Did you know that cesarean sections are the most common major abdominal surgery in the world? Unfortunately, people are largely left to recover from this surgery on their own, while caring for an infant. 


This article is meant to provide you with simple techniques and exercises you can try at home to help in the recovery of your abdominal wall and in particular your scar tissue following a cesarean. 


It will go through: 

  • Scar tissue & common issues 
  • Scar treatment techniques: 
  • Things you can do before your stitches have healed 
  • Things you can do once your stitches have healed


Scar tissue: 


Scar tissue is amazing. Our bodies create scar tissue to patch things up and pull tissue back together. Scar tissue will forever remain scar tissue, but there are things we can do to help this changed tissue become mobile, less sensitive, less “sticky” and more coordinated with the surrounding muscles. 


Some of the common issues that scar tissue presents us with include: 

  • Stiffness/”stickiness”/rigidity
  • Pain
  • Numbness 
  • Bulkiness (c-section “shelf”) 
  • Reduced activation of the muscles around the scar (in this case the lower abdominal muscles) 


If you are reading this and wishing you had worked on your c-section scar during your postpartum recovery, don’t fret! It is never too later to work on your c-section scar. Although it can be really helpful to apply these techniques during the first 6 months postpartum, these techniques can be helpful at any stage.


Scar treatment techniques: 


Things you can do before your stitches have healed: 


  • Touch & massage around the abdomen: While it’s important to allow your scar enough time to fully heal, you can start engaging with it by touching the skin above and below the stitches, using light touch and various other textures to work on regaining sensation to the area (do this gently to avoid pulling the stitches/scar too much)
  • Diaphragmatic breathing: allowing your belly to expand and passively fall again helps to gently move and stretch the healing tissue without doing an active stretch. This will also help to keep the areas around the scar mobile and help you re-establish a good breathing pattern 
  • Walking: rotating through the hips, pelvis and swinging your arms are going to allow the abdominal wall to gently rotate and stretch the healing tissue


Things you can do after your stitches have healed: 


  • Massage: Using your index and middle finger, try pressing into the abdominal wall and move in circles in both directions above, below and over the scar to help it move and gently stretch out. Start off quite light to get used to the sensation and as it continues to heal you can apply more pressure


C-Section Massage
  • Skin rolling: picking up a bit of your skin between your thumb and fingers, try rolling across your abdomen horizontally and vertically over your scar to get more mobility through the scar tissue and the fascia around it. This can sometimes feel bruised and sore but should only feel that way while you perform this technique and improve and fade with frequency
Three-panel photo showing waist measurement/waistband adjustment on a woman in a black sleeveless top and leggings.
  • Cupping: If you have access to silicone fascia cups, you can use these to increase blood flow to the skin around and over the scar and pull it up and massage it out. Your physiotherapist likely has some fascia cups and can help you with this.
Two side-by-side photos of a woman holding blue measuring cups at her midsection, showing before-and-after belly changes
  • Lower abdominal engagement: Lying on your back slowly inhale allowing your lower ribs & abdomen to expand. On your exhale imagine like you are gently drawing your hip bones towards each other and tighten your lower abdominal muscles. If you place the pads of your index finger just in from your hipbones you should feel the lower abdominals tighten to provide pelvic stability. Re-learning to use these muscles post c-section is important to abdominal function and strength but will also help the scar tissue to heal over time and with practice.
Woman in black leggings lying on a mat performing a stretching pose, legs raised against the wall.
  • General mobility stretches: Moving your body in a variety of ways will help to stretch your scar tissue and this is helpful long term. It’s ok to feel some tension, tightness and mild discomfort with a stretch at the level of the scar, but ease into it so you don’t overdo it. Discomfort should improve or totally resolve with frequency – if not, than the stretch is likely too intense and you should modify.
  • Some helpful stretches include:

                    Cat cow 

                    Baby or full cobra 

                    Book openers/thoracic rotations 

                    Half lunge hip flexor stretch 


If you’ve had a c-section, it’s recommended to have an appointment with a pelvic floor specialist to help you with some of these techniques, provide you with a personalized program to work towards some of your goals as well as checking in on the pelvic floor! Your pelvic floor was impacted by being pregnant and likely needs some rehabilitation as well. 


This article is not meant as medical advice and is provided for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about the healing of your cesarean scar please speak with your doctor.

Smiling blonde woman with blue eyes, headshot in front of a light gray background.

Tara Campbell

Orthopaedic, Pelvic Floor and Concussion Focused Physiotherapist 


Tara is an orthopaedic and pelvic health Physiotherapist who also specializes in treating concussions and post-concussion syndrome. With a deep dedication to providing personalized care, Tara is committed to helping her clients achieve their optimal physical well-being and attaining their own individual goals through education, manual therapy & exercise rehab. Whether managing musculoskeletal conditions, post-surgical rehabilitation, pelvic floor dysfunction, concussion symptoms with return to work or sport, Tara approaches each client with empathy, compassion, and with a focus on holistic wellness.


After graduating from the University of Western Ontario in Kinesiology, Tara achieved honours in her MSc of Physiotherapy at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her previous work experience at Sports Medicine Clinics in Toronto over the last 8 years has allowed her to develop her skills in treating a large array of conditions and injuries that include but are not limited to; repetitive stress injuries, joint replacements, fracture rehab, ACL reconstruction, meniscus injury, knee pain, hip and shoulder labral tears and repairs, concussion & post-concussion syndrome, ankle sprains, wrist pain, neck pain, headaches, back pain, SI joint pain, gluteal pain, elbow injuries, rotator cuff tears , frozen shoulder & shoulder pain, pelvic floor dysfunction including incontinence, pelvic pain, tailbone pain, pain with intercourse, pelvic heaviness, diastasis recti and other pregnancy-related issues. 


Tara is passionate about life-long learning, actively pursuing continuing education and professional development opportunities. She would be happy to meet with you to hear your story and to discover how she can best serve your physiotherapy needs.


If you are interested in working with Tara, you can schedule an appointment with her here.