Is it possible to break down scar tissue

Regularly applying moisturizer to an external scar and massaging it in the direction of the tissue can keep the scar softer and more flexible and it may decrease tissue sensitivity. There are also silicone gel patches that adhere to the skin and can help promote tissue healing.

Wrapping or taping the injury might also decrease tension and inflammation. Physical Therapy can be useful for breaking up scar tissue around a joint. Learning joint exercises and stretches can help reduce stiffness and may alleviate some of the pain cause by scarring. This is also a useful way to learn and practice proper techniques for specialized movements, as a way to avoid future injury and the development of additional fibrous tissue.

Laser Therapy involves treatment that penetrates the skin and promotes the growth of healthy collagen. This treatment method is unlikely to get rid of scarred tissue completely, but it can be an effective way to help reduce minor itching, decrease pain, and improve some mobility.

Corticosteroid Injections have shown to be effective for improving pain symptoms due to tissue scarring. Steroids are a very powerful anti-inflammatory, but the downside to these injections is that steroids can damage surrounding, healthy tissue, which may lead to further injury. While some people respond right away to steroid injections, others require several shots over a period of a few weeks, which increases the danger of damaging healthy tissue.

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy , also called ESWT , sends impulse pressure waves deep into injured and scarred tissue to break up damaged tissue on a cellular level. Pressure waves created by a Shockwave Therapy machine increase blood flow and the growth of new blood vessels to the affected area to improve healing more quickly than other methods.

A massage can help to break down scar tissue post-surgery. After surgery, a buildup of scar tissue occurs to help repair damaged muscle fibres and tissues. Scar tissue is not as elastic or flexible as the body's natural muscle fibres so movement can be limited and pain can increase, worsening the effects of surgery.

During a massage, temperature of scar tissue is increased to help improve the tissue elasticity and flexibility. Increasing the elasticity and flexibility allows the scar tissue to be broken down more easily. Previously limited movement is reduced and pain decreases as elasticity improves and scar tissue is broken down. Scarring can be reduced when scar tissue is broken down through massage.

Scarring occurs for a variety of reasons. The most common causes of scarring is injury and surgery. Scarring can affect a person both physically and psychologically.

The scar tissue that makes up the scars is often restrictive and can increase pain, physically affecting a person. Scarring also has a different coloured appearance to a person's normal skin due to the haphazard positions collagen fibres are laid, affecting a person psychologically. A variety of techniques are used to increase the temperature of scar tissue to help to loosen and break down the fibres. Once the scar tissue has been loosened and broken down, the collagen fibres making up the scar tissue is realigned.

Loosening and breaking down the scar tissue helps to reduce restriction and realigning the collagen fibres helps to reduce their appearance. There are various physiological effects of massage to break down scar tissue.

The most common physiological effects that occur include:. Increased temperature is a common physiological effect that helps to break down scar tissue. Increased temperature involves both superficial and deep tissues increasing in temperature.

Increasing temperature of tissues within the body helps to loosen scar tissue. Temperature is increased by the encouragement of improved circulation. Loosened scar tissue makes it easier for it to be broken down as elasticity and flexibility of the tissues is increased. Breaking down scar tissue by increasing temperature helps to relieve restriction and decrease muscle tightness. A physiological effect that helps break down scar tissue is increased oxygenation. Increased oxygenation is where blood flow increases to supply muscles and tissues with an increase in oxygen.

Oxygenation is increased when vasodilation and capillarisation occurs to help improve blood circulation. Vasodilation is where blood vessels widen and become closer to the surface of the skin, allowing an increase in blood to travel through them. Capillarisation is where an increase in capillaries surround a muscle, increasing the availability of oxygen and nutrients. Increasing oxygenation helps to break down scar tissue as it helps to repair damaged cells can also provide the muscle with energy for the healing process.

Collagen fibres are fibrous connective tissues that make up scar tissue. Collagen fibres that make up the scar tissue are used to repair damaged tissues resulting in the formation of adhesions. Before undergoing treatment, it is necessary to consult with your both your doctor and your physical therapist before proceeding with any treatment. In cases where scars are not fully healed, massage could delay healing or even open and expose the scar to bacteria or infection.

If you have scar tissue that has fully healed, a physical therapist may perform scar tissue massage to help with the remodeling process. Massage promotes the gentle stretching of the scar tissue, helping align the collagen fibers. When you start physical therapy for scar tissue management, there are several procedures your therapist will perform to help heal scar tissue:.

Along with these massage techniques, stretching and flexibility exercises may also be implemented to help elongate and improve the mobility of injured tissues.

Physical therapy can play a vital role in properly treating and healing scar tissue. At New Heights Physical Therapy, we are trained in helping patients treating their scar tissue through a variety of techniques.

Give us a call today to start healing your scar tissue! Can PT help scar tissue? Yes, physical therapy will help improve movement and the healing of scar tissue. Can you massage away scar tissue? Yes if the scar is no more than two-years-old. We perform three different massage techniques to help heal scar tissue including, cross friction massage, myofascial release, and instrument-assisted massage.

Is it good to massage scar tissue? Surgery — It might sound unusual to have revision surgery to remove the effects of a previous surgery, but scar tissue on the skin could be reduced or eliminated through a cosmetic procedure. This is a more common choice among people who have suffered severe burns or intense accidents.

Of course, with any surgical procedure, there is a risk for additional scar tissue formation so you should always consult with a trusted healthcare provider before proceeding with this option. Compression — Compression wraps found at any drug store can help decrease the inflammation around the affected tissues, while also reducing pain.

Under the right conditions, scar massage and manual therapy techniques can have a significant impact on scar tissue release. It is important to note that your scar must be fully healed before you begin any type of scar massage therapy.

If you begin too soon you could cause the wound to reopen or tear, which could cause pain or lead to an infection. Using massage techniques on scar tissue will be most effective in the first 2 years, while the scar is still forming. During this timeframe, you may notice significant benefits to massaging scar tissue, including:.

After consulting with your healthcare provider, you may want to try massaging your scar at home. Here are a few tips:.