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SCAR TISSUE
by Wayne Still, Penticton

The ability of the human body to heal itself and regain function after being subjected to sometimes severe trauma is truly remarkable. Broken bones become whole again while cuts, gashes and surgical incisions heal to recreate unbroken, if scarred, skin. Let’s explore the nature and function of the specialized tissue which produces the scar.

When the body experiences trauma the equivalent of a fire alarm goes off and the emergency response team springs into action. A major player in the team is scar tissue. The bodys first response is to stabilize and immobilize the injured area. Tendrils of scar tissue begin to grow in all directions, pushing through muscle fibres until they find something hard to attach to. Generally this means a bone, ligament or tendon. Once the site is stabilized it begins the process of healing itself through the creation of more scar tissue which slowly mends the flesh around the wound until it is whole again. This is a process with which we are all more or less familiar. What is less well known are the longer term implications of the process.

You may have noticed that the tissue around a healed wound is thicker and less mobile than the surrounding tissue. Remember those tendrils? They are still there and remain in place long after the healing is complete. Because they pass through muscle bodies they can impede the movement of the muscle and so decrease its range of motion. Where the scarring is severe it can result in long term problems.

One example of this which I have encountered in my practice is with women who have had abdominal surgery. During the healing process after a c-section or hysterectomy the scar tissue can wrap around one or both inguinal ligaments. The resulting loss of range of motion in the pelvic area leads to chronic tension and pain. Long term results can vary from a slight rotation of the hips to serious dyfuntion which in one case may lead to a hip replacement.

Why the body does not disolve scar tissue on its own is something of a mystery to me, but I have found that by applying gentle, directed pressure around the scarred area the tissue will soften. This allows the region to regain its mobility and alleviate the existing problem.

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