Scar Tissue can have a devastating effect on people's lives very often being the main cause of chronic pain.The first thing to understand is that scar tissue (also known as adhesions) forms when any soft tissue (muscles, fascia, tendons, nerves, ligaments) is damaged.
The first thing to understand is that scar tissue (also known as adhesions) forms when any soft tissue (muscles, fascia, tendons, nerves, ligaments) is damaged.
It is common for the scar response to be amplified and as a result, we have scarring like cobwebs enveloping everything in the affected area; muscles, nerves, joints etc.
This “cobweb” suffocates the area's normal blood flow and nutrition.
Without normal blood flow and nutrition, the tissues start to dry out causing less lubrication between the different structures. Due to lack of lubrication, tissues start rubbing against each other creating even more scar tissue/adhesions. This is how stiffness, tightness and pain occur. Scar tissue is very different from normal tissue on many different levels.
Mechanically - compared to normal tissue which is stretchy and elastic, scar tissue is usually more rigid and stiffer, often like a non-elastic clump. This causes less movement in the affected area and any joint that is surrounded by scar tissue will have a limited range of movement. Loss of motion in joints causes degeneration and chronic pain.
Electrically - to understand this difference, we can think about different levels of pain sensitivity and the fact that there are 10 times more sensory nerve endings in connective tissue (Fascia) than in our muscles. Scar tissue can be 1000 times more pain-sensitive than normal tissue.
Metabolically - along with decreased blood flow, nutrition, hydration and fluid lubrication mentioned earlier, scar tissue is also much less oxygenated than normal tissue. This is due to poor blood supply which also means that it is difficult to heal without “breaking” it down first with any of the existing manual therapies or/and training methods.
There is a big difference on pretty much every possible level between scar tissue and normal tissue. Scar tissue can be caused by injuries, traumatic experiences, surgeries (cuts), repetitive movements, postures etc. Scar tissue can be effectively treated to restore all the properties that normal tissue has. Bodywork that incorporates specific myofascial release techniques emerges as the most effective option.