SCAR TISSUE 101

Muscle scar tissue can be caused from various factors, but no matter how the injury occurs, they are formed through a series of three steps.

The first stage of the formation of muscle scar tissue begins with the injury or inflammation. This can be caused by a direct injury to the muscle such as whiplash from a car accident causing muscles to rip or tear. It can also be caused by repetitive usage which weakens them until they become injured, and the final way to injure a muscle is after surgery. In all three of these instances the muscle will rip or tear, causing a point within the body that needs to immediately be protected and repaired.

Some sort of injury to the soft tissue: acute, repetitive, or constant tension
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Tear or Crush
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Inflammation/Decreased Circulation and Swelling
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Adhesion/Fibrosis = Scar Tissue
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Weakness and Tightness
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Friction/Pressure/Tension
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Further injury to the soft tissue and the start of the cycle again

Once the injury has happened, and the inflammation begins, the body will replace the injured cells with fibrosis tissue and collagen. The fibrosis tissue forms into a web like pattern, stretching across the width and length of the injured muscle in order to support and protect it. This web, along with the collagen, is used to effectively replace the damaged cells within the muscle until they can be healed properly. These dead cells, commonly called an adhesion, lack oxygen which forms into muscle scar tissue.

With the repair phase completed, the muscles will begin to heal themselves to return to the pre-injury levels of use. The muscle scar tissue will usually remain unless it is addressed with the proper therapy.

Shockwave Therapy is a sound-based method of breaking up scar tissue. This sends highly focused sound waves into the areas of your body identified to have scar tissue build-up. Those sound waves are set at a frequency that specifically targets and breaks down scar tissue.

Shockwave therapy works by inducing microtrauma to the tissue that is affected by these problems. This microtrauma initiates a healing response by the body. The healing response causes blood vessel formation and increased delivery of nutrients to the affected area. The microtrauma is thought to stimulate a repair process and relieve the symptoms of pain.

Thankfully, with the help of Shockwave Therapy, we at Glenwood Chiropractic can tackle scar tissue head on and break this cycle, restoring normal muscle and joint function.