This article will talk about the alternative treatment known as Traditional Acupuncture and how it can be used to make a scar become more functional.
A body’s natural response to an injury, a scar, on the surface and on visual observation, may be hardly visible and small, probably, a few millimeters in length. But a scar, in actuality, can be long, wide and thick under the skin and be very immobile. It takes a skilled medical professional to determine these dimensions. Scars can come from trauma. This may mean that a gross trauma may, for example, be caused by an auto mishap or from gradual micro-tearing such as what can happen with a person who doesn’t do stretching exercises after a workout or doesn’t rest between workouts.
The medical world, for the most part, considers scars as minor issues that can lead to pain and dysfunction in an individual. I tend to disagree with this viewpoint. After more than a decade of medical work, I have seen enough outcomes from treating scars directly and I can tell you that the benefits can be extremely beneficial.
Based on my observations, the following is what I have found to be some of the physical manifestations from an immobile scar tissue:
1. Chronic swelling: Pain can be felt when a scar is tight enough that it can adhere or press down on structures such as blood vessels and nerves. Fluid can collect in the area around the scar. It can block or impair movement of fluid out of the affected part of the body. In my experience, this can occur in a patient who has had leg surgery and after more than six weeks after surgery is still suffering from surgical pain. This patient appeared to have pooling of fluid in his lower leg. His scar led to a “double whammy” issue. Pain was being generated by the scar on two fronts. One, the scar was shown sticking onto sensitive structures causing pain and two, it prevented or slowed down the movement of fluid in the area of the lower leg. I performed scar treatment on the patient which led to a lessening of the swelling and pain in the his lower leg. I should also mention that this patient used a cane when he came in before being treated and walked out of the office without having to use it.
2. Pain caused by postural dysfunction: The way a person sits, stands, or walks can be seriously impaired by scars that are thick and tight. This problem with posture can result in lower back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, and headaches.
3. While stretching, a chronic tight feeling is felt: A patient with this problem can feel tight muscles even if he/she has an above average range of motion or even with a full range of motion. This patient is usually not suffering from any neurological conditions. Regardless of how much he/she stretches the hamstring, this muscle can still be very prone to tightness.
4. Chronic pain internally, potentially away from the area, or around the area: My experience in treating patients with stomach scar has shown that this type of scar problem can result in long-term and chronic lower back pain. Pain is immediately relieved like magic, once the stomach scar is treated. One female patient I treated had a stomach scar and she complained of a pulling sensation or some tightness in her groin. After I made the scar mobile, her tightness sensation subsided.
Patients with very thick scars tend to be very self-conscious of the part of their body where the scar is. This may cause stress in the person especially when he/she has never had a scar before on that of area of his/her body.
Scar Tissue therapy Using Traditional Acupuncture in West Orange
Some acupuncturists (I included) specialize in the treatment of scar tissue. Scars can be fascinating to treat because it can directly affect the well-being of the patient. I have had many patients over the years who went to my office to have treatment of a chronic long-term problem and have found relief in a treatment of a scar that was causing a particular dysfunction or was aggravating their condition.
With traditional acupuncture, scars that are immobile can be healed and become much more functional.
The following are some of the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and other types of Traditional Chinese Medicine on scar tissue:
– Decrease of pain
– Lessen Swelling
– From the viewpoint of cosmetics, the treatment can flatten a scar that is very thick which leads to a sense of well-being and self-confidence
– Better posture due to healing of the immobile scar
– Enhanced flexibility, mobility, and range of motion
– Boosted blood circulation which leads to much better healing
– A mobile scar from a Chinese medical standpoint can improve the flow of healing healing intelligence /the life force of the body known as Qi.
Is Acupuncture for Scar Treatment Painful?
Acupuncture is a relatively painless procedure contrary to what people imagine it to be. That being said, your level of discomfort will basically depend on your constitution and your scar and its qualities. This discomfort will be a fleeting experience which is immediately replaced by a feeling of euphoria or reinvigoration. Besides, the treatment process will only go to a level that you are comfortable with.
Your acupuncturist will use needles that are totally different from the ones doctors use. These needles are very thin and when inserted into the skin, don’t feel a thing at all. But if they do, the patient may feel just a slight pressure or a light prick. On the other hand, medical doctors use needles that are a lot thicker which when injected into the skin generate a lot of pain.
During an acupuncture treatment, the patient might feel a sensation of numbness, aching, heaviness, or even heat. This is a perfectly normal response to the therapy. In and around the acupoints where needles are supposed to be inserted, there is a high concentration of blood vessels and nerves and in an acupuncture procedure the nervous system will always be affected. These sensations are known as “De Qi,” in Chinese Medicine philosophy which literally translates to the arrival of Qi. De Qi is a sign that the treatment is working and Qi is moving normally.
For a lot of patients, just one treatment can bring about a positive dramatic change in their condition. Acupuncture treatment, however, can be experienced in a unique way by each patient.
If you had surgery recently and are noticing pain, or If you have chronic tightness or chronic pain or other dysfunction that endured for several weeks, months, or even years after surgery, you need to consider getting acupuncture treatment. Even if your issue with scars comes from a cosmetic standpoint, acupuncture can help make that scar virtually vanish.