover. Put a cloth in the bottom of a crockpot. Put your herb oil jar on the cloth. Add water to just below the top of the jar cover. Set your crockpot on the "Keep Warm" setting. Let the herbs steep for 5 days. You may need to add water daily.
  • Use a piece of a clean t-shirt to strain out the flowers.

Now you have a wonderful massage oil for your adhesions.

Twice a day, gently massage this oil onto your abdomen. The massage itself may be helpful in loosening and healing the adhesions.

These remedies are not overnight "cures". You will need to use them regularly for weeks or months. But they are gentle and inexpensive.

What are Abdominal Adhesions?

Abdominal adhesions are a type of scar tissue that causes your internal organs to "stick" together instead of move freely as they are intended to. Adhesions can cause pain, discomfort and even bowel obstruction. Adhesions can also cause infertility.

What Causes Abdominal Adhesions?

Usually, adhesions are a result of surgery. Abdominal and pelvic infections can also result in adhesions.

Have you tried one of these remedies? Do you have another home treatment for abdominal adhesions? Please share it with us! Read on below for more suggestions from Earth Clinic readers.

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Castor Oil Packs

Posted by Beverly (OH) on 03/28/2021
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My husband was plagued with adhesions following abdominal surgery and after the second adhesion surgery, I did the research. Found that exposing the body's tissues to air causes a stickiness that grows over the tissues. It eventually causes the tissues to stick together and malfunction.

A lady in Canada described using castor oil packs to dissolve her adhesions. I used her method on my husband's abdomen daily for 4 months. He enjoyed an hour afternoon nap with the pack in place. After 4 months, he wanted to take a break to see if that was enough to dissolve the adhesions. Apparently, it was because they never returned. The packs also softened the skin tissue where the surgical incision was.

Please use high quality organic castor oil and organic cotton or wool cloth to make the packs because the chemicals in nonorganic products will enter the body and can interfere with the dissolving action of the adhesions.

Vitamin E

Posted by Leslie Hanson (OR) on 11/23/2020
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My sister-in-law got very painful adhesions after her third C-section and internally took NeoLife's Vitamin E...she may have rubbed it on her incision as well but they resolved right away and have never come back in 40+ years! I would not recommend another brand. This one has worked so much better than all the kinds we tried before! Probably because it is actually made from wheat germ as opposed to soy which is 1/16th as bioavailable as wheat or all the cheap synthetics made from petroleum!!

So terrible!

Myofascial Release

Posted by Broehe (Seattle, Wa) on 04/27/2016
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

In response to Carl's post:

Hi. I had major abdominal surgery a few months ago, and since then I have had two small bowel obstructions due to adhesions. When I take Serrapaptase, (which is supposed to dissolve fibrin) the capsule comes out the other end intact.

Is there a kind of systemic enzyme that will work on adhesions, and dissolves easily? Is there something I can do or take to make the Serrapeptase I have on hand now break down in my intestines so it can get into my body? Any other ideas for getting rid of these damned adhesions would also be very warmly received.

Bowel obstructions really hurt.

Adhesions, as you know, are the body's way of stitching you up after major surgery. Its a survival response, not a long-term response. Ultimately, there's a healthy plan there. We just want you to move toward long-term total recovery.

Adhesions are Connective Tissue, or Scar Tissue; made up of the same kind of cells. Connective tissue is laid down, like disorganized bandaid. As scar tissue, you've experienced it can become problematic.

The bad news is that you're having pain and digestive obstruction. Sorry to hear that.

The good news is that its a tissue issue. Connective tissue responds to wonderfully to abdominal and visceral massage or manual therapy.

A Massage Therapist with a Visceral Bodywork specialty, or Mayan Abdominal Massage or even Myofascial work will be able to loosen up those tissues. These kinds of bodywork were developed to treat these kinds of problems. And they work.

I hope you get a chance to try especially Visceral or Abdominal bodywork.

And, you yourself, with a gentle touch, can also loosen the tissues. Hold a tender or painful spot with a pressure that does not add pain. Hold and breathe into that spot. Gently, breathing calmly like you would as you held a newborn, gently explore the area around the painful spot. Breathe abundantly into the entire area; you are increasing local circulation too. That will help. Stay with it for 10-15 minutes. You may find that it changes. The tissue will be changed, for the better, as long as the pressure is right for you.

I wish you the best in your recovery.


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