What the Heck is Scar Massage?

Scar massage is a general term used for massage and manual therapy techniques that target scars and scar tissue.

Scar tissue is a unique type of connective tissue produced by the body in the healing process. I won’t get too far into details, but please know this tissue is different than the surrounding tissue (connective, organs, skin, muscles, etc) and it is avascular and lacks innervation. This means it does not automatically have its own blood flow like other tissue and it also does not have nerves going to it.

You can develop scar tissue from surgery and medical procedures, cuts, scrapes, injuries, burns, piercings, tattoos, needle pokes like epidurals or IVs, and inflammatory processes within the body (for example, scleroderma, which is an autoimmune condition). This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive.

There are many ways of using massage and manual therapy to work with scars. I recommend finding a practitioner who has training and experience specific to scars because they are highly important to the brain. They do not have their own nerves, but the brain is aware there’s a difference in the body. Haphazardly releasing scars or being overly aggressive can cause more harm than good. Below are a few techniques I have trained in and use in my work.

In my opinion, on of the best modalities for scar massage is Sharon Wheeler’s ScarWork®. Sharon Wheeler is a structural integration practitioner and student of Ida Rolf (an OG in the field) who has developed unique techniques for working with scars over the 50+ years in the profession.

ScarWork is gentle and highly effective. The goal is to help the scar tissue reintegrate with the surrounding fascia. Fascia (usually pronounced fah-shuh) is a type of connective tissue in our body that runs throughout the entire body. It forms sheets and also can be found inside muscles, around muscles, around bones and nerves, around organs, lining the organ cavities, under the skin… it really is all over the place! You can see why it would be important to help scar tissue and the surrounding fascia to be better friends.

Another type of manual therapy that can be helpful for scars I have studied is RAPID NeuroFascial Reset®. RAPID is a technique that stimulates nerve endings to elicit the release of Substance P, which is something our body makes that has repair and healing properties. RAPID can be used for scars as well, and I’ve found it is very effective in helping restore the cortical map for people with injuries of all kinds. The cortical map is the map our brain has of our body. If that map is blurry, the brain can perceive that as a threat, resulting in an increased chance of pain (local, generalized, or somewhere else) and muscle imbalances and compensations.

McLaughlin Scar Tissue Release®(MSTR) is another manual therapy technique developed for scar tissue. The intent is using light, specific pressure to stimulate and separate scar tissue and encourage blood flow and the potential for nerve regrowth in the affected area. I am a certified practitioner having completed an exam and case studies in the technique.

NeuroKinetic Therapy®(NKT) is a technique I love and use to help understand how the brain is organizing the muscles and structures in the body. Some structures are neurologically overactive and some are neurologically underactive. The brain pays a lot of attention to scars, and I often find that scars can be involved in a variety of movement patterns and dysfunctions both near and far. I use this as a way to evaluate and assess what we need to work on, as well as help the brain “reprogram” dysfunctional patterns into more functional ones.

There are a variety of other treatments targeting scars, including Graston® (a scraping technique), cupping therapies, Dolphin™ NeuroStim, and more. I have not trained in these modalities because I personally did not find benefit when I have received them. That does not mean they don’t work! Each person and each scar is unique, and so are the treatments and techniques that will help them.

The main takeaway I hope you have found is more knowledge around the basics of scar massage and what options you may have available. If you are navigating tension or pain from a scar, or you’re suspicious that scar tissue may be affecting your body, these are some ideas to look into.

Nothing in this blog post is to be construed as medical advice, nor is it a substitute for medical treatment or seeing a licensed medical professional. If you are having pain at or around a scar, I recommend ruling out anything that necessitates medical treatment first before pursuing massage or manual therapy.