When there is trauma to the body, whether it's an operation or a fall or even infection, our own healing processes are triggered. Collagen fibres are laid down to mend the damage, without distinguishing between different layers of tissue, and quite often "gluing" these different layers together. This is really important and is essential in helping us to recover from injuries, but it can also end up being problematic. Healthy tissues glide over each other with every movement, every breath. Look at the back of your hand, and see if you can slide the skin left and right over the tendons underneath. It should be a free and easy movement, with veins and capillaries getting involved too. Sit up straight now - your organs had to slide past each other for that movement, and muscles slid past other muscles, and all of this was facilitated by slidey glidey connective tissue. Our bodies are great at compensating for injuries or dysfunction, but if too many parts are stuck together, you start feeling pain, often at a site far removed from the original trauma. It's very easy to get distracted by the pain, and treat the same area over and over again, but if this is not yielding lasting results, you might need to look a little more globally.

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I take a full history, and assess how you move, and then follow my hands to find the original problem. I use my fingertips to tension visible scars, and then see where they lead, untangling and calming the fibrous, "unhappy" tissue as I go. It's a gentle treatment, but occasionally I'll use more force with your permission. It can feel like burning or tearing or like I'm using my fingernails or a needle. As I work, there might be some skin flaking as circulation improves and cellular metabolism suddenly wakes up. There can also be brief itching for the same reasons. If we're lucky, areas that have been numb since surgery can get a return of sensation. Hard scars soften, colour normalizes, tension decreases, and I can usually get rid of the "pinch" or the constant ache that bothers so many of my patients. 

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ITCHING

As mentioned above, but it never lasts more than a few minutes. It can occur at any time after treatment, but it's a very good sign that things are moving and changing.

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EXHAUSTION

Scar release doesn't create fatigue, but as your body lets go of old tightness, it's almost as if it also gives up on fighting any underlying fatigue. You'll probably need an early night after your session

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RANDOM TWINGES

Your body has been in a holding pattern, with some muscles working overtime and others on vacation. As you settle back into a healthier, neutral position, your tissues need to learn a new way of being, and those muscles that were on holiday might complain at suddenly having to do their jobs. It's usually just a few seconds of a random twinge, or noticing unusual muscle tiredness at the end of the day

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EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD

Body and mind are connected. An emotional release helps with a physical release, and a physical release often triggers an emotional release. This is an important shift, but it can be very tiring in the short-term and you might feel tearful or angry in-session.

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