The day I became a ScarWork Therapist!

This journey began last year, at The Mulberry Centre, where I volunteer as a massage therapist, providing massages to those affected by cancer. It is a wonderful centre and I very much appreciate being able to volunteer there.

Emma Holly, of Restore Therapy, very kindly donated a one day Introduction to ScarWork at the Mulberry Centre in December 2017 and I was invited to attend. At this Introductory workshop I learnt some ScarWork techniques that I could incorporate into the massages I gave at the centre and also at my private practice at Vibrance4Life in Hampton Hill. It was an inspiring day. I was amazed by the benefit those that came to be our practice models gained. The practice models all had breast cancer surgery scars and treatment scars, lymph node removal, port scars, single or double mastectomies, some with reconstructive surgery and implants and others without.

One of the practice models, after lymph nodes being removal from her arm pit was unable to lift her hand past her shoulder but after half a day of us practising on her she could lift her arm 3 inches higher than when she arrived!

Another lady had had a double mastectomy and reconstruction, and though her scars had healed very well and she felt so tight in her chest area. She felt the skin was too tight over the implants and this made it very uncomfortable for her. Her skin pulled across the front of her her body and on her back, so much so that she did not feeling like going out and socialising as she used to before the surgeries. She said her consultant did not really have anything to offer her for her discomfort and focused on the scar and how well it had healed. After half day of us practicing on her she said she felt so much more comfortable in her body, with her implants. She did not feel the skin was being pulled so tight over her chest, and eased the pull on her back and that she was more at ease in her body. She was quite emotional with the results she had gained from coming to be a model.

This experience really inspired me. I felt that Sharon Wheeler’s ScarWork is such good and important work, that lots of people could so benefit from. Additionally it is such gentle manual therapy and I am a great believe in the power of gentle touch. I immediately started to look for when the next full course was running to get myself signed up, so that I could do full sessions of ScarWork, rather than with 10-15minutes of ScarWork within a 60minute massage.

Well, I booked on to Emma Holly's, full ScarWork course earlier this year, hosted by the North London School of Sports Massage. Between the training days I practiced on clients in Hampton Hill and their feedback can be found on www.dhritimehra.com/scarwork. The scars I worked were form basal cell carcinomas, hip injury from a fall in childhood, cosmetic surgeries, back surgeries, road accidents and animal bites.

It has been a wonderful journey, and today was our final day on the training course and I am so happy to be able to share that I am now a fully qualified ScarWork therapist! Today, I worked on scars from various surgeries relating to Breast Cancer, mastectomy and reconstruction, severe leg injuries and infections, lymph node removals, carpal tunnel, bone tumour removal, bone graft, skin graft just to name a few.

It was wonderful and amazing to see the difference ScarWork made to those with the scars from feeling emotionally better about their scars, to having them touched and looked at for the first time its years, to increased mobility, more even skin tone, more at ease in their bodies, reduction in numbness and sensitivity, reduced pulling and discomfort and so much more…so wonderful.

So, if you know anyone with a scar please let them know about ScarWork. It is fairly new in the UK. I am happy to answer any questions you may have and if you would like to have some ScarWork done I would be happy to see that at Vibrance4Life, 6 School Road, Hampton Hill, TW12 1QL.

Here are links to the various organisations I mentioned in the article that maybe of interest and value to you.

Sharon Wheeler: http://www.wheelerfascialwork.com

Restore Therapy: http://restoretherapy.co.uk

The Mulberry Centre: https://www.themulberrycentre.co.uk/

NSSLM: http://www.nlssm.com

Love and Blessing,

Dhriti