Physiotherapy & Soft Tissue Injuries - What Should You Know?

Soft Tissue Injuries occur when soft body tissues of the likes of muscular tissue, ligaments or tendons receive a dose of stress or strain caused by sudden impact, which is far greater than the load the soft tissues are able to withstand. The occurrences of soft tissue injuries are far greater than the probabilities of suffering a fracture, as the soft tissues absorb the majority of the impact, before passing it onto the bones. Swelling, edema, tendon or ligament break, etc. are some of the immediate effects observed following a soft tissue injury in the majority of victims.

If the whole process of tissue damage to regeneration new tissue is observed, this is how the process would appear to us:

1. Damage to the tissue would almost immediately be followed by bleeding internally, and inflammation, which would be highly painful if touched. The damaged tissue would then be gradually removed and replaced with a live, healthy tissue by the body, without any external intervention.
2. Based on the severity and extent of damage, the process of removal and repair can take a few weeks to a couple of months. This transition is highly painful and tends to affect the normal functioning of the whole surrounding region, irrespective of how minuscule the damage may seem.
3. The duration when remodeling of the tissue occurs, is most susceptible to fresh damage, as the live cells are not yet ready to develop the full potential of stress-bearing capability. The remodeling phase generally does not require any external aid in the form of supportive drug therapy or physical therapy.
4. Though the application of physiotherapy in soft tissue injuries are sometimes contested, physical therapy may come in handy for patients who put up a delayed response in regeneration than usual. Physiotherapy takes care of the little details such as an inability to resume normal body functions, as well as stiffness of the affected area. Physical therapy ensures normal blood flow has been restored, a stiffness of the surrounding soft tissues is addressed, and normal functioning of the area begins to restore.
5. Generally, patients who experience a disrupted mechanism of removal and repair of soft tissues require any sort of medical help in the form of drugs and/or physical therapy. While drugs reduce the turnaround time in terms of boosting the chemical balance, physiotherapy addresses the trauma experienced by the patients. In addition, physiotherapy may indirectly boost the activity of chemical mediators which further speeds up the recovery process as a whole.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!