Internal Scar Tissue

Scars illustrate our body response to injury. When the body tries to repair the injured site quickly, the body restores the tissue to its previous state or the injured tissue is replaced with an inferior barrier of scar tissue, which can not fully replace the missing tissue. But internal scar tissue forms as a result of trauma or surgery, and it is most commonly found in the abdominal region. Inflammatory diseases or heart attacks can cause internal scar tissue. A trauma or heart attack can lead to injuries like torn muscles and ligaments. Most of the times, internal scar tissue goes unnoticed by its owner, which implies that the body is able to repair itself neatly, when it is in good health. But, in some cases, internal scar tissue is responsible for the formation of an adhesion, which is a bond between two things, which were not previously joined. Sometimes, an organ is attached to the wall of the abdominal cavity by an adhesion.

Adhesions in scar tissues can obstruct the bowel movement or in some cases, adhesions caused by a pelvic inflammatory disease can cause twisting of the reproductive organs, leading to severe pain and fertility problems. As seen in the above examples, adhesions usually restrict the freedom of movement of the organ or organs involved. The frequently observed internal scar tissue pain is the main adhesion scar tissue symptom.

Internal Scar Tissue Reduction

Physical trauma, heart attack or surgeries are some of the causes of formation of an internal scar tissue. They can be caused by sports accidents or inflammatory diseases like irritable bowel syndrome, infection or radiation effects of some kind. There are more chances of formation of internal scar tissue and adhesion, when chronic conditions are developed. Doctors can suggest various treatments for internal scar tissue removal and control, ranging from steroid shots to surgery for internal scar tissue removal. Ultrasound machines can detect the adhesions. Adhesions can vary in thickness and depending upon their thickness, their images on an ultrasound machine can vary. About 93 per cent of people go on to develop adhesions after undergoing an abdominal surgery which can lead to significantly higher post-operative complications (leaks, wound infections, hemorrhages and lengthy stay in hospital) with adhesion-related perforations. Approximately 60 to 90 percent of women develop internal scar tissue after surgery and suffer post-operative adhesions following gynecological surgeries of any kind. Doctors prescribe proper medications for internal scar tissue reduction, but they aren't always efficacious. They can be ineffective and expensive too. There are some non surgical, suitable treatment options, for internal scar tissue reduction.

Internal Scar Tissue Remedies

* Exercise: After consulting with your physician and a gym trainer, you can start exercising regularly. Exercises can help reduce the internal scar tissue complications to some extent.
* Physical Therapy: You can opt for physical therapy under the guidance of a physician or physiotherapist as it will focus on exercises and massage, taking into consideration the problem due to internal scar tissue.
* Lifestyle Changes: You have to willingly accept some lifestyle changes, suggested by the doctor, so as to prevent the situation from worsening. For reducing scar tissue adhesions, doctors might ask you to stop drinking alcohol and avoid smoking completely. The doctor might advise you to follow a high fiber diet for easy bowel movement or he might ask you to avoid indulging in sexual intercourse for sometime, if fertility organs are twisted due to internal scar tissue.
* Ayurvedic Medicines: According to Ayurveda, Arjuna (terminalia arjuna), a cardiac stimulant, which is rejuvenating too, is prescribed for heart disease and angina and it can heal heart scar tissue after surgery. Ashwagandha (commonly known as ginseng root) also helps to heal the tissues.
* Surgery: When none of the above remedies work and the internal scar tissue pain continues, laparoscopic surgery can be suggested by the doctor, for the removal of internal scar tissue with adhesion symptoms. It is known as key-hole surgery since only a small cut is required, due to which there is a decreased risk of new adhesion forming. It may take two to four hours. But the patients are discharged on the same day of the procedure and they can return to full activity within one week of the procedure. The surgery involves some risks too. According to the available statistics, surgery to remove the adhesions (adhesiolysis) can cause more adhesions to form, in around 70% of cases.

It is clear from the above article that you should immediately consult your doctor if there is severe pain due to internal scar tissue or adhesion, as it can otherwise lead to more complications.

source: buzzle.com