Healing Scars & Scar Tissue Naturally with Massage Therapy
Healing Scars & Scar Tissue with Massage Therapy
In advanced massage training, such as neurokinetic therapy, scars are always prioritized by experts in the field. A metaphor used to describe scars are that they are similar to icebergs: you can see the top 1/3 and the bottom 2/3’s are held deep within. No matter the causation, location, age or size – the scar will have a similar response on the motor control centre (brain) and nervous system.
When tissue is healing, a web of fibrous connective tissue is being stitched together to fill in the wound. Due to the properties of this new tissue the area becomes adhered, sticky, dense, and stuck. Our body is made to be fluid-like. Layers of healthy tissue move freely over each other, as they contract and relax. When a scar heals, the tissue is dense and stuck and it will pull on the surrounding tissue which will signal the sensory nerves in the area that a dysfunction is present. The message of such dysfunction will travel up to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) saying: “the injury is still present, stay in protection mode.”
A fairly common example in practice are woman who have had Caesarean sections. Treating scars ranging in age from a few months old to 40+ years old, all have had similar charachteristics in tissue. The picture of dysfunction can range from nerve compression in the lumbar spine, hyperkyphotic posture (rounded upper back – otherwise known as a “Dowager’s Hump”), nerve compression in the arms, neck pain, back pain, headaches and more.
Using specific NKT & massage protocols, these scars tend to be inhibiting (turning off) one or all of their intrinsic core muscles (transverse abdominus, pelvic floor, lumbar spine multifidi). Identifying the root cause of your pain and restriction is key to optimal healing.
Through gentle massage, we are able to release the scar tissue followed with a gentle activation of the muscles that were under active. It is this release and activation that re-establishes balance within the patient and allows the dysfunctional protection mode to ease away. Another adjunctive therapy to support scar tissue healing may include Neural Therapy, as part of a Naturopathic Approach.
A great demonstration of how scars affect the body is a youtube video of Dr. Kathy Dooley who is a lead expert in NKT. She quickly demonstrates some the of assessment and shows how simple and effective the treatment can be!
https://www.youtube.com/
Massage Therapy @ Mind Body Soul Integrative Clinic