Have you recently given birth and entering your post-natal recovery phase?

Are you wondering what is important to include in your post-natal rehabilitation?

Scar tissue massage for some people is not the first thing they think of in post-natal recovery. However, it is not to be missed! Read on to learn about perineal and c-section scar tissue massage and why it is important to include this in your recovery.

What Is Scar Tissue?

Scar tissue is an area of fibrous tissue that develops when a wound is healing. The degree of scarring on the skin or affected tissue will depend on the severity of the injury or wound. Scar tissue will replace normal skin or soft tissue and has different properties, such as reduced elasticity (stretch) and change in colour.

Pregnancy can be an extremely challenging experience for many women. During a natural or vaginal delivery, there is a high risk of tearing of the perineum, and for those who undergo a caesarean-section, an incision will be made along the abdomen. These are wounds that need time to heal and will eventually form perineal or c-section scar tissue, which may have long-term side effects if not addressed.

Benefits of Scar Tissue Massage

For those recovering from pregnancy, scar tissue massage is recommended for perineal and c-section scars and can have the following benefits.

• Reduce pain and sensitivity of the scar and surrounding tissue area.
• Reduce other sensations such as numbness and itchiness of the scar and surrounding tissue area.
• Break down adhesions and stiffness of the fibrous scar tissue and allow better mobility of the abdomen and/or perineum.
• Optimise strength and activation of the muscles of the abdominal wall and pelvic floor.
• Reduce size of scar tissue.

If left untreated, perineal and c-section scar tissue can lead to problems such as:

• Ongoing pain, sensitivity and other potential symptoms at the scar and surrounding tissue area.
• Limited mobility of the affected area skin/tissue, which can affect movement particularly at the abdomen.
• Reduced muscle strength and activation of the pelvic floor and abdominal wall, which can subsequently lead to poor core and/or pelvic floor stability.

Therefore, it is important to practice scar tissue massage over c-section and/or perineal scars following pregnancy to minimise the risk of these complications.

What Should I Do?

You may be wondering how to massage the scar and for how long. It is strongly recommended that you review with a trained health professional (e.g. Women’s Health Physiotherapist) who can help identify when it is safe for you to start scar massage, the correct technique to massage, and check on your progress. Our Women’s Health Physiotherapist, Amy Humphreys, is skilled in this area and can help you today so book with us now!