P.W was a 42 year old transgender male with lots of scar tissue pain around his chest that was radiating to his shoulders, neck and back several months after top surgery. He was having problems with his spine and shoulder mobility and even had difficulty taking deep breaths.
Initial Examination
He presented with a lot of pain and feelings of pulling through his chest, shoulders, upper back and neck. After listening to his background, there was a better understanding that his symptoms dated back several years due to years of chest binding. This led to postural compensations with his shoulders more rounded.
Treatment
He had therapy 1x/wk for 12 weeks with a focus on scar tissue work, manual therapy and postural re-training. In meeting with his personal training who had worked with for several years to achieve other fitness goals, we collaborated closely so that he had carryover with his physical therapy exercises during his training sessions.
Outcome
After 12 visits, P.W had no chest, shoulder or back pain and only occasional episodes of feeling tightness around his scars. Him and his partner felt comfortable in self treating his scars and followed up for physical therapy once every couple of months.