What is wrong with self-healing?

Nothing. The human body has an amazing capacity for healing itself. In today’s emphasis on natural medicine, there are several schools of thought promoting self-healing on all levels, whether it be a simple bruise or cut or a deeper psychological or physical trauma. In physiotherapy we assist the body to heal itself without the use of drugs. This is necessary because after the cut has healed or pain and swelling have disappeared, you may find that your mobility, flexibility, strength and/or function is impaired. If you were to sustain a fracture, the wound would heal by itself but following healing you would have a weak, useless limb. Or worse yet, you could end up with a deformity or contracture.

Why self-healing is not enough:

1. Normal blood flow is dependent on muscle activity, which means more than just wiggling the toes or fingers. The limb should be moved either passively (by a therapist or someone else) or actively (by you) through the maximum available range-of-motion.
2. Scar tissue formation that takes place during healing causes restriction of movement and loss of flexibility in joints.
3. Pain from the trauma leads to overprotection of the affected part which can lead to deformity or contractures. Therefore, the sooner the pain is treated and stretching exercises begun, the sooner active movement can be restored.
4. Without physiotherapy, strength may be slow to return because the patient lacks the knowledge and skill to perform the types of movement necessary to restore strength.

As mentioned above, there is nothing wrong with self-healing. It may work very well for a cold or fever or even some other internal illnesses, but where there is muscle, tendon, ligament or nerve involvement, your best bet would be to see a physiotherapist.