C-Section scars and how to heal them

Before/after C-section treatment with silicone sheeting

Statistics show that one out of every 3 woman are giving birth by C-Section. What most women don’t know is that even after the incision has healed completely, there could be some problems as a result of the scar tissue.

Scars from Caesarean can cause pain even after they have healed. This happens at the incision area, but pain can also occur around other areas. Very important to remember is that it is not only the scar that you see on a woman’s lower abdomen that a scar tissue has formed, there are scar tissue that has formed on other spots. Internal scarring can spread all through the body. This type of scar tissue has been known to cause a lingering pain and some dysfunction long after delivery.

So what is scar tissue?

Scar tissue is what forms after our bodies have been damaged. This is the body’s natural healing process. Scar tissue starts to form on the abdomen and on the uterus after a C-Section has been performed. Scar tissue is made from collagen, just like our original tissue, with the difference being that the scar tissue has an inferior structure and is not very flexible. Normal skin has basket weave-like fibres, the scar tissue lays down in a cross hatched formation which opposes or counters the normal alignment. Scar tissue is much stronger, but has little function.

How does a caesarean scar tissue cause pain?

Caesarean scars are usually very painful. The pain or tightness of the scars can usually be felt when lifting, leaning, reaching and even when standing up straight. If a woman has difficulty standing up straight and experiences pain or a pulling sensation, it could cause her limited movement, it could change her posture, and eventually cause her pain in her body like lower back pain for instance.

The scar can bring about muscle, connective tissue, and nerve damage in nearby areas to the scarring. Over some time, it can lead to pain in the pelvis, can cause sex to become painful, and bowel problems like constipation and even irritable bowel syndrome.

C-Section scars are usually located in an area where they can entrap nerves. When this happens it causes pain in the urethra and the clitoris, and could also make you feel the urgent or frequent need to urinate.

The incision is also situated right over the spot where the round ligament crosses the pelvic brim. The ligament attaches from the sides of the uterus and to the labia and can also be caught up in scar tissue. When this happens, labial pain could be experienced, mostly with transitional movements for example going from a seated position to a standing position.

It is essential to remember that the pain and dysfunction that can be caused by a scar is not limited to only the area where the scar is located. Untreated scar tissue caused from a c-section can spread in a multitude of directions. It can attach to the pubic symphosis, the hip flexors, directly to the vertebra and muscles of the back which could restrict movement and cause pain. It could also travel up toward the diaphragm and hinder breathing.

The most effective scar treatment for C-Sections

It is essential to start treating the scar as soon as the staples/sutures have been removed and any scab has fallen off, both for aesthetic reasons and comfort reasons and the very best way to improve your scar is with silicone sheeting and scar esthetique advanced scar therapy.