McLoughlin Scar Tissue Release®

SCAR TISSUE – Why it shouldn’t be ignored! Surgical interventions around the world continue to rise. The resulting scars never go away. They are an ever-present reminder of the day of that surgery. Scars also arise from accidents, wounds from wars and conflicts, personal attacks and many other traumas. Effective treatment of scar tissue is, for a big percentage of the population, left untreated and is probably the most neglected of bodywork skills for the manual therapist.

​The effects of post-surgical scars on the human body cannot be underestimated. According to researchers Karel Lewit MD and Sarka Olsanka: ‘If the scar is…untreated, it may be the cause of therapeutic failure and recurrence.” Source: “Clinical Importance of Active Scars: Abnormal Scars as a Cause of Myofascial Pain.” Lewit & Olanska – 2002 In other words, no matter what physical therapy intervention is used untreated scars may thwart our best efforts to remedy related pain and restrictions in mobility. The effects of post-surgical scars on the human body cannot be underestimated.

The body forms scar tissue as a natural response to trauma when the skin is lacerated or punctured either by accident or purposefully i.e. surgery. Collagen being laid down during the repair process results in a thickened, fibrous mass which can impede proper circulation of blood, congests lymph flow, and can even impact on Range of Motion. Additionally, the severing of delicate nerve tissue often results in dysthesia of not only the scar but the adjacent, surrounding tissue. As the scar is fibrous and non-elastic it will have a dragging and pulling effect on bio-mechanical function of all physiological systems particularly the fascial membrane covering muscles, organs and glands. The effect of scar tissue in the physical body is just the beginning: The Emotional and Psychological effects of scar tissue Every scar represents an event that created the scar.