Scar Tissue and Massage Therapy
WHAT IS SCAR TISSUE?
Scar tissue is essentially a collection of collagen and cells that develop in response to the inflammatory process. Scars can form in response to many things such as injury, accidents, cuts, burns, surgery etc. Scars are normal and unavoidable when tissue has been damaged. Regardless if it is skin, muscle, tendon, ligament or fascia, the inflammatory process and production of scar tissue are necessary for healing the damaged tissue.
WHY IS SCAR WORK IMPORTANT?
Once the skin has healed with closed edges and no gaps, doing on site work is essential to forming a mobile, functional scar. If left unattended, the scar tissue may “stick” to the structures around it, which could cause further adhesion formation and restrict range of motion.
HOW CAN MASSAGE HELP WITH SCAR TISSUE?
From personal experience, I can tell you, scar focused massage therapy treatments can be game changers in the healing process. I began treatment 6 weeks after my surgery and when I went to my 3 month follow up, my surgeon was blown away at how well my incisions were healing. She said it was the most mobility she’d ever seen in a new scar and decided to recommend post op massage to all of her patients moving forward!
Whether you are seeking help for remodeling scar tissue in the early stages or want to address an older, more mature scar, massage therapy might be for you!
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
While seeing a practitioner can be extremely helpful, there is lots that you can do on your own. The following are steps that you can follow to perform self massage on your scar. You can also learn more here. Note, if you are addressing mature scar tissue, applying heat beforehand may be helpful.
STEP no. 1
– Place the pads of your finger above the scar. The scar tissue will likely feel like a thick, hard, band
-Move the skin and the tissue under it, toward the scar, but not over it, and hold for a few seconds.
– Ensure that you press in enough that you can feel the scar “move” under your fingertips.
– Move your fingers below the scar and again move toward the scar.
– Repeat as you move along the length of your scar and ensure that you are moving the tissue from both directions, above and below the scar.
STEP no. 2
– Place the pads of your fingers on the scar.
– Without allowing your fingers to slip or slide on the skin, pin the skin and tissue under the scar, and move it back and forth, holding for a few seconds.
– Repeat as you move along the length of your scar.
STEP no. 3
– Place the pads of your fingers on the scar.
– Move the skin and the tissue under the scar in a small, circular motion.
– If there is a section of the scar that feels particularly “sticky”, spend some more time there, hold for a few seconds.
– Repeat as you move along the length of your scar.
