Tina Hull was one of the 25 worldwide Instructors for the McLoughlin Scar Tissue Release course for Healthcare Providers from 2018-2024. Tina is passionate about MSTR and the results she sees for her clients and the enthusiasm she sees with empowering her students with this unique Scar treatment.
WHY Scar treatment?
The intent of this technique, a soft tissue cross fiber manual therapy technique, is to stimulate the collagen matrix and fascial system, initiating the physiology of corrective mechanism potentials.
Some symptoms and effects of scars:
pain
itchy
tension in area of scar
restricted range of motion i.e. with a joint replacement scar especially
loss of feeling in the scar area
skin pigment a different color, localized sensitivity
Common changes seen after applying MSTR:
less tension in scar and surrounding areas
increase in range of motion of a joint(s)
greater blood flow to the area
greater nerve function potential(s)
How many scar treatments will I need?
MSTR Providers worldwide are finding that once your scar symptoms resolve, symptoms do not return.
NOTE: The following information comes from: Dr. Russell Schierling (doctorschierling.com) and his annotated article entitled “What is Scar Tissue and How it is related to Chronic Pain” August 13, 2013.
FACT: “Scar tissue is significantly weaker than normal tissue, allowing potential of re-injury repeatedly in the area and the joints it effects.”
Scar tissue is different than normal tissue in four distinct ways:
- Structural
a) Normal tissues are organized and have a symmetrical pattern;
b) The collagen fibers of scar tissue are not aligned, they run in every possible direction in all three dimensions often down to the microscopic level creating clumps, adhesions and restrictions from superficial to deep. - Mechanical
a) Scar tissue is mechanically and functionally different: it is stiffer and more rigid, often referred to in scientific literature as “thickened”. - Electrical
a) One of the foremost experts in this specivity with scar research, Dr. Chan Gunn, says “scar tissue can be more then 1,000 times more pain-sensitive than normal tissue.” - Metabolically
a) Scar tissue is more poorly oxygenated.
b) Scar tissue doesn’t receive nutrition hydration or fluid lubrication as well as it should.
c) Due to the above two, there is less blood supply to scar tissues.
WHY when we have a scar in one area of our body can we possibly have symptoms in another area?
Scar tissue is an “interrupt” effecting many systems of the body, especially with our Fascial system. This has a great effect on the wholistic function of a being that is designed to live in “Dynamic Equilibrium” interrupting the body’s innate capacity to self-correct.
FACT: the Fascial system transmits messages acting as our “second nervous system”; fascia is a liquid crystal communication system; when fascia becomes compressed, twisted or interrupted (as with scar tissue) the tension is transmitted along the fascial planes, the medical world acknowledges this as fascial drag. (doctorschierling.com/articles dated 7-12-2012 and 11-22-14)
WHEN to apply MSTR:
Minimum time after acquiring a scar is 8 weeks.
Maximum time after acquiring a scar: no time limit. We are seeing astonishing changes using the McLoughlin Scar Tissue Release world-wide! (Alastair McLoughlin developer and hundreds of documented cases of Practitioners of MSTR)
Within the MSTR system: we never work with scars from mesh implantation. We never work with a wound that is not healed.
Within the MSTR system we work with caution in the following cases: we are trained to work with greater awareness and often lighter touch over areas that have screws, plates or rods; skin that is thin or tears easily, as often is true with aged skin or radiated skin; any person that has a medical condition that might effect healing, i.e. diabetes; with self-harming scars, we make sure the person has a care team that is supportive of their current (mental) health.
Within the MSTR system: the patient is in control at the treatment session, having being informed by their provider before beginning treatment, they can stop the treatment at any point.