What is scar tissue & how can I help you
One of the most common ailments that clients seek treatment from me for is scar tissue. This could be scar tissue due to a C-section, breast augmentation, knee surgery, open heart surgery... any kind of surgery really. But what is scar tissue and how can myofascial release help?
Scar tissue is actually just fascia that has dehydrated and thickened to help repair and heal an area that has been cut into or torn. Scar tissue is actually proof that the fascia is doing one of its many jobs by protecting and healing the body. However, once the area is recovered, it's important to release these fascial adhesions that can occur beneath the superficial layer of scarring. Scar tissue has the potential to travel throughout the body if left unchecked, putting an intense amount of pressure on the surrounding areas.
Most therapies talk about adhesions as though they need to be "broken apart". And they can be broken apart on a superficial level, but that is only going to cause more trauma to the body, and also can cause the fascia to tighten on a deeper level which is the opposite of what we want to happen. It might solve the problem in the short term, but may cause issues later on down the road.
Another common solution to scar tissue is, ironically, surgery... which caused the scar tissue in the first place... and will only cause more scar tissue to form in the same areas that it has been removed. This is a never ending cycle that can only end in frustration and is a waste of time in my opinion.
The scar tissue instead can be gently released using the myofascial release approach, but using sustained pressure. This pressure will actually change the state of the fascia from a thick immovable tissue to its intended fluid filled state, without the need to use force. I have had several clients benefit from this approach to help recover from surgery and prevent scar tissue from forming at all, as well as helped them reduce the scar tissue that formed post - surgery so that they can regain full range of motion and move more comfortably in their bodies.
