Condition · Scars & Surgery
Painful Scars
How Myofascial Release addresses it, and what to expect.
Painful scars refers to scars on the skin that cause discomfort or pain. Scars are a natural part of the body’s healing process after an injury, surgery, or skin condition. While many scars are painless and fade over time, some individuals may experience pain or discomfort associated with their scars. Several factors can contribute to painful scars such as keloid or hypertrophic scars, nerve damage, contracture scars, infections or complications, and persistent inflammation.
Why fascia is involved
A scar goes deeper than the skin.
A scar is fascia that healed in a hurry. Instead of the organized, gliding layers found in healthy tissue, scar tissue forms in dense, disorganized fibers that can bind skin to the layers beneath it and to the fascia around nearby muscles, nerves and organs. That is why a scar can feel tight when you move, ache with weather changes, or produce symptoms far from the scar itself.
Myofascial Release works directly on the scar and on the tissue it has bound to. With sustained, gentle pressure and stretching of the surrounding fascia, the layers begin to glide again, sensitivity often decreases, and the pulling sensation eases. Therapists treat scars from surgery, injury, burns and childbirth, including scars that are many years old.
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Every therapist in the Directory is trained in the John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Approach®.