Why Abdominal massage can be a great first start in your healing process.
Medical adhesions are a healing process after a surgery or a cut. When tissue is seperated new tissue called scar tissue forms creating a thicker corser connection to heal the spot. This tissue will then need to be massaged to allow for more flexibility and movement back in the area. If you can imagine grabbing your shirt and pulling it tight together, the surrounding area where you are grabbing is also getting pulled toward that spot. This leads to pain and restriction in the surrounding area. You may even have pain around your ribs and into your back.
A practical exercise you can do at home is called skin rolling. Place your thumb and index finger around the skin and pinch and pull the skin away from your body. Does it feel thick and tight? Sore to the touch? Is it hard to even grab? All signs you may have stuck fascia (fascia is connective tissue underneath the skin that surrounds your muscles and organs. It acts like a web to hold things in place) that needs to be gently massaged. This pulling and pinching motion can be done by continuously moving the tissue from the tops of your ribs down to your hips.
This tightness is often times is the case after c-section or after a long delivery for women after birth. All that tissue has to respond to the situation or trauma of hours of delivery or surgery. The tissue is often times stretched to max capacity and then activated for pushing. How hard did the rest of your body have to work during the birth process? That can also have an affect on your tissues. Even being in a slightly dehydrated state and being in one position for too long can cause the tissue to be stuck or inflammed. (Your tissue will try to stabilize you in whatever position you stay in for long periods of time in. Think of old people who sit most their lives. They look like they are seated even when standing.That's why it's important to stretch. Think about a cat that stretches after sleeping for hours. They are naturally stretching the fascia so they can more easily move. ) The good new
s is you can easily fix your stuck fascia with hands on massage and drinking water.
Abdominal massage can also help with pain from pubic symphysis. This area can separate after birth causing much instability. The tissue slowly recontracts back causing pulling and tightness. There can be a lot of pain in the pelvic floor, or urinary problems from the symphysis. The hands on work can help relieve and speed up recovery in a natural way. Below the pubic bone in the legs are the adduct
ors (inner thighs)- they connect directly to the pubic bone. When they are tight after birth, which they are often times, from pushing, see if there is a difference from one side to the other. You can place your hands on your inner thighs with your legs in a bent position and engage them. See if one is tigher or more pronounced. This can be an indication of imbalance. I often have women do this exercise by placing their feet on the wall at 90 degrees to make it easier to reach to feel their inner thighs.
There can be a lot of resistance and trauma or emotions around being touched on the belly. Often times women block that there is even something wrong down there. They just don't want to think about it, let alone have someone touch their belly. You may have pain that comes and goes in the belly. Some women may not even be comfortable breathing with hands their own hands on the belly. But gentle touch is a gentle way of starting to heal. See if you can feel difference from one side or the other of your belly. Take time as you breath, maybe sync your fingers in very gently and take another breath, you might be able to sync them in more, not pushing in, just gentle pressure.That much engagement and awareness can feel like a burning, or pulling sensation or a digestion thing. There is this immediate thing of it being dangerous to touch it, but it isn't. There may be soreness if you
push too much so just back off for a few days until you are able to handle the pressure again.
There are so many layers to the abdominals. During pregnancy the organs can get squeezed because they have to make room for the baby, and afterwards you may have problems getting them back into place. Constapation is a common complaint because of this, so are bladder irritations. The nerves are acting differently then they did before and the nervous system is telling your brain it’s dangerous. Often times you have to retrain your brain to accept touch in that area because it’s safe, as long as doctor says.
Abdominals may not be able to contract if there are adhesions. So if you can't feel your abs activating this may help. Back bends can also be released from abdominal massage from c-section scar due to adhesions as well. So if you practice yoga or dance this may be something to consider.
For more information or to schedule a private session with Jessa on how to skin roll email at info@modphysique.com
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