Pathology For The Health Related Profession - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about the Pathology For The Health Related Profession. Answer: Introduction Massage therapy is the hands-on method focused on working with the patients soft tissues and muscles for achieving adequate healing of injuries suffered by the body. The main aim is to attain an enhancement of overall health and wellbeing of the person through injury rehabilitation. Therapists must develop a better understanding of the mechanism of healing of damaged tissue in the body and how the body repairs any injury suffered. The professional must identify specific events occurring after an injury and the commonly presented signs and symptoms associated with tissue repair. This helps in understanding where patients fall in the continuum of healing, and what functional changes and sensations are to be expected. The ultimate outcome would be support provided for the restoration of optimal function of the patients body (Salvo 2015). The present paper would discuss the stages of healing associated with massage therapy in details. Stages of healing associated with massage therapy The tissue healing process associated with massage therapy can be broken don into three stages: acute stage, sub acute stage, and chronic stage. These stages are described in details below- Acute phase (protection/inflammatory phase)- The much-needed process of healing starts immediately after a traumatic injury when the body generates an inflammatory response. The responses magnitude is dependent on the extremity of the damage suffered and is found to vary between individuals. The tissues that are injured release chemicals which draw other resources to the area of injury, alerting the body that there has been a damage suffered. At the initial stage, the blood vessels in the surrounding dilate, and blood flow to the are is increased. As a result, white blood cells are delivered to the area along with nutrients which are necessary for cleaning the affected area. The affected area becomes swollen, and plasma leaks into the area. It is common for patients to suffer pain sensation as a result of the inflammatory response. The inflammatory response also has a secondary aim which is to limit function in the are injured. The common cardinal signs characterising inflammation are heat, swelling, loss of function, pain and redness. The normal time frame for your acute symptoms to reduce is two to five days post-injury (Lori and Hall 2005). Massage therapy is known to act in a positive manner in the body by helping in the maintenance and increase of blood and lymph circulation. As a result, there is a decrease in the amount of swelling, permitting clearance of waste products accumulated by the inflammatory process. In addition, massage also aids in the reduction of tension suffered in any compensating muscles of the body. This allows for the provision of exercise in the acute phase. Moreover, massage therapy also helps in giving a psychological boost to the process of tissue healing. One can perform passive range of motion and muscle setting that are pain-free. Low isometric resistance exercises might also be helpful (Salvo 2015). Sub acute phase (controlled motion/ repair and modelling)- The inflammatory response is followed by the repair phase, or the subacute phase when the debris from the injury site is removed. Symptoms and signs of the inflammation are diminished, and construction is enabled for replacing and repairing the injured tissues. It is likely for patients to suffer pain in certain areas of the body since the chemicals dissipate for centralising the healing process in the damaged areas. When the repair phase is enabled, there is the growth of new blood vessels as a result of which there is maximum transport in the tissue. The new transport network is responsible for delivering materials utmost needed for the repair process and removal of the metabolic waste. It is known that fibroblast cells are responsible for generating collagen fibres and extracellular matrix. These fibroblast cells then produce granulation tissue that fills the gaps generated by removal of damaged tissue. The time required for complete repair and degree of production of granulation tissue is dependent on the degree of tissue damage. When there is enough production of granulation tissue, the body supports deconstruction of temporary vessels and a decrease of fibroblast activity. Regeneration of new cells is now possible which is the most vital for the healing process. It is significant to take into consideration that granulation tissue does not tolerate forces needed by the body for full return to activities of daily living (Damnajov 2000). Massage therapy augments circulation to the affected area in the body and provides the necessary nutrients for the healing process. Such therapies have been very effective in this stage, as highlighted by a rich pool of research. Massage can also treat compensating muscles and increase the range of motion. Furthermore, patients are also relieved from pain to a great extent (Salvo 2015). Chronic phase (return to function/maturation and remodelling) Healing is a continuum, and when the repaired structure is weak, there is automatic stimulation of additional new tissues for support the healing process. The successive and final phase of healing process considers construction of permanent tissue with the help of collagen fibres which build a dense network in the affected area. When the normal functioning of the body returns and the new tissue is to carry out its designated role, there is need of reconfiguring the structure for adaptation. This is done through deconstruction and reconstruction of the collagen fibres as per the applied forces for optimal flexibility and strength. The mentioned process is called remodelling which includes alignment of collagen fibres along the lines of stress. The pain that was suffered by the patient due to inflammation is replaced by that caused due to ischemia in this phase. The injured area receives less blood flow since there is a deconstruction of capillaries and formation of mature scar tissue. Patients often report inability to carry out maximal mobility since the collagens form a dense network, replacing the granulation tissues. The soft tissues are also made pliable that might be reduced in case there is adhesion of between fascial layers in associated and affected areas. Remodelling usually takes months to years and success achieved in this phase is dependent on the progression of functional activities (Whiting and Zernicke 2008). At this stage when the body is ready to return to normal functioning, massage therapy helps by preparing the body for intense rehabilitation and relaxation. The techniques might be deeper and more extensive that help in the alignment of collagen fibres and development of functional independence. The quality of tissues reformed is also improved through massage therapies. One must note that there exists no particular time frame for the process of healing associated with massage therapy. Different factors, such as the type of tissue injured, amount of damage, the health of the patient, location, pre-existing conditions, nutrition and medications influence the process of tissue repair. Massage therapy helps in the process of healing by enabling the individuals to shift to a parasympathetic nervous response from a sympathetic nervous response (Field 2014). Source: rivierawellbeing.co.uk (2018) Source: Salvo (2015) Conclusion In closing, massage therapy has immense benefits for injury healing in patients. The healing process can be divided into three stages in which massage is extremely useful for recovering in a speedy manner. These are an acute inflammatory phase, repair phase and tissue remodelling phase. Treatment through massage would stare with isolation and progress to complete functional integration. The exact form of therapy would depend on the demands of the injury and the needs of the body. Recognising the signs and symptoms after an injury has taken place is important for complete healing. References Damjanov, I., 2000.Pathology for the health-related professions. WB Saunders Company. pp. 42-67. Field, T., 2014. Massage therapy research review.Complementary therapies in clinical practice,20(4), pp.224-229. Lori, T. and Hall, C.M. 2005.Therapeutic exercise: moving toward function. Lippincott Williams Wilkins. pp. 282-309. Riviera Wellbeing. (2018).Hot or Cold Therapy for Soft Tissue Injury? - Riviera Wellbeing. [online] Available at: https://rivierawellbeing.co.uk/hot-cold-therapy/ [Accessed 6 Jan. 2018]. Salvo, S.G., 2015.Massage Therapy-E-Book: Principles and Practice. Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 18-20. Whiting, W.C. and Zernicke, R.F., 2008.Biomechanics of musculoskeletal injury. Human Kinetics. pp. 126-152.