Scars are a result of the body’s remarkable power to heal itself. Scars develop after the deeper layer of skin, the dermis, is damaged. New collagen fibers are laid down at the site of the wound to repair the tissue. These fibers grow in random and unorganized patterns, forming adhesions underneath the scar itself. Adhesions can form deep within the body, attaching to muscles, bones, tendons, and organs.

Imagine how a single pull of this matrix fascial tissue and how it could misalign or cause imbalance in any number of the systems throughout the body.

Here are five reasons why scars may be adversely impacting your health and driving your pain cycles:

1) They can cause a great deal of pain in your body without you even knowing! Scars cause hypersensitivity in the nervous system and appear to contribute to many chronic pain conditions. Neural therapy shows us the cellular tissue change at a scar site sends noxious stimuli to the nervous system. The scar itself may not hurt, but it can cause pain throughout the body.

2) Scars produce pain as a result of poor body posture and structure. Scars pull the fascia concentrically inward towards the middle of the body. This fascial pull acts like a strait jacket inside the body, putting pressure on muscles and nerves, causing pain, and misaligning the skeletal system. This is especially important with abdominal scarring as it seems to distort body positioning, pulling us in a constant forward flexed position. This increases the degeneration of our spines and can create pain in the upper and lower limbs.

3) Scars can diminish organ functioning. Since the fascia wraps around organs, muscles, and tissues, it can negatively affect their performance. Adhesions can affect all internal organs or systems – including the ovaries, bowel and bladder.

I have found in the treatment of patients that releasing abdominal scars significantly improves organ functioning by reducing hormonal fluctuations and improving digestive issues. Having the scar from your C-section released is key if you’re suffering from digestion issues, back pain, hot flashes or sexual dysfunction.

4) Scars can cause electrical disruptions, impairing system functioning and circulation. The scar itself acts like a dam and blocks the vertical flow of electrical connection within your nervous system, which interferes with organ or system functioning.

5) Scars cause emotional trauma. The emotions that surround traumatic accidents, injuries, and surgeries can get trapped and locked into the cellular memory of tissue, causing post-traumatic stress (PTSD). SRT permits the “letting go” or release of emotional trauma stored inside the scar tissue.

Kelly Armstrong, OTR/L, MPP