Massage Therapy Journal Summer 2025

68 • Massage Therapy Journal

AMTA Continuing Education

The remodeling stage lasts from 12 to 24 months. It is in this stage that a person may experience tissue restriction and pain with movement if nothing is done to manage scar development. Surgical incisions generally heal in six to eight weeks. Many factors can lead to impaired healing, though the primary factors are reduced oxygen or reduced blood flow, both of which may result from chronic conditions such as diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, or from smoking, malnutrition or dehydration. Local factors, such as swelling or infection, can also impair healing. The Benefits of Scar Massage Scar massage is manipulation of the fibrous tissue that develops during the process of wound healing. 63 It is usually performed with

the hands, but it may also be administered by handheld tools. Scar massage can be self-applied, making it practical and inexpensive. Scar massage is effective to promote collagen remodeling, decrease itching and pain, and improve scar characteristics and appearance. It can also be used to prevent adhesions, or scar tissue sticking to underlying tissues including muscles and bones. Adhesion formation can limit movement. A literature review found that scar massage is more effective for postsurgical scars compared with scars caused by trauma or burns. 64 Valladares-Poveda et al. sought to determine if a more structured and standardized approach to scar massage could improve outcomes. 65 They compared two different protocols: one with practitioners with less training and using general

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