Heal
Healing is a multi-stage process, typically divided by rehab specialists into three phases: Inflammatory, Proliferative, Remodeling or Maturation. These phases vary depending on a wide variety of factors, and there is some overlap between the phases. Knowing about them can help you to understand what is in store for your healing process. The following is a good general guideline:
Inflammatory Phase
This first stage can last anywhere from hours to weeks. By six weeks, injured tissue typically has healed about 50% (this varies with tissue type, age and general health). When this level of healing has occurred, pain is typically greatly diminished, however, the healing tissue remains somewhat vulnerable.
Proliferative Phase
As the damaged tissue is cleared by the inflammatory process, the body begins to lay down new tissue. This tissue tends to be a relatively inelastic type of scar tissue that is different in make-up from the original tissue it is replacing. Loading the healing tissue in a healthy, incremental or graded fashion accentuates healing and promotes the long-term health, flexibility and efficiency of the repaired tissue.
Remodeling or Maturation Phase
This final phase of healing is characterized by remodeling of the collagen fibers. These fibers respond to appropriate loading and stress by becoming similar to the tissues they replace. Over time, the tensile and compressive strength of this tissue will improve, reducing the susceptibility to future injury. This final stage may take 12 -18 months to complete. Knowing how and when to load or tax tissue appropriately throughout this phase is a key component to healing and rehabilitation.
Explore
Often, following an injury, people ask: How or why did I get hurt? Why is healing taking longer than I think it should? Why do I keep hurting the same part of my body over and over again?
If you crashed into a tree or went over the handlebars on your mountain bike the first question might seem silly. However, if you hurt your back or your shoulder “doing nothing”, this can be a fascinating question. Part of the work we do together at Carbon Creek PT is to discover the answer to how or why your injury occurred.
Based on the stages of healing (above), we can begin to address why “my healing” may take longer than you think it should. We will work together to determine how your habits, mechanical issues and activity level may impact your healing for better, or worse. We can then devise a plan to address those components in a manner that will help prevent re-injury.
Grow
As you learn more about how your body heals, and as you learn more about how and why you were injured, you are given a gift – the gift to grow. You can create new habits, new body awareness, new approaches to old activities, new sports or recreational outlets, new abilities to manage your future injuries in a healthier, more mindful, manner. Recovering from injury or surgery can be a trying and difficult time. It is also an opportunity – an opportunity to focus on your health and fitness and an opportunity to examine your priorities around health and fitness. Maggie Knott, a pioneer in Physical Therapy and co-creator of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF), said that there is “untapped existing potential in all patients”. At Carbon Creek Physical Therapy, we strive to help you maximize the potential within yourself.