On Scar Tissue
The formation of scar tissue is an important part of the body’s natural healing process.
Unfortunately, however, this protective measure can instead become an obstacle to wellness, and its mitigation via various protocols becomes necessary to both alleviate discomfort and return to full mobility.
While many people think of scar tissue as the visible indicator of a healed injury, often a laceration, the reality is that a vast majority of chronic pain and injuries are related to scar tissue.
Here’s a quick overview.
The formation of scar tissue is part of the body’s natural self defense and healing processes. In response to injuries, overuse, and even in defense of chronic use, the body produces a ‘band aid’ of sorts to protect the surrounding soft tissue – things like muscles, tendons, fascia, ligaments and even nerves. The scar tissue is, essentially, a connective tissue protein called collagen, and collagen is very strong and not easily broken down.
Often, even after the initial injury begins to feel better, some of this collagen – or scar tissue – remains in place, becoming an adhesion that restricts movement and mobility, and increases friction.
This eventually leads to the formation of additional scar tissue in response to the irritation as we continue to ‘push through’ our injuries, thus starting a cycle of entrenched and continually building scar tissue in these active areas.
With more scar tissue comes more friction, more inflammation, the creation of even more scar tissue, and increasingly restricted movement and discomfort. Over time, this can become a very painful condition that never seems to get any better.
The good news is there are ways to stop this cycle, mitigate the continual creation of scar tissue in response to the same initial injury or ailment, and get back to a largely original and healthy state.
To achieve this, and depending on the circumstance and exact nature of the injury, we can employ a variety of approaches including direct fascial manipulation and tool-assisted (e.g., Graston) techniques, Active Release Techniques (A.R.T.) and cutting-edge Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technologies (EPAT) designed to effectively break up ingrained scar tissue, encourage increased blood flow and promote healing in the affected area. By doing so we can break the scar-response cycle and restore the patient to a normal and pain-free state.
Want to learn more? Contact us.
The formation of scar tissue is an important part of the body’s natural healing process.
Unfortunately, however, this protective measure can instead become an obstacle to wellness, and its mitigation via various protocols becomes necessary to both alleviate discomfort and return to full mobility.
While many people think of scar tissue as the visible indicator of a healed injury, often a laceration, the reality is that a vast majority of chronic pain and injuries are related to scar tissue.
Here’s a quick overview.
The formation of scar tissue is part of the body’s natural self defense and healing processes. In response to injuries, overuse, and even in defense of chronic use, the body produces a ‘band aid’ of sorts to protect the surrounding soft tissue – things like muscles, tendons, fascia, ligaments and even nerves. The scar tissue is, essentially, a connective tissue protein called collagen, and collagen is very strong and not easily broken down.
Often, even after the initial injury begins to feel better, some of this collagen – or scar tissue – remains in place, becoming an adhesion that restricts movement and mobility, and increases friction.
This eventually leads to the formation of additional scar tissue in response to the irritation as we continue to ‘push through’ our injuries, thus starting a cycle of entrenched and continually building scar tissue in these active areas.
With more scar tissue comes more friction, more inflammation, the creation of even more scar tissue, and increasingly restricted movement and discomfort. Over time, this can become a very painful condition that never seems to get any better.
The good news is there are ways to stop this cycle, mitigate the continual creation of scar tissue in response to the same initial injury or ailment, and get back to a largely original and healthy state.
To achieve this, and depending on the circumstance and exact nature of the injury, we can employ a variety of approaches including direct fascial manipulation and tool-assisted (e.g., Graston) techniques, Active Release Techniques (A.R.T.) and cutting-edge Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technologies (EPAT) designed to effectively break up ingrained scar tissue, encourage increased blood flow and promote healing in the affected area. By doing so we can break the scar-response cycle and restore the patient to a normal and pain-free state.
Want to learn more? Contact us.