Daily Maestroism

DM #92

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016

DM #92: Despite what some platforms may have you think, C-sections are NO JOKE. We’re talking about an incision that goes all the way from your skin, through the fascia and muscle, and down into your uterus. Think about how terrible a paper-cut is…yeah…there’s a little perceptive for your ?
I’d be lying if I said that I’ve always assessed and treated c-section scars for my patients who weren’t newly post-partum. The fact of the matter is, I didn’t true grasp how colossal an impact these (not-so) tiny scars could have on normal movement and function. But when you take a step back and compare that incision to oh say…a knee replacement scar, a total hip replacement scar, a back surgery scar, or any other surgical scar for that matter, suddenly you see how not treating that C-section scar is a HUGE omission in your treatment and could have some pretty significant ramifications.
Let’s ignore the possible GI and pelvic floor effects and focus solely on the local soft tissue effects and subsequent movement effects. Once healed, the tissue within that scar in that area is NOT the same. It is not as soft, as supple, as pliable as the tissue that was once there. It does not glide as well, it does not slide as well, it does not transmit for as well as that original tissue. And please remember, we are NOT Mr. Potato Head. Our entire body is connected via the fascial network, and thus disruption in this one area can and will cause dysfunction in other areas.
So what happens when your patient never has her C-section scar worked on and then tries to go and do, well, anything that involves her core (which btw  is everything)? Suddenly you’re asking dysfunctional tissue to step up to the plate. The tissue in that area can’t contract the same way, can’t move the same way, can’t transmit force the same way, and so compensations must be put in place to accomplish the task. So do your patients a favor and help that tissue out. Restore the glide, improve the movement, decrease the sensitivity. And no, it’s NEVER too late to work on that scar.
Moral of the story: treat C-section scars! They affect EVERYTHING.

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