When I was on a mushroom foraging course we talked about the structure of Fungi. As I picked up one particular mushroom it reminded me of what I’d learnt about scars on a recent ScarWork course. So, I thought it may be a useful analogy to help explain the hidden world of scars.
When you see a mushroom popping out from the ground, all you notice is the mushroom itself. Sometimes they can be tiny, like a keyhole scar, sometimes they clump together and sometimes they can be very large and obvious, like a larger scar from say a hysterectomy, hip surgery or accident. Regardless of this they still appear to be a relatively confined structure. However, the part you see on the surface – the mushroom – is only a very small structure of the whole Fungi anatomy. And the same is true for scars.
What's Happening Under The Surface?
If you were to look beneath the surface, under a mushroom you will find a matrix of fibres (sometimes these can be very easy to see). This is called the Mycelium, the white strands in the picture.
For the mushroom, these are the root network and can spread out for miles and miles. They will interact, connect and blend into the fibres of plants, trees and other mycelium. For the mushroom, these fibres are like their World Wide Web.
They can share food with the plants and trees, communicate with each other and spread out over vast areas. It’s a fascinating subject in itself, but that’s another blog…..
How Is A Scar Like A Mushroom?
Now whilst any scars you have don’t talk with each other and share nutrients with other body parts, their structure, like the mushroom, is bigger than it seems.
Look under the skin of a scar and you will find a similar web of fibres. Whilst on the surface you may only see a confined line or section, underneath threads of scar tissue can spread to surrounding structures, be that muscles, bones, fascia or organs.
These lines of scar tissue communicate in a less helpful way. They can cause tension lines, tether, pull and restrict tissues caught up within the scar.
There are also fibres of connection through all the layers the scar has held together. After abdominal surgery, for example, the body will seal the gap made by the incision as one. This means the normal slide and glide between skin, fascia and the abdominal wall will no longer happen.
So if you have a scar, no matter how small, over time other areas of your body can start to feel restricted, tight or painful. It may be a result of the matrix of scar tissue trailing off from that scar.
With advances in technology, so many more operations are able to be done through keyhole surgery. Don’t forget the size of the scar you see on the surface doesn’t always match the size of the area affected inside.
Help For Scars
Do you have a scar and feel it may be having an impact on another part of your body? Do you find a scar itself is causing problems due to its tightness? You are not alone and there is something that can be done.
ScarWork™ is a very gentle, pain-free method to help resolve some of the issues created by scars and the unseen adhesions (tissue fibres that are stuck together) they create. Through light touch techniques, it can help soften scar tissue, better integrate it with the surrounding structures and improve sensation.
More information is on our ScarWork page.
The ScarWork™ website also has a directory of therapists. Just follow the link to find a practitioner in your area – https://scarwork.com/
No matter how old the scar is improvements can be made. I’ve been surprised myself at how quickly changes can occur with ScarWork™.
