Connective Tissue:
Massage therapist picking up the muscle to get to the connective tissue.
First, you need to know a bit about connective tissue. Your connective tissue supports many different parts of your body, such as your skin, eyes, and heart. It is like a "cellular glue" that gives your body parts their shape and helps keep them strong. It also helps some of your tissues do their work. It is made of many kinds of proteins. When you’re taking the skin off your raw chicken, it’s that clear material between the skin and the meat. There are many types of connective tissue running throughout your body, each with a different function. When you have a connective tissue disease, these connecting structures are negatively affected. Connective tissue diseases include autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and lupus. These conditions can be caused by family genetics and are often known as heritable disorders of connective tissue. Connective tissue diseases can also be caused by things that exist in the environment, such as exposure to toxic chemicals or infections. Because there are so many different types of connective tissue disorders, the treatments will vary depending on the person and the disease. Treatments might include vitamin supplements, physical therapy, and medications.
Scar Tissue:
Scar tissue from carpal tunnel surgery.
Scar tissue is fibrous tissue that forms when normal tissue is destroyed by disease, injury, or surgery. For example, scar tissue forms when a wound heals after a cut, sore, burn, or other skin condition, or when an incision (cut) is made into the skin during surgery. It may also form inside the body when certain conditions, such as cirrhosis, cause normal tissue to become fibrous tissue. I am willing to bet that most of us have at least one of these unsightly marks located on our bodies somewhere. With the exception of very superficial injuries, such as a shallow paper cut, all skin wounds result in some type of scar. However, not every person’s skin forms scar tissue in the same way. Scars form when the dermis (deep, thick layer of skin) is damaged. The body forms new collagen fibers (a naturally occurring protein in the body) to mend the damage, resulting in a scar. The new scar tissue will have a different texture and quality than the surrounding tissue. Scars form after a wound is completely healed. In the early stages, scar tissue isn’t always painful. This is because nerves in the area may have been destroyed along with healthy body tissues. But for some people, over time, scar tissue may become painful as nerve endings regenerate. Scar tissue can also become painful over the course of an internal disease. The amount of pain can also vary based on the severity of the initial wound as well as its location on your body.
There is also external scar tissue that you can see as well as scar tissue that forms internally. Exterior scar tissue can be painful for some people. Some of the symptoms of scar tissue pain include, inflammation (swelling), redness, itchiness, throbbing, sensitivity (to the touch), reduced range of motion, and/or “creaky” sounds or sensations. Scarring can even contribute to chronic pain and make your joints stiff.
Scar tissue you can’t see may form due to internal wounds, surgeries, or underlying diseases. You may still feel pain and stiffness at these sites, especially if the scar tissue starts affecting the surrounding joints. Such is the case with knee or spinal scar tissue, as well as scar tissue formed following surgeries of the face, or from medical procedures like hysterectomies.
In some cases, pain from scar tissue is noticeable right away. In others, the pain may come on years later. Sometimes this has to do with nerves that develop after the injury itself heals. Another possibility is that a severe burn or a deep wound can eventually affect underlying bones and joints, leading to subsequent pain at the site of the scar tissue.
There are many methods on the internet for getting rid of scar tissue buildup from apple cider vinegar and honey to surgery (yes, surgery to relieve the side effect of surgery!) and everything in between. I like to take the approach that meets somewhere in the middle. Combining laser therapy and a technique called Graston (or Gua Sha) in my opinion is the most effective and gentle way to help get rid of your scar tissue. Patients usually receive two treatments per week during a four-to-five-week period. Most patients have a positive response by the third to fourth treatment. Even better results are noticed if at home treatments are applied in between visits.
Fascia:
All the white parts of this drawing show you fascia. Its all over the body.
Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. The tissue does more than provide internal structure; fascia has nerves that make it almost as sensitive as skin. When your fascia is healthy, it’s flexible and stretches with you. When your fascia tightens up, it can restrict movement and cause painful health conditions. Again, healthy fascia is relaxed and flexible. As you move, it stretches with you. When the hyaluronan dries up, the fascial layers can tighten around your muscles and other tissues. This can lead to pain and limited mobility. Many conditions and disorders can affect your fascia. These may include:
-Plantar fasciitis causes inflammation and pain in your plantar fascia, which is a thick band of tissue that stretches from your heel to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot by absorbing pressure and bearing your weight. Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain.
-Myofascial pain syndrome causes pain and tenderness in muscles in one or more “trigger points” in your body. To the touch, trigger points feel like small bumps or knots in your muscles. They are highly sensitive areas within your muscles that cause pain that you can feel in another area of your body.
-Frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, is a painful condition in which your shoulder movement becomes limited. It occurs when the fascia surrounding your shoulder joint becomes thick, stiff and inflamed. Lack of use causes your shoulder to thicken and become tight, making the shoulder even more difficult to move.
Fascia plays an important role in the structure and function of your body, so it’s important to keep it healthy. Some ways you can make sure you’re keeping your fascia in shape include staying physically active, stretching frequently and maintain good posture. If you have myofascial pain syndrome, treatment will be more successful if you see your healthcare provider early after symptoms develop — before trigger points are established. Many treatments are available and your medical professional will likely use a combination of the following to manage your pain and restore affected muscles: low-level light therapy/ cold laser, TENS therapy, acupuncture/acupressure and relaxation therapies (including biofeedback and cognitive behavioral therapy), massage, breathing exercises and meditation.