How to Fix Fascial Adhesions from Surgery and Injury Scars

When tissue is damaged enough to form a scar, sometimes that scar tissue becomes adhered to other connective tissues. This is called an adhesion. Ideally, your skin should lay smoothly over your connective tissue, and should move fluidly. Adhesions can cause pain, tension and overall dysfunction.

When you have an injury to the network of connective tissue, it can create dysfunction in your muscles. Your muscles rely on nerve receptors inside the deep layers of connective tissue to understand how contracted they are and how they are supposed to move. If there is an adhesion in your fascia, (connective tissue network,) it can create disruptions in other areas of the body that rely on proper nerve stimulus to function. (IE your nerves, connective tissue, muscles.)

Understanding Fascia and Fascial Adhesions

Courtesy of Escience Central. The ultrasound image demonstrates the fibrous adhesion between the fascia of the internal oblique and external oblique muscles.

Courtesy of Dr. Jean Claude Guimberteau.
An actual picture of fascia!

Fascia is a spiderweb-like network of collagenous fibers that surrounds and penetrates every organ and structure in your body, including the integumentary (skin) system. Because deep fascia contains nerve receptors, it plays a large part in proprioception. Fascia is the glue that connects all of our pieces and holds us together!

Fascia possesses the ability to stretch without restriction. However, when someone experiences trauma, inflammation, or scarring fascia becomes tight and less pliable. This can lead to a build-up of tension and dysfunction in the body.

How to Fix Adhesions

Massage:

A massage therapist can use different modalities to break up adhesions: Myofascial release,Neuromuscular therapy, and medical massage can efficiently break up densities in the fascia. Passive stretching and regular massage therapy may fix fascial adhesions, and help prevent them in the future. You can practice friction massage, on yourself, to break up adhesions on scars, and to aid in the healing of the scar tissue.

Courtesy of Brilliant Health Chicago.
Shows evidence of fascial decompression of the calf muscle with kinesiology tape.

Practical Applications:

Often times the therapies mentioned above can be used as soon as your injury or incision heals. This is often recommended in cases of deep incisions such as: cesareans, and organ removal surgeries. (apedectomies, cholecystectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy.) In cases of some orthopedic surgeries: Kinesiology Taping and Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage can be used immediately Post-Op. It is best to consult with your doctor to find out if this treatment would be beneficial to you!

We service families in the Oklahoma City Metro area: from Guthrie to Norman; from El Reno to Midwest City. If you have questions about our service area or about the services we provide, please feel free to contact us. If you have any suggestions for future blog topics, leave a comment below.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brittany started her journey of helping women in 2012, as a pregnancy consultant. She was certified as a Birth and Bereavement Doula through Stillbirthday in 2015 and gained certification as a Gena Kirby Rebozo Doula later that year. She is the Birth Doula for modern women. She is intuitive and open-minded; she is attentive and ready to support everyone. Brittany received over 800 hours of advanced training in the practice of massage therapy in her quest as a healer, and is continually researching and attending training in the art of holistic health and wellness. She volunteers with the Oklahoma Birth Trauma Support Group for mothers and families who have experienced birth trauma and pregnancy loss. She lives in Oklahoma City with her husband and four children.

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