Understanding tissue healing stages for a successful rehabilitation plan

In a dvm360® interview at the New York Vet Show in New York, New York, Leilani Alvarez, DVM, DACVSMR, CVA, CCRT, director of integrative and rehabilitative medicine at the Schwarzman Animal Center, outlines the stages of tissue healing and explains how understanding these phases can support successful rehabilitation.

The following is a partial transcript of the video.

Leilani Alvarez, DVM, DACVSMR, CVA, CCRT: There are 3 major stages of tissue healing, that is the inflammatory phase, which begins actually with the hematoma (bleeding), and then that moves on to the reparative phase or proliferative phase. And then finally, the remodeling, or maturation phase.

Every tissue follows a different timeline of healing. For example, if you're just healing a skin wound, within a couple of weeks, you're going to regain sufficient strength. But, for example, if you have a tendon injury, now you're talking about months, sometimes even over a year of healing before that tissue regains its strength. So, it's really important that you understand not just the tissue that has been injured, but also what phase of healing it is in in order to have the most successful rehabilitation and ultimate outcome.