| Scar tissue can restrict movement in adjacent joints, | | | | Most importantly, how old is the scar? If an old injury |
| eventually creating injury to the joint itself. This type of | | | | carries chronic inflammation, there could be several |
| restrictive tissue can become stronger and as | | | | months and maybe years of tissue built up. A rule of |
| non-elastic as connective tissue like tendons and | | | | thumb is that it takes as long to break down scar |
| cartilage. After an injury, collagen fibers are laid down | | | | tissue as it has to build. This might give you an idea of |
| in a sporadic and unorganized pattern in order to | | | | what you are facing. |
| prevent the recurrence of injury. If you have ever | | | | Secondly, evaluate the injury. If there is still heat in the |
| patched a hole in a pair of jeans with the zig-zag stitch | | | | area, it has become chronic and might still be building |
| on your sewing machine, you know how this works. | | | | scar tissue. You should not massage an inflamed area. |
| Scar tissue occurs as a result of injury, surgery, or | | | | You should discuss this with the horse's vet. It may be |
| repetitive motion. These are very different types of | | | | necessary to give anti-inflammatory medication or an |
| injuries that will create a variation in the type of scar | | | | icing program to stop the chronic process before going |
| that they create. For example, a shear injury would be | | | | forward. Also, evaluate if the horse has been |
| a cut caused by surgery, or a barbed wire cut, or you | | | | compensating by not using the part. In the event that |
| often see them on a horse's forehead from a trailer | | | | the injury is in a limb, a horse will sometimes stop using |
| loading incident (sound familiar?) In this case, the tissue | | | | that particular limb, and may be over developing |
| is severed, never to be matched up perfectly again. | | | | muscles in other parts of the body. If this is the case, |
| A compression injury is caused by force trauma. An | | | | you may have to incorporate some additional |
| example of this type of injury would be getting kicked | | | | bodywork to these areas as part of the scar therapy. |
| by another horse causing a large, round swelling under | | | | Be careful here. A long term, painful injury might have |
| the skin that will leave a hard clump of scar tissue | | | | the horse on edge that you are handling this sensitive |
| resembling a hard mass. The injured part becomes | | | | area. Do not perform these techniques unless you |
| resistant to movement due to pain, so the | | | | have checked with the veterinarian and they are |
| non-movable area begins to lay down scarring to the | | | | confident in your ability as a handler. This can be a |
| bruised cells. Even though this is not the worst type of | | | | dangerous undertaking. Remain open to changing your |
| injury, it can become the thickest and most difficult | | | | plan according to how the horse responds. Remember, |
| tissue to break through. | | | | you will be creating a new injury by working through |
| Lastly, in a repetitive motion injury, tissue wears down | | | | scar tissue. You may have to work in short sessions, |
| from constant friction. The body builds scar tissue as | | | | mobilizing the adjacent joints, icing, then letting it rest for |
| the muscle or joint continues to break down by | | | | a day or so. As the scar begins to release, you will |
| defying the body's signals. This type of scar buildup | | | | need to keep the area mobile while the damage that |
| can be in the form of hardening of soft tissue, or bone | | | | you create heals properly. Never force an adjacent |
| spurring due to Osteoarthritis. If you have ever seen a | | | | joint. Release the soft tissue, then gently stretch the |
| horse with a giant, non-movable knee, this is a long | | | | area while mobilizing the skin and fascia involved. |
| term result of the body trying to heal a chronic | | | | Here is an example of how to use manual therapy on |
| condition by sending more and more bone to the site. | | | | adhered tissue; |
| Although this bony type of buildup cannot be removed | | | | Begin by Effleuraging (gentle stroking) the surrounding |
| by massage therapy, the adjoining soft tissue can be | | | | areas towards the heart. Either place an ice cup |
| mobilized and possibly become unstuck from the bony | | | | (paper cup with frozen water that you can tear away |
| growth. | | | | like a popsicle) or rub the area with an ice cup before |
| There is no guarantee that manual therapy can break | | | | beginning. This will desensitize the area. |
| up the tissue, and you must understand that by | | | | Once the area is desensitized, then begin transversely |
| mobilizing tissue that has grown over like a scar, you | | | | stroking the scar with your thumbs back and forth and |
| will be required to create a new injury by pulling the | | | | up and down to mobilize the tissue in each direction. If it |
| adhered tissue from the adjoining tissue. This can be | | | | is on a limb, you can use your hands to "wring" the |
| painful, and requires a new healing process attended | | | | tissue back and forth. Follow this mobilization by |
| by more therapy. | | | | Effleuraging the area again towards the heart to move |
| In many cases, where an athletic horse has been | | | | the blood through. You can alternately stroke the |
| retired due to an old injury, it is quite worth the time and | | | | tissue in a transverse fashion, followed by Effleurage |
| effort. I have worked with many cases of scar tissue, | | | | towards the heart a few times. |
| and to see the benefits of my efforts has been worth | | | | Mobilize the area. You can do this by walking or gently |
| the long process. | | | | stretching. If the scar is not in a limb, but maybe a |
| Be sure that you understand the physiology of the | | | | compression scar in the rib cage, you can perform |
| tissue and bone in the body part that you are working | | | | "carrot" stretches by inviting the horse to bend away |
| with before beginning this type of therapy, and I | | | | from the scar. This mobilization will remind the brain to |
| always recommend consulting with the horse's vet so | | | | re-incorporate this area back into the chain of |
| that they can approve of your plan. | | | | movement. |
| First, try to find out the exact etiology of the injury. | | | | |