Scars Treated
The examples below are designed to help you understand the types of scars and scar-related problems I treat, and what scar rehabilitation might offer. They reflect some of the situations I commonly see, but they don’t cover everything I treat. If your scar is bothering you and you are unsure whether I can help, please get in touch. I’ve also included a section at the bottom of this page on scars I tend not to treat, and where another healthcare professional may be better placed to help.
Scarring can affect much more than how a scar looks or feels. It can cause pain, itching, sensitivity, tightness or adherence, restrict movement, and sometimes involve deeper scarring or fibrosis. I look at the scar in the context of your whole body - how it affects your movement, function and everyday life - so treatment may extend beyond the scar itself.
I have worked with a very wide range of scars, but every scar and every person is different. Understanding your particular scar, how it is affecting you and what you would like to improve helps us decide whether scar rehabilitation may be useful and what approach is most appropriate.
Burn scars can affect much more than the skin. They may cause pain, itching, sensitivity and tightness, restrict joint movement and affect strength, mobility and physical function. Following more extensive burn injuries, there can also be wider effects on the body, including fatigue, reduced endurance and difficulty regulating temperature.
I have worked with people with burn injuries throughout my career, from relatively small areas of scarring to extensive burns affecting much of the body. Treatment depends on the problems you are experiencing and may include scar massage and mobilisation, LPG, desensitisation, silicone, pressure therapy, taping, positioning, stretching and exercise. Where scarring has affected movement or general physical function, rehabilitation may also focus on mobility, strength, balance, endurance and returning to everyday activities.
Burn scars and rehabilitation needs change over time, so treatment needs to change with them. I can help at different stages of recovery and, where other expertise is needed, work alongside or refer to other members of the burns and scar team.
Burn Scarring
Road Traffic Accidents and Trauma
Scarring following a road traffic accident or other trauma can be complex. You may have multiple scars in different areas, skin grafts or flaps, or have experienced a degloving injury involving significant damage to the skin and deeper tissues. Scarring may occur alongside other injuries, and can cause pain, tightness, itching, altered sensation or adherence, affecting movement and function well beyond the scar itself.
Treatment will depend on the problems you are experiencing and may include manual scar mobilisation, LPG, desensitisation, silicone, taping, stretching and exercise. Where the effects extend beyond the scar, rehabilitation may also address joint movement, strength, mobility and wider physical function.
Complex injuries often need input from more than one professional. Where appropriate, I can work alongside your existing team or help connect you with other specialists so that the different effects of your injury can be considered together.
“RuthAnne stands out as the most knowledgeable and dedicated burns and scars physiotherapist I’ve encountered. Her expertise, compassion and genuine care have been a tremendous support to patients and healthcare professionals in the burn community. I am truly grateful for her guidance and support on my journey to recovery”
-Andreas Christopheros, Acid attack survivor and Campaigner
Surgical Scars, Flaps and Grafts
Surgical scars can range from a straightforward linear scar following an operation such as a hip replacement or breast surgery, to more complex scarring following major surgery or reconstruction with skin grafts or flaps. Grafts and reconstructive surgery may also have been needed following serious infection, such as necrotising fasciitis or meningitis.
Scars may feel painful, tight, itchy, numb, sensitive or “stuck”, and can affect movement and function. Problems can also develop beneath or around the visible scar, including adherence and deeper areas of scarring or fibrosis.
Scar care can begin early, with advice about healing, silicone, taping, skincare and massage where appropriate. Treatment of established scars may include manual scar mobilisation, LPG and tailored stretching and exercise, depending on what the assessment identifies and the stage of healing.
Whether your surgery was recent or many years ago, the aim is to understand what is causing the problem, what may be possible to improve and the most appropriate way forward.
If you’ve recently had a cut or laceration, you may be wondering what you can do to help it heal well and minimise scarring. Scar care can begin early — even while the wound is still healing — with advice about what to do now and what to look out for as healing progresses.
People are often advised to start massaging a scar soon after injury, but massage is not always needed or appropriate. If it is likely to be helpful, I can advise you when to start and show you how to do it safely and effectively.
Once the wound has healed, treatment may include scar mobilisation, silicone, taping and skincare, depending on how the scar is developing and any symptoms you are experiencing. I can also monitor the scar as it matures and adapt advice or treatment if its needs change.
The aim is to support the best possible healing, reduce the risk of problems developing and treat them early if they do.
Lacerations
Every scar and every person’s experience is different. These case studies share real examples from people I have treated - what happened, the problems they were experiencing, what I found on assessment, the treatment provided and the outcome. They also explain some of the clinical thinking behind the treatment and what can be learned from each case.
Scar treatment can be very personal, and all stories are shared only with the individual’s full consent. As this library grows, I hope these real-life examples will help you understand some of the different problems scars can cause, what scar rehabilitation can involve and what may be possible.
Click on the images below to read more…
Real Life Stories
Scar I Tend Not to Treat
I treat a wide range of scars, but there are some situations where another treatment or specialist may be more appropriate, or where your scar is best managed collaboratively. If this is the case, I will explain why and, where possible, point you in the right direction.
When scar care is part of wider specialist care
Some scars are part of a wider health condition or treatment. I do treat scars related to cancer treatment and women’s health, including more complex problems, but if you have access to a specialist oncology or women’s health team, there can be advantages to managing your scar as part of that wider care. Where additional scar expertise is needed, I can also work alongside your existing team.
Keloid scars
True keloid scars grow beyond the boundaries of the original injury and can continue to grow over time. They can be difficult to treat with physical scar therapies and often require specialist medical or surgical treatment. If you are unsure whether your scar is truly a keloid, I can help you understand what type of scar you have and what treatment options may be appropriate.
Scars where the main concern is colour or pigmentation
If the main problem with your scar is persistent redness or areas that are lighter or darker than the surrounding skin, treatments such as laser, medical tattooing or creams may be more appropriate than the treatments I provide.
Acne scars
Established acne scars usually require different treatments from the physical scar rehabilitation I provide. Depending on the type of acne scarring, medical or dermatological treatment, laser, microneedling, subcision or other approaches may be more appropriate.
Older self-harm scars
Self-harm scars can have a significant and lasting impact. Established scars, particularly multiple older linear scars, can be difficult to improve significantly with the non-invasive scar treatments I provide. Other treatments may offer more appropriate options, and I can help point you in the right direction.