Care that considers more than the scar
Individual support before surgery, through recovery and beyond
Surgery and injury affect more than the area we can see. Recovery can involve changes in movement, comfort, sensation and the way surrounding tissues are functioning, while scars themselves continue to change over time.
At GROW Clinic, your care begins with a comprehensive osteopathic assessment. We’ll consider your surgery or injury, your stage of recovery, your scar where present, the surrounding tissues, and how you’re moving and functioning as a whole.
Whether you’re preparing for planned surgery, recovering from a recent procedure or have a scar that’s months or years old, your care is shaped around where you are now and what you’d like to achieve.
Understanding your scar
Looking beyond the scar to how you move and function
Scars are a normal part of the body’s response to injury and surgery, and they continue to change over time. Some cause very little concern, while others may feel tight, sensitive, numb or uncomfortable, or seem to affect the way you move.
A scar is more than the line you can see. Your assessment considers the scar and surrounding tissues, how the area feels and moves, and how this relates to your movement and wider musculoskeletal function.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to scar care. The type of scar, the surgery or injury behind it, your stage of recovery, your wider health and what you need your body to do all help guide your individual treatment and rehabilitation.
The focus of treatment is function — helping you move and use your body as well as possible within the context of your individual recovery.
Scar care after many different experiences
From planned surgery to unexpected injury
Scar and surgical recovery care may be appropriate following caesarean birth, abdominal or pelvic surgery, breast and chest surgery, orthopaedic procedures, laparoscopic surgery, oncology treatment, gender-affirming surgery or traumatic injury.
Care can begin before planned surgery or at different stages afterwards, and both newer and older scars can be assessed.
Care shaped around your recovery
Hands-on treatment, rehabilitation and scar self-management
Your treatment is guided by your assessment, your stage of recovery and what you need your body to do. Depending on your individual findings, this may include hands-on osteopathic treatment, scar massage and mobilisation, movement and rehabilitation, alongside practical advice for looking after your scar yourself.
Specialist technologies including LymphaTouch®, Therapeutic Ultrasound and LPG Endermologie® may also be incorporated where clinically appropriate. These are tools within your wider treatment plan rather than treatments used in isolation.
Scar care between appointments is also important. Where appropriate, we’ll show you self-massage and movement techniques and discuss skincare and scar products. This may include medical-grade silicone gels or strips, or ALHYDRAN®, a specialist moisturiser used to support hydration and care of vulnerable or scarred skin. We’ll explain what is appropriate for your scar, when to use it and why.
A range of specialist scar-care products, including ALHYDRAN® and medical-grade silicone gels and strips, can be ordered through GROW Clinic where appropriate and delivered directly to you.
LymphaTouch®
Specialist technology for scar and surgical recovery
LymphaTouch® is a medical device that uses controlled negative pressure to gently lift and mobilise tissues. Treatment is individually adjusted, allowing it to be incorporated into scar and surgical recovery care where appropriate following assessment.
At GROW Clinic, LymphaTouch® is used as part of a wider treatment approach rather than in isolation. Depending on your individual needs, it may be combined with hands-on osteopathic treatment, scar techniques, movement and rehabilitation, and advice for caring for your scar between appointments.
Whether LymphaTouch® is appropriate for you, and how it is used, will depend on your scar, your stage of recovery and your individual assessment.
Want to know more about LymphaTouch®?
Read our LymphaTouch® blog to find out how it works and how it may be used as part of your scar and surgical recovery care.
Specialist scar and surgical recovery care
Clinical assessment, specialist training and individual rehabilitation
Michelle is Scar Therapy Trained with HLP Therapy, including specific postgraduate training in Women’s Health and Oncology scar therapy, alongside her wider training in osteopathy, women’s and pelvic health, visceral osteopathy and rehabilitation.
Her scar therapy training sits alongside her osteopathic assessment and clinical reasoning, allowing your scar and recovery to be considered within the context of the surgery or injury behind it, your wider body and, most importantly, how you need and want to function.
Whether you’re preparing for surgery, navigating your recovery or have questions about a scar you’ve lived with for years, your care starts with understanding where you are now and what matters to you.
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