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C-Section Scar Pain
  • Orthopedic PT, Pelvic Health

Managing Pain After a Cesarean Birth: What You Should Know About Scar Sensitivity 

Are you experiencing pain at your C-section scar? In this blog, we’ll discuss why this is painful and how pelvic health physical therapy can help you move & feel your best. 

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What Causes C-section Scar Pain & Sensitivity?

Pain post-cesarean delivery affects a substantial amount of women, and one of the primary sources of pain post-cesarean delivery is pain at the incision point. As a C-section incision is healing, it is important to make sure it scars in an optimal way to prevent pain and discomfort in the future. 

One of the reasons the C-section scar can be painful is due to adhesions. Adhesions occur in 24% of women during their first C-section and rise to 59% for those who have had three or more C-sections. This essentially means that the C-section scar tissue becomes less flexible & more rigid – which leads to discomfort using the abdominal muscles underneath the scar and discomfort stretching / moving the skin around the scar. In daily life, this might look like pain using your abdominal muscles to sit up in bed, or scar pain twisting your body to hand your toddler an item while you’re in the car. 

What Can I Do to Optimize C-Section Scar Healing?

Immediately post-cesarean delivery, it is important to follow your surgical precautions. However, sometimes it can be tricky to avoid some things, such as lifting 10 pounds, if you have a toddler at home or if your baby is quite heavy! This is where seeing a pelvic specialist can be very helpful – we will guide you through the safest way to perform those non-negotiable tasks, such as feeding your baby, and work towards modifying any heavier tasks to allow your body to heal. 

During the early stages of healing, physical therapy may look like this: 

  • Learning how to incorporate breath work into your daily movements
  • Performing light therapeutic exercises to promote healing within your core & pelvic floor 
  • Learning safe modifications for daily tasks while you heal
  • Beginning to address any pelvic floor dysfunction such as urinary incontinence or pelvic pain

As you continue to heal post-cesarean, we may work on a combination of manual techniques and therapeutic exercise to improve your C-section scar healing, core strength, pelvic floor function, and general wellness. 

Manual therapy in regards to C-section scar healing may include: 

  • C-section scar mobilization (specialized massage work at & around the C-section scar to improve pain, flexibility, and improve healing) 
  • Gentle cupping therapy (to promote blood flow and improve scar mobility)
  • Abdominal muscle soft tissue mobilization (massage to the abdominal area surrounding the scar to promote blood flow, tissue flexibility, and core muscle activation)  
  • Lumbar spine joint mobilizations (gaining mobility within the lower back, to allow for more movement throughout the front of your body) 

Therapeutic exercise may include 

  • Training your abdominal muscle strength directly (exercises such as deadbugs or planks)
  • Training your abdominal muscle strength functionally (such as lifting a weight in a similar capacity to how you would lift your child out of the car seat) 
  • Incorporating breath work into movement, to allow for proper pressure dynamics in the abdominal and pelvic floor areas 
  • Lower back strengthening and mobility (to allow more movement in the front of your body) 
  • Hip strengthening and mobility (to allow for optimal movement throughout your body)  

At BEYOND physical therapy, all care is completely personalized! We will help develop a program that works best for you and addresses your specific concerns. As your postpartum journey continues, we’ll have you feeling strong and confident in your body. 

Is there ever a point that is too late to start working on C-Section Scar pain?

The short answer is: no, it’s never too late! 

Research shows that about 6% of women will continue to have pain near their C-section scar at 12 months postpartum – and research is lacking even beyond this point. While the initial scar healing has been completed at this stage, we can absolutely still work on tissue flexibility, pain management, and core strength – all of the things needed to improve function and symptoms in this area. 

Taking the First Step

If you’ve had a cesarean delivery and want to work on pain management for your C-section scar, schedule a free introduction call with us today to see how we may be able to help you move & feel your best: 

https://beyond-physical-therapy.com/schedule-now/ 

Feel free to contact us with any questions!

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