Scar tissue formation is one of the leading causes of repeated injury, limited mobility and chronic pain at the site of an old injury. Understanding how scars form, how they are broken down and how they can be prevented will help you avoid prolonged pain.
Scar Tissue Formation
When we think of scars, we generally think of skin. While this is the most visible location, scarring can occur to our soft tissues and organs as well. Muscles, ligaments and tendons are susceptible to scarring when they are injured. These tissues can be torn due to an acute injury or prolonged, repetitive use.
Inflammation is the body’s response to injury. The immune system sends a cascade of blood filled with white blood cells, collagen and other materials to block off the injured area and promote healing. Fibrous collagen surrounds the tear and attempts to rejoin the separated tissue fibers. This buildup of collagen is known as scar tissue.
The inflammatory response begins immediately. The entire process of scar tissue formation can take anywhere from weeks up to a year depending on the extent and location of injury (ligaments and tendons take longer as they receive poor blood supply).
Scar tissue is generally weaker and less flexible than the type of tissue it replaces. A large amount of this type of tissue in the hamstring, for example, can limit the leg’s range of motion and cause hamstring weakness. Weakness increases the risk of strain (tearing), thus increasing the risk of more scarring. There are ways to break this cycle and limit the effect that scar tissue has on your recovery from injury.
Prevention
While scars might not be completely preventable, their proliferation can be managed by controlling the inflammatory response that causes it. While one of the main purposes of the inflammatory response is to facilitate healing, it often goes too far and lasts too long. The longer inflammation lasts, the more scar tissue formation can be expected. Controlling inflammation with ice and a brief period of immobilization followed by remobilization, heat and massage can help to limit inflammation.
Active Release
Once scar tissue is formed, it is difficult to break down. Active Release Technique (A.R.T.), developed by a chiropractor named Dr. Leahy, hit the scene in 1991 to address this problem. Practitioners of the technique can identify this type of tissue with their hands and are trained to break it down. A.R.T. practitioners apply pressure in the direction of the muscle’s fibers, which help to accomplish scar breakdown. Through a combination of massage techniques on the practitioner’s part and guided movements on your part, you work together with the specialist to heal.
If you have a repetitive use injury or persistent pain at the site of an old injury, it is likely that scar tissue is prolonging your pain. Restoring flexibility and strength to your soft tissues combined with efforts to prevent re-injury will allow you to break the cycle of pain.
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