Scar Taping - Skin and Fascia

     The human skin is a fascinating organ that is the canvas we use, as Rock Tape Docs, to change human movement. Derived from the ectoderm, the skin acting as one of the largest organs in the body is constantly interacting with the outside environment, communicating changes directly to the central and peripheral nervous system.

     In respect to movement, the skin is critical in the process of maintaining postural control via exteroceptors that monitor minute changes in position in order to make appropriate and timely corrections. The information, in respect to movement, is transmitted via tension of the skin stimulating a neurological cascade of responses.
What if the skin matrix is disrupted? What if the tension is not able to be distributed evenlythus communicating aberrant information to the brain in respect to body position? Scars, from trauma and surgery can disrupt the pristine orientation of the skin and create islands of chaos that can contribute to movement dysfunction. Bordoni and Zanier (2013) communicated this scenario on how scars can amplifying symptomatology /dysfunction globally due to abnormal mobility neurological circuitry. They discussed how mechanical forces are perceived by the brain via two main skin receptors, true mechanoreceptors and motion sensitive nociceptors. Both relay information about movement and can be significantly affected by scars. The authors showed how a scar to the ankle can disrupt the communication, both mechanically and neurologically, to the rest of the kinetic chain following a fascial pattern. The scar, reducing normal motion of the ankle, will translate incorrect information to the brain thus interfering with the appropriate reaction of the Gluteus Maximus during stance phase leading to undue stress to the thoracolumbar fascia, potentially causing pain. This trickle up effect of a scar is not uncommon and conveys a message that a distant restriction in movement due to an adhesion can create a global dysfunction leading to common musculoskeletal disorders.

Fascial Chain - Ankle to Spine Connection

I took a keen interest in the authors depiction of the role of the skin in the comment "the skin and the fascia represent the skeletal framework of the nervous system". Moral of the story is that to effectively evaluate movement/pain disorders, it is imperative that we assess scar sensitivity and mobility.
    Here we insert Rock Tape. By using elastic therapeutic tape to manually and neurologically effect scar mobility and sensitivity we believe we can start the process of minimizing the negative effects of these islands of disruption on movement/pain disorders. Go to www.rocktape.com for more information on scar taping and the Fascial Movement Taping series.

Reference: Steven Middleton (Assess, Treat, and Condition)

Dr. Capo's 2 Pennies.