Recovery in the Philippines: a guide to how the body heals

Recovery is the new bida (star) of the wellness world. People who used to ask only how to train harder are now asking how to heal better.

That is a good question to ask. It also attracts a good deal of noise, so it helps to begin with how healing works.

So, is healing “natural”?

Oo at hindi. (Yes and no.) Your body repairs itself without being told to. A strain, a sprain or a cut sets off a sequence that has been the same for as long as there have been people.

But how well it goes is not left to nature alone. Sleep, food, movement and patience all shape the result, and those are up to you.

What about setbacks?

This is the top question for every tito and tita who has pulled something. The usual causes of a setback are ordinary ones:

• Doing too much, too soon.
• Resting completely for too long.
• Sleeping badly.
• Eating too little protein.
• Smoking, which slows healing.

Some signs are not setbacks but reasons to be seen: severe pain, a limb you cannot use or put weight on, numbness, swelling that keeps growing, or redness, warmth and fever.

How is recovery managed?

Hindi ito iniinom na parang regular vitamin. (It’s not taken just like a regular vitamin.) Recovery is not one thing you swallow. It is managed in stages, and there are two main ones.

Rest and protection

In the first days, the injured part is protected while the swelling settles and the first repair is laid down.

Gradual loading

After that, tissue needs to be used to become strong again. Movement is brought back in small steps, guided by how the injury responds. This is the stage people most often rush or skip.

The mechanics: building new roads

So how does the body actually carry out these repairs? The science is fascinating, but let us keep it simple. A central part of healing is the growth of new blood vessels.

If blood cannot get to the damaged tissue, the tissue cannot heal. So the body builds new roads to the site, and along them come oxygen, nutrients and the cells that do the rebuilding. Tendons and ligaments have a poorer blood supply than muscle, which is one reason they take longer.

Gentle movement, good sleep and not smoking all help keep those roads open.

How to approach recovery safely

Just because something is creating a buzz does not mean you should click “add to cart” and hope for the best. Hindi pwedeng basta-basta lang. (You can’t just guess.)

Looking after your body is about precision, not guessing games. At Seenergie, a PRC-licensed physician looks at your history and at how your injury is behaving, and your plan is built from there.

Want to learn more? Request a free consultation.