I had the most incredible session with Annie, and I had to share it with you.

Hailing from Arizona, Annie (name changed for privacy) is almost 4 months post her 3rd C-section. For months, she'd been trying scar massage and stretching that she found on Instagram but felt stuck with her results.

“I just need more direction”, she told me during our call.

“I’m committing all this time, but things seem to be stagnating - and I’m still in pain.”

Here's her backstory: Her first C-section was an emergency - and she had a great recovery. Her second? She developed a respiratory infection immediately after surgery. All that coughing created massive scar tissue on her right side that caused sharp pain for 6 months.

For her third C-section, she was determined. “I don't want those issues again”, she said. She invested serious time in core prep and found an OB who "cut out so much scar tissue on that side" during surgery that she was sure she’d have a clean opportunity to heal right this time around.

But still - that right side tightness and pain persisted.

The moment everything clicked 🤯

During our session, we tested Annie's scar mobility in different positions.

Standing up, her tissues moved well upwards but not downwards. Moreover, things felt tighter in the middle and right side compared to the left.

Then we switched to lying down.

“Wait,” she said, sitting up quickly. “That feels completely different!”

Lying down, her scar moved much more freely. The restrictions she felt standing were significantly less.

That's when it hit her.

“While doing my own massage, I got everything to move again lying down but not standing up. That means I still have work to do?”

Exactly.

Why position matters for scar massage

Here's what Annie discovered (and what you need to know):

When scar tissue moves differently standing vs. lying down, you're dealing with restrictions at different tissue layers.

✅ Standing restrictions that aren’t present lying down = usually myofascial level (the muscle covering).

✅ Lying down restrictions = usually superficial level (skin and fat layers)

This means you need different massage techniques to address each layer effectively.

And…as you get more advanced, you’ll even want to do massage techniques while moving, with tools, etc.

Annie's new toolkit

Based on what we found, I taught Annie new techniques:

Column massage - Hand over hand pressure, moving like a very slow lawnmower across the tight areas. The key is creating drag on the tissues, up to 4/10 on the fascial pain scale (fascial pain feels like when you grab your forearm and twist it).

How she’ll know it’s working - her standing downward pull restrictions will start to improve. Her pain will also improve.

The game-changer? Immediately pairing massage with movement. Instead of doing them separately, Annie was assigned one simple exercise to do right after the Column Massage. For her, it happened to be five Sloppy Sit Ups.

Why this matters for YOUR recovery

If you've been doing scar massage but feel stuck with your progress, ask yourself:

• Am I testing my scar mobility in different positions?
• Am I addressing different tissue layers?
• Am I pairing my massage immediately with movement?

Annie had been working hard for months on her own but wasn't targeting the right layers. Once she understood how to assess what her body needed, everything changed.

“I can't believe how much more I can feel when I do it this way”, she said by the end of our session.

The bigger picture

Annie's story shows why generic advice often falls short. Every scar heals differently. Every body responds differently. What works for your friend might not work for you.

But when you understand HOW to assess what YOUR body needs, you can adjust your approach and get the results you're looking for.

Whether you're 4 months postpartum like Annie or 4 years postpartum, your body is constantly changing. It's never too late to give it the targeted support it deserves.

If you're ready for a proven Rehab Plan like Annie received, my “Cesarean Recovery Stage 2” program includes all necessary scar massages & exercises needed for a full recovery, plus unlimited live classes for a year where you can get your questions answered.

[Learn more here] 🔥