Scar tissue is formed following a major injury or damage to a connective tissue. Under certain conditions, the normal connective tissue fails to regenerate and instead a fibrous tissue is created as a part of the repair process. This fibrous tissue is referred to as scar tissue.
Scar tissue is usually thicker and denser compared to the normal tissue and has limited supply of blood. This tissue is fragile and rigid in nature. Scar tissue is often associated with pain primarily caused to due to nerve irritation. Scar tissue pain treatment depends upon the severity of the pain and its location.
Scar tissue is formed following an injury where normal natural repair can’t correct the damage. Scar tissue is also common after major cardiothoracic or abdominal surgeries. The severity of the pain depends upon different factors like the size of the scar, severity of the injury and the location of the scar, etc.
A newly formed scar is often more painful and is often associated with itching, tenderness and redness. The severity of the pain can also vary significant ranging from mild distress to severe pain which interferes with the ability of an individual to sleep.
Pain in the scar tissue can be attributed to local factors like inflammation or attributed to entrapment or pressure on a nerve tissue which can result in severe pain.
Symptoms Of Muscle Scar Tissue
Though scar tissue pain can range from mild to severe, there are a host of other symptoms that are associated with the condition,
- Scar tissue is often associated with inflammation, redness and tenderness at the site.
- Itching can be observed at the site. Pus like discharge from scar tissue may be observed in cases with site infection. Other systemic symptoms include fever, malaise and body ache.
- Scar tissue can also result in swelling at the site.
- In case of major abdominal surgeries, scar tissue can be associated with complications like infrequent bowel movement, nausea and vomiting or general abdominal pain. This is attributed to the obstruction caused by scar tissue to the normal gastro-intestinal movements.
- Nerve entrapment or pressure on the nerve may lead to referred pain and sensation of burning around the site of the scar tissue.
- In some patients complications like sudden fall in blood pressure may also be experienced.
Treatment For Scar Tissue Pain
Scar tissue treatment focuses on reducing pain and reducing the formation of keloids which are unsightly scar marks on the skin. The treatment for scar tissue includes the following,
- Local application of calendula ointment is considered very beneficial. Calendula protects the scar tissue from getting infected and also reduces the inflammatory response at the site. Some experts suggest that application of calendula ointment can actual reduce the risk of scarring and keloid formation.
- Gentle massage is also considered beneficial in management of scar tissue pain. Massaging helps soften the scar tissue and also improves blood circulation to the site, which in turn helps alleviate the pain.
- Homeopathic drugs like Graphitis and Causticum are beneficial in the treatment of scar tissue pain. These drugs help reduce the local inflammation at the site and also reduce the risk of formation of keloid.