Written by our Massage Therapist, Monica Bradley

What do acne, surgery, stretchmarks, cuts and the COVID 19 vaccine injection all have in common?

They all form scars.

I recently took the McLoughlin Scar Tissue Release course and learned a lot about scar tissue.

When a scar is formed it will go through 4 different stages of wound healing.

These are:

1. Hemostasis:  the blood clots for 1-3 days
2. Inflammatory: the immune system works to remove debris and bacteria for 1-4 days
3. Proliferative phase: the wound is rebuilt with new tissue which is formed in random patterns. 
4. Maturation phase: the wound continues to mature and strengthen

There are 5 types of scars:

1. Hypertrophic which are raised scars
2. Atrophic scars lack collagen production and have a hollow look as in acne and stretchmark scars.
3. Contracture scars have the tissue pulled taught over the scar which is common when you get burned.
4. Keloid scars are raised aggressive scars that extend beyond the initial incision.
5. Normotrophic scars are the simplest form of scarring. They are elastic and similar to the surrounding tissue. They are not always active or problematic.

After scars are formed, the new tissue is not as elastic and strong. The scar tissue impedes blood flow to the area and also blocks the lymph from passing through the tissue. This blockage causes the scar tissue to grow, affecting the surrounding tissue by reducing elimination and blocking drainage which creates swelling, joint stiffness and can also block nerve pathways. Mobility is lost and more structures and tissue gets involved throughout the body.

The treatment protocol I learned and am now practicing is easy to apply and gentle on the body. It was created by a Bowen instructor and therefore follows some of the same principles such as “less is more” meaning only 15 min of treatment time will be spent on the scar. This is so that the scar tissue which is weakened does not get aggravated and create more swelling. The pressure is light and the idea is to create more collagen growth around the scar to allow more blood and lymph to be able to clean and drain the area resulting in healthier tissue and so that the scar stops growing and becomes more functional. Often, people will experience different sensations around the scar or in other areas of their body. Greater mobility can be enhanced.

I’m excited to share this technique with anyone who has scars and has decreased mobility or pain, stiffness or swelling. We can do a lot to help your body heal after the initial damage has been done.

Schedule a session with me here. 

Learn more about Bowenwork here.

Shared by our Massage Therapist, Monica Bradley

The definition of tensegrity from wikipedia is: “the characteristic property of a stable three dimensional structure consisting of members under tension that are contiguous and members under compression that are not”.

Some examples of tensegrity structures are the Munich Olympic Stadium, the Biosphere, and Denver International Airport. Tension and compression are the forces that make these structures.

In the game of Jenga, I am often surprised by a block that is so easy to move even though it is near the bottom.  Again, tension and compression are involved.

In the human body, our spine is an example of a tensegrity structure. The bones float in the fascial matrix.

When I treat you using the tensegrity principles, I am testing your fascial system to see which structures are out of balance. The muscle that is not contributing to the tension and compression principle is held by a fascial sheath that is too tight for the muscle to fire to its full potential, causing compensation patterns to occur.

I look at any of your muscles that are not firing as the “criminals”-not participating and creating “victims” as the tissue that is overworked, usually sore and often the source of pain that you come in for. The “criminal” tissue is often soft and therefore not drawing attention to needing to be massaged. Most of the effort is spent treating the “victims” which are tight and sore, demanding relief.

However, when the tight muscles get treated, the relief is often temporary as the criminal is still at large, unless it gets some treatment as well. Since the muscle is not firing due to the tension in the fascia, the treatment must be focused on the fascia.

The main goal of the treatment is to create balance 3 dimensionally, so that the pain patterns are alleviated for longer if not forever.

A typical session will start with a fascial test followed by treating the tightest tissue, using the ligaments and having you contract the muscle or by treating the fascial sheath surrounding the muscle directly.

Other bodywork modalities can be mixed in as well. 

You will walk to integrate the system and then another fascial test will be done to see the results and to guide further treatment for a balanced system.

I would suggest a Tensegrity treatment if you are experiencing pain patterns that are chronic and not being relieved by other modalities.

This modality is also helpful for people who are hypermobile and are unable to get relief from stretching.

The other reason is to try Tensegrity is for cost effectiveness. Bodywork is expensive and if the pain is requiring many different treatments for pain management, then a Tensegrity treatment might last longer since the work is targeted on the pain/compensation pattern, therefore saving money in the long run.

Book your Tensegrity session here.