Can physical therapy accelerate the normal rate of healing? If the right kind of physiotherapy is introduced at the right phases of healing it can definitely help speed up recovery. There are three phases in the healing process – the substrate phase, the fibroblastic phase and maturation. The body’s response to each stage dictates the appropriate therapy to use. Substrate Phase – from the time of injury to the 4th or 6th day
This phase is characterized by inflammation which prepares the wound by removing debris, dead tissue, and bacteria. At the same time fibroblasts migrate to the wound in order to begin repairing the damaged tissue. Fibroblastic Phase – from the 4th or 6th day to 4 to 10 weeks This is the stage where physiotherapy can dramatically affect the healing response and therefore is a critical time for treatment. Regardless of the location of the wound, the fibroblasts carry on the process of repair by replacing damaged tissue. Therapy, such as ultrasound, influences healing by affecting the orientation of this tissue and stimulating the quantity of collagen produced, thus strengthening the fibers in the wounded area. Maturation Phase – There is no defined time frame that marks the end of the fibroblastic phase and the beginning of the maturation phase. This phase can last up to a year. In the maturation phase, collagen level stays the same or even decreases. The wound continues to strengthen and repair itself by remodelling the fibers. Left alone, wounded tissue will repair. How well it repairs, depends upon how much the newly developed tissue restores the original tissue’s function. Physical therapy can guide the remodelling of the scar tissue at each stage in order to strengthen it and help it sub serve the original tissue’s function. | 
