Warning! ScarWork can facilitate radical postural change!
It seems impossible to many that one scar could cause a radical change in someone’s life, altering their posture and affecting their work and their mental state. Equally, it seems unlikely to many that light touch, non-invasive work to that scar could free functionality and range of movement, and affect them mentally in a positive way.
When teaching in Shanghai recently, I met a wonderful man who is a farmer. However, a few years ago he had open heart surgery. Not long after that he started feeling breathless and his work on the farm became harder. He is the Father of one of our students, so he travelled to Shanghai from his village to have treatment with us during a Clinical Practice session. In fact, I chose him to demonstrate a ScarWork treatment on because I had a fair idea of the amount of change I would be able to get for him; the students benefit not just from learning techniques but from seeing several real-life demonstrations of how we put all that information into practice.
Here are the photos before and after the session:
He said that he had been feeling low from not being able to work properly, and he hadn’t realised how much the scar had been affecting his arm movement. His breathlessness had been the worst issue. He came out of the session smiling radiantly – his family were equally delighted to have him so restored, body and mind. He felt positive, happy and excited by his new mobility and freedom of breath. Working with a scar is never just working with a scar; it is working with the whole person: body, mind and spirit. Everything is tied up together.
Take a close look at the photograph and you’ll see the following differences between the Before and the After images:
- The scar itself was very pleated and rucked up before. When we start to unravel the tension created by the scar, the fascia of the body starts to let go as well, enabling a cascade of relaxation throughout the body, not just locally. This is because the fascia connects all the structures of the body, right down to cell level. (1) It’s rather like grabbing an ironed tablecloth – the ripples spread out far from the original site. Let go, and they also let go.
- With the new freedom around the scar came an increase in range of movement – look at the difference in his arm mobility and rotation. See also a hugely reduced congestion, tension and wrinkling of the skin from the right upper scar towards the shoulder.
- The upper abdomen was very congested beforehand and pulling to the right.
- The costal margin of the ribs has changed shape dramatically, allowing for improved expansion of the ribs and lungs.
All this from working on the scar for 90 minutes. I always teach to integrate the body after a ScarWork session, allowing a time to physically and mentally absorb and process what has happened. During that time, my client went into a deep relaxation and his body started to ‘unwind’. Fascial Unwinding is spontaneous recalibration of the fascia. We can do it ourselves if we allow it, or we can have a therapist provide the right conditions and facilitation for it to happen. That unwinding would have helped the final result.
REFERENCE:
(1) Scars, Adhesions and the Biotensegral Body
How can we help you?
How can you learn Sharon Wheeler’s ScarWork? At Body in Harmony Training we teach ScarWork regularly in the UK, as well as abroad. Click here to see our next course.
How can you learn Fascial Unwinding? This is another course we teach using light touch; self-developmental, increasing self-awareness, as well as training you to work with clients at a deeper level. Please click here for our next course.
Read more about the effect of scars on the body: Co-edited by Jan Trewartha and Sharon Wheeler, Scars, Adhesions and the Biotensegral Body how even the smallest of scars can have a global effect on the body. Also gives guidance in palpation and how to start working with scars. N.B. Members of The Fascia Hub receive 20% discount on all Handspring/Singing Dragon books – click here to find out more about membership and here to get your Members’ coupon code.