How Scar Tissue and Fascia Contribute to Whole-Body Pain

Written By Courtney Lepore

This article breaks down what current research reveals about how scar tissue and fascia influence pain patterns throughout the body - including why symptoms often appear far from the original injury or surgery.

It expands on concepts introduced in Why Old Scars Could Be the Culprit Behind Your Current Pain, which explores how these patterns often show up in everyday life.This article breaks down what current research reveals about how scar tissue and fascia influence pain patterns throughout the body - including why symptoms often show up far from the original injury.

Why Pain Appears Far from the Original Injury

If you’ve ever wondered how an old scar could influence pain elsewhere in the body, you’re not alone.

Many people living with chronic or unexplained pain are told their symptoms are unrelated to past surgeries or injuries - especially when those events occurred years or even decades earlier. When imaging looks “normal” and the injury feels long resolved, pain is often labeled as mysterious or unrelated.

But a growing body of research now shows…

The body does not heal in isolated parts.
It adapts as a whole.

This article explores what science reveals about scar tissue, fascia, and whole-body pain patterns — and why symptoms don’t always show up where the original injury occurred.

The Problem: Pain That Doesn’t Make Sense

Pain is often expected to appear at the site of injury or surgery. When it doesn’t — when back pain follows abdominal surgery, or shoulder pain appears years after a chest or arm procedure — people are left confused.

Conventional explanations frequently focus on:

  • muscles

  • joints

  • isolated structures

But the body does not function in pieces.

The Missing Piece: Scar Tissue and Adhesions

When the body undergoes surgery, injury, or significant inflammation, it forms scar tissue as part of the healing process. In many cases, this scar tissue develops into adhesions — fibrous bands of connective tissue that form between structures that are not normally connected.

Scar Tissue, Adhesions, and Fascial Restriction

Scar tissue can become adhesions - dense forms of fascial restriction where tissues that should glide independently bind together. This alters whole-body mechanics.

Post-surgical adhesions are extremely common and increasingly recognized as contributors to pain, movement restriction, organ dysfunction, and long-term healthcare utilization.

A comprehensive review published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine states:

“Post-surgical adhesions are common in almost all surgical areas and are associated with significant rates of morbidity, mortality, and increased healthcare costs.”
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8389678/

Despite their prevalence, treatment options remain limited — particularly non-invasive ones.

The same review notes:

“There is an unmet clinical need for the development of safe and effective therapeutic options that can be used to mitigate post-operative adhesion formation.”

This gap is deeply relevant for individuals living with persistent pain that does not respond to conventional care.

Fascia as a Living, Responsive System

Fascia is not an inert wrapping around muscles and organs. It is a biologically active, sensory-rich connective tissue network that surrounds and interpenetrates muscles, bones, organs, nerves, and blood vessels.

Research increasingly recognizes fascia as:

  • mechanically responsive

  • highly innervated

  • capable of adapting to stress, strain, and load

  • influential in posture, movement, and pain perception

According to the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies:

“Fascia is highly innervated and has the capacity to adapt its mechanical properties in response to stress and strain.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360859216300268

This adaptability helps explain why fascial restrictions do not remain confined to the site of injury or surgery.

Why Symptoms Appear Elsewhere

Fascial tissues function as a continuous, three-dimensional network. Forces applied in one area are transmitted throughout the system.

As described in Frontiers in Physiology:

“A symptom does not necessarily arise where the problem begins, but it can occur in distant sites because the body is a sole entity.”
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3883554/

This interconnectedness explains why:

  • abdominal scars can contribute to low back or hip pain

  • shoulder or chest scars can affect the neck, arm, or rib cage

  • symptoms may migrate or change location over time

Pain is not random.
It is patterned.

Why Pain Often Appears Years Later

Scar tissue and adhesions do not always produce immediate symptoms. Instead, they may subtly alter:

  • tissue glide

  • load distribution

  • movement efficiency

  • nervous system tone

The body compensates intelligently, redistributing strain to preserve function. Over time, compensatory tissues become overloaded.

Eventually, the system exceeds its adaptive capacity - and pain emerges.

Often far from the original scar.

Fascial Densification and Restricted Glide

Beyond visible scarring, research also describes fascial densification — a process in which the ground substance of fascia loses hydration and elasticity, reducing its ability to slide.

This contributes to:

  • stiffness

  • reduced movement variability

  • increased strain on joints and muscles

As outlined in Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body:

“Chronic stress and altered mechanical loading can lead to densification of fascial tissue, altering its mechanical behavior and contributing to pain.”
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-46066-0

The Nervous System Connection

Fascia contains a dense network of sensory receptors, including nociceptors and proprioceptors. This makes it a critical interface between the body and the nervous system.

Research published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies notes:

“Fascia contains a rich network of proprioceptors and nociceptors, suggesting an important role in proprioception and pain.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360859215001217

Restrictions within the fascial system may influence:

  • pain perception

  • body awareness

  • guarding and bracing

  • autonomic nervous system regulation

This helps explain why scar-related pain may feel diffuse, non-specific, or worsened by stress.

Visceral Fascia: When Organs Are Part of the Story

Fascial tissue does not only surround muscles and joints — it also envelops and supports organs.

Research published in Frontiers in Physiology highlights the role of visceral fascia:

“Visceral fascia integrates organs with the musculoskeletal system; restrictions can impact posture, movement, and function.”
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.01735/full

When visceral fascia loses mobility, symptoms may include:

  • abdominal or pelvic discomfort

  • breathing restriction

  • postural changes

  • referred pain patterns

Why a Fascial Approach Makes Sense

Multiple studies examining manual scar therapy and myofascial techniques demonstrate improvements in:

  • tissue pliability

  • mobility

  • pain

  • functional outcomes

A review published in Frontiers in Physiology reports:

“Manual therapies applied to scar tissue can improve tissue mobility and reduce pain, suggesting that scars are modifiable rather than fixed structures.”
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10155853/

Importantly, research emphasizes that gentle, sustained pressure is sufficient to influence fascial tissue behavior. Forceful techniques are not required.

Why Myofascial Release Aligns With the Science

Myofascial Release engages the fascial system directly using sustained, low-load pressure. This approach:

  • addresses adhesions and densification

  • restores tissue glide

  • reduces abnormal tension patterns

  • supports nervous system regulation

By working with the body as an integrated system, Myofascial Release aligns with the growing recognition that chronic pain often reflects global adaptations, not isolated dysfunctions.

Rethinking “Unexplained” Pain

When imaging is inconclusive and symptoms persist, pain is often labeled as unexplained. This doesn’t mean pain is “all in your head” - it means pain often reflects how the body’s structures and nervous system integrated and adapted over time.

Current fascia research suggests many of these cases are not mysterious — they are simply under-recognized.

Understanding scar tissue, adhesions, and the fascial system offers a more complete framework for:

  • chronic pain

  • compensation patterns

  • delayed symptom onset

  • pain that migrates or changes over time

Scar tissue does not exist in isolation.
Neither does pain.

By viewing the body as an integrated mechanical, neurological, and connective system, a clearer and more compassionate understanding of pain emerges — one that opens the door to effective, respectful, and lasting care.

References & Further Reading

For readers interested in fascia-based approaches to chronic pain, Myofascial Release offers a research-aligned, whole-body framework.

Courtney Lepore https://VerveBody.com
Next

Why Old Scars Could Be the Culprit Behind Your Current Pain