Comfort After C-Section: Why Scar Therapy Matters
By Anna Ford, Registered Osteopath BA (Hons) BOst, Ealing
As an Osteopath, I treat women both pre and post-natal. Some women who have had a previous c-section experience low back and hip pain post birth and beyond. While Osteopathy has been helping them with their symptoms, I wanted to explore the connection between the c-section scar and the rest of the body further. So, I embarked on becoming a RESTORE C-Section Scar Specialist and I thought I’d share with you what I have learnt and how much Caesarean Scar Therapy can help.
A Scar After a Caesarean Birth
A scar is the body’s natural way of healing post-surgery.
Scar tissue is fibrotic, less stretchy and less mobile than healthy tissue.
This is because when a scar is forming, fibres are laid down in many different directions and these fibres can start sticking to each other (adhesions) and to surrounding tissues. As you heal, different loads are placed through your body and this can affect the tensional forces placed through the scar.
This can make the scar feel tight and sore, creating symptoms such as: a pulling sensation, tightness, itchiness, numbness, sensitivity and even hip and low back pain. For some women this makes daily activities feel uncomfortable and slows down the recovery of the abdominal muscles.
Furthermore, as adhesions form when the scar is healing it may cause a ‘pouch’ or ‘overhang’ that many women experience post- c-section.
What is Scar Therapy?
Scar Therapy is a non-invasive manual therapy developed to treat scar tissue, fibrosis and adhesions. C-Section scar therapy is a specialised form of very gentle treatment that helps to relieve many of the symptoms (a pulling sensation, tightness, itchiness, numbness, sensitivity and even hip and low back pain) that women can experience after a caesarean birth.
Gentle techniques are used over the scar itself as well as the surrounding tissues and muscles. This helps which stimulate the tissue which decreases the thick fibrotic scarring and allows the scar tissue to stop pulling the healthy tissue around it. It stimulates a positive change in both the surface of the scar and the deeper adhesions or fibrosis.
Scar therapy aims to decrease any symptoms by promoting mobilisation and stimulation to the fibres within the scar allowing them to slide over one another much easier. This directly affects how forces move through the scar and the body.
Why Should I Have Caesarean Scar Therapy?
1. If you are experiencing any tightness, itchiness or pulling over the scar
2. If any of the symptoms are affecting your day-to-day tasks
3. If you are worried about sensory loss or developing a ‘pouch’ or ‘overhang’
4. If you are experiencing any low back or hip pain related to your scar. Sometimes you may not know it is because of the scar, it can be difficult to make that link. However, if you have had a c-section birth and have had back or hip pain in the months (or even years) after then it may be worth investigating a potential link to the scar.
Its important to acknowledge that not all scars are symptomatic and not everyone needs scar therapy but every scar would benefit from it!
Top Tips for a Caesarean Scar
1. Start early, after the wound is closed and fully healed, without any scabs, as this will increase the chance of a healthy happy scar.
2. After the scabs have cleared, your scar will start to loose water via the skin. So keeping it hydrated with good scar creams is extremely important to maintain a healthy barrier.
3. Use a silicon sheet for caesarean scars — they are the best-known occlusive barrier to prevent water loss and act as a great barrier for skin in early healing.
4. Get used to touching the area. This is a really helpful way to reconnect with the area - many women report numbness and discomfort around their scar or simply an aversion to wanting to look at or touch the scar. That is completely normal but by using a very gentle touch and lightly stroking the skin in different directions can help reduce adhesions forming.
5. See a C-section scar therapist and give yourself some TLC - this can help to reduce any symptoms and treat adhesions and fibrosis of scars. They can also show you safe techniques to do at home and give you confidence that you are doing them correctly and safely.
One final thought: although it is better to start early when treating scars, it’s also never too late!
Find Out More!
Are you based near Ealing and West London and want to explore whether Caesarean Scar Therpy can help you? Book your session with Anna at Bridge to Health today by emailing help@bridgetohealth.co.uk or call 01895 200050
