Hey Everyone! It’s a Monday pop quiz!! What do you think is the MOST common question asked by our patients! Any ideas?? This is the single most frequently asked question in our clinic!
HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE??
Well, similarly to Rome, the human body was not built in a day and we can assure you that it does not heal that way either. Soft tissue injuries are commonly categorized on the time that has passed since the injury occurred and the healing phase of the tissue.
When we talk soft tissue injury, we are commonly referring to muscles, tendons, and ligaments, that have experienced a sprain, a strain, or a contusion/bruise. Every injury is different, and no two people will have the same recovery time. Not every tissue will heal in the exact same manner, and this is due to blood supply to the area, the function of the tissue and the ability to protect the tissue in response to injury.
A characteristic pattern of healing will have three general phases, the inflammatory phase, the proliferative or fibroblastic phase and the maturation or remodelling phase. The inflammatory phase involves the clotting of any damaged blood vessels which is followed by vasodilation and the introduction of antibodies, white blood cells, enzymes, nutrients, and growth factors to the wounded area. This is where we see swelling, changes in tissue color and a significant amount of pain. This phase is typically 5 to 10 days.
The proliferative phase of healing involves the body laying down new tissue. This tissue will resemble an inelastic scar tissue which is quite different from the normal make-up of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This phase can last 4 to 6 weeks.
The final phase of healing is the is the maturation or remodelling phase. In this phase, the collagen fibers will remodel, and the tensile strength of the tissue will improve. This is important to reduce the susceptibility to a re-injury. This phase can take up to a year to complete. The body will likely require a 4-to-8-week recovery, but it is important to recognize that the final phase of healing will continue.
The ABIM Team is dedicated to assisting you along your recovery path and educating you on your healing time based on your injury. Everyone at ABIM heals as an individual with a personalized treatment plan and the support of a team! Visit abodyinmotion.ca to learn more!
#abodyinmotion #ABIM #physiotherapy #pelvicphysiotherapy #vestibularrehab #massagetherapy #PelvicPhysiotherapyCentre #individualizedcare #healingtime #phasesofhealing #inflammatoryphase #proliferativephase #remodellingphase #kwtherapy