Scar Tissue

[bluedrift]

In one of Scotts articles he speaks about a debilitating back injury and quick recovery from that.

Would the work he did immediately after injury prevent scar tissue or minimize formation?

On the other hand where scar tissue exists from a previous injury then can one use personal exercise to reduce/ease that scar tissue or can that only be done through manipulation by another person?

[Jarlo Ilano]

Scar tissue is an interesting thing.

The body lays down tissue from the periphery towards the center after a wound. A wound in this case meaning any break in the structural integrity, another term you may hear is "lesion". (Which always sounded nasty to me!)

The tissue is then aligned through whatever forces are acting upon it. Usually perpendicular to the tension.

http://www.emedicine.com/ent/byname/implants-soft-tissue-alloderm.htm

If there is no tension, then the scarring is more haphazard. You can see this in the visible scarring on the skin. Now imagine this occurring deeper in the fascia and you can see the consequences of scar buildup.

So, it behooves us to move appropriately to ensure proper tissue alignment. The first study I learned about in Anatomy class was the study on rabbits wherein they induced a wound, then had a group on continuous passive motion machines and another immobilized. Range of motion and healing was tons better in the rabbits who were kept moving.

In short, keep moving (within reason) after an injury.

If the injury is old, movement is still good, but outside help in the form of massage/manipulation may speed things along. I've always said that Physical therapy is more of a jump start than a cure.

Hope that helps.

[KEVIN TEAGLE]

Preach on Brother Jarlo, Preach on


Kevin :D

[JasonE]

As always, thanks for tipping your cup of knowledge to share a bit.

[Elijah]

Deep Tissue massage works wonders to re-align damaged muscle fibers and tissues.

Its painfull - but in my experience well worth the pain for the increased speed of healing, and the reduction of scar tissue and adhesions at the injured site.

Good luck!

Elijah