Bodywork After Surgery

One of my clients recently had surgery to remove a cancerous growth on the skin next to her left eye.  After it healed she could feel a nagging restriction when she blinked.   This apparently was due to the connective tissue, or fascia, just beneath the skin bunching up.  This often happens after surgery.   The surgeon must cut through the fascia to get to the site of the operation.   When the fascia starts to repair itself after being cut, it often does so haphazardly causing annoying restriction and sometimes pain due its pulling on muscles,nerves and other structures.   I could actually feel the bunched up fascia through the skin next to her eye.  Using Myofascial Release techniques I gently pressed and held the skin to one side for a few minutes.   After about 10 minutes she had no more pulling or restriction or discomfort when she blinked.

When I was volunteering at an integrative cancer center, I had the opportunity to work with a lady in similar fashion.  She had just had lymph nodes removed under her right armpit.  Post surgery, she could not move her arm without feeling restriction and some pain in that area.   Through the skin I could feel the bunched up fascia.   Once I felt that, I gently held the skin to one side - in the most comfortable direction for her - and after about 15 or so minutes the restriction was gone.  She was happy that she would not have to live with that for the rest of her life!

Simple techniques often get the job done.  It's simply a matter of knowing where and how to apply them.

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