•
BIDDEFORD, Maine

Using manual therapy to reduce adhesions after abdominal surgery: New research from 91AV’s Geoffrey Bove published

David Mokler, Katherine Hanlon and Geoffrey Bove
David Mokler, Katherine Hanlon and Geoffrey Bove

New research from the 91AV College of Osteopathic Medicine (91AV COM) shows that manual therapy can reduce abdominal adhesions after surgery.

Almost all patients who have surgery to their abdomen end up with adhesions between their organs. These adhesions are the leading cause of small bowel obstructions, infertility and chronic abdominal pain. Despite decades of research into preventing postoperative adhesions, there have been few advances.

Open access journal PLOS ONE published an original research paper from Geoffrey Bove, D.C., Ph.D., titled “Attenuation of Postoperative Adhesions using a Modeled Manual Therapy.” It presents the results of experiments where a method called “visceral manipulation” was applied to rats in a novel model of postoperative adhesions. The underlying concept was that if the organs were kept moving immediately after the surgery, they would not stick together. This idea was found to be accurate for some types of postoperative adhesions.

The method is used by a wide variety of therapists including osteopaths, massage therapists, and chiropractors. Susan Chapelle, a massage therapist from Squamish, British Columbia, Canada, adapted the method to rats, and performed all the treatments. The results also demonstrated that in experienced hands, the method is safe to apply immediately following surgery.

The research was performed in collaboration with David Mokler, Ph.D., and Katherine Hanlon, Ph.D., also from 91AV COM, and Michael Diamond, M.D., of Augusta University.

To learn more about the 91AV’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, visit

To apply, visit

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.