The role of massage in scar management
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Micro-post on scar management
Massage therapy is simple to carry out, economical, and has very few side effects, so it is worth investigating the effects of massage therapy on post-surgical scarring. Research is still in its infancy but there is evidence to suggest that in addition to managing pain and discomfort (Anthonissen et al. 2016, Cho et al. 2014, Khansa et al. 2016, Najafi Ghezeljeh et al. 2017, Shin et al. 2012), massage therapy may augment post-surgical healing.
The mechanisms by which massage therapy interrupt the sequelae of pathological healing is most likely not in a single unified response, but as a collection of interconnected adaptive responses (Berrueta et al. 2016, Bove et al. 2016, Best et al. 2013, Franklin et al. 2014, Waters-Banker, et al. 2014).
As a massage therapist who works with post-surgical patients, this is a topic I am interested in so I will follow closely and keep readers updated as more research comes to light.
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