At Logan Physio, we believe the human body and mind are truly remarkable in their capacity for resilience and healing. Whether recovering from serious injuries or managing everyday aches, understanding the full picture of your health is key. In this article, we’ll explore why seeing yourself as a whole person – not just a collection of joints or muscles – is essential for effective recovery. We’ll also look at what happens in the body during an acute injury and why adopting a biopsychosocial approach can help you get better outcomes.
What Makes the Human Body So Resilient?
Every day, we meet individuals in challenging situations – each one unique, with different backgrounds, stresses, injuries, and lifestyles. Some people may struggle with injuries from sports, others with pain related to work, and still others with chronic discomfort stemming from everyday activities.
Our bodies are designed to adapt, heal, and thrive, even after significant setbacks. But optimal healing requires addressing all aspects of a person’s health: biological, psychological, and social factors.
Moving Beyond the Biomedical Model
Traditionally, many health professionals have used a biomedical model, which focuses only on biological and structural causes of pain and dysfunction. This model considers factors like joint stiffness, muscle weakness, poor posture, and tissue overload.
While this approach is still useful, especially for acute injuries like muscle strains or fractures, it often falls short in explaining why pain or dysfunction persists long after tissues have healed. That’s where the biopsychosocial model comes in – a modern, evidence-based approach that takes into account the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors.
Understanding the Biopsychosocial Approach
1. Biological Factors:
These include obvious issues like joint stiffness, weak muscles, poor movement patterns, or excess tissue loading. Comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, or genetic predispositions can also affect healing. For instance, someone with diabetes may experience delayed healing, requiring a tailored recovery plan.
2. Psychological Factors:
Your thoughts, beliefs, mental health, and past experiences all impact your recovery. Conditions like anxiety or depression can amplify pain. Negative beliefs – such as “pain always means damage” or “I won’t get better without surgery” – can increase fear and slow recovery. Even past psychological trauma or adverse childhood experiences can shape how you experience pain today.
3. Social Factors:
Social context matters. People with limited social support, high stress at work or home, or financial struggles often have poorer outcomes. Language barriers and low socioeconomic status can limit access to health information and care, making it harder to achieve recovery goals.
By considering you as a whole person, physiotherapists can target your problems from all angles, improving your chances of a faster, more complete recovery.
Traditional Biophysical Factors to Consider
When assessing someone’s pain or dysfunction, we still start with biophysical elements such as:
- Joint stiffness or instability
- Weak or poorly recruited muscles
- Altered posture
- Overuse or inappropriate loading of tissues
- Lifestyle factors like smoking, poor sleep, or inactivity
These are often the first things people think of when they experience pain – and they are important! But they’re just one piece of the puzzle.
The Power of Acknowledging Comorbidities
Health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or autoimmune disorders can affect how your body heals. For example:
- Diabetics may heal more slowly after a sprain or fracture.
- People with chronic inflammatory conditions may experience prolonged swelling or pain.
Recognising these factors allows physiotherapists to set realistic expectations and create strategies that support your recovery.
Psychological Factors: The Hidden Barrier
Mental and emotional health plays a significant role in physical pain. Studies show that negative thoughts and beliefs can increase pain intensity and duration. For example:
- Thinking “rest is the only way to get better” can lead to excessive inactivity, which delays healing.
- Fear of movement, known as kinesiophobia, can cause muscle guarding, stiffness, and even more pain.
Supporting your mental well-being through positive reinforcement, education, or referral to a psychologist can dramatically improve outcomes.
Social Factors: Recovery Beyond the Clinic
Recovery doesn’t happen in a bubble. Stress from work, strained relationships, financial difficulties, or lack of community support can all hinder progress. Physiotherapists can help by:
- Encouraging conversations with loved ones
- Recommending stress management techniques
- Connecting you with support services or community resources
A Practical Example: Healing After an Acute Injury
To illustrate how the body heals, let’s look at what happens after a simple muscle strain, ligament sprain, or broken bone:
- Bleeding Phase (Seconds to Hours):
- Right after injury, damaged blood vessels bleed until clotting stops the bleeding.
- Inflammation Phase (Hours to 7 Days):
- Inflammation starts immediately, bringing fluid and immune cells to the area. This causes swelling, warmth, redness, and pain. While uncomfortable, inflammation is necessary to protect the area and kick-start healing.
- Repair Phase (2-3 Days to Weeks/Months):
- The body begins repairing damaged tissues. Healing times vary:
- Muscle strains: ~2-3 weeks
- Ligament sprains: ~6 weeks
- Fractures: ~12 weeks
- Pain during this phase is appropriate and signals your body needs protection. As tissues heal, pain gradually reduces, allowing you to move more.
- The body begins repairing damaged tissues. Healing times vary:
- Remodelling Phase (Weeks to Months):
- Scar tissue matures and strengthens, restoring tissue function. Proper movement, stretching, and strengthening exercises help remodel tissues and prevent stiffness or weakness.
Understanding these phases helps you see why pain doesn’t always mean something is “wrong” – sometimes it simply indicates tissues are still healing.
What About Overuse Injuries and Tendinopathy?
Not all injuries involve torn tissues. Overuse injuries like rotator cuff tendinopathy, tennis elbow, or lateral hip pain occur when tissues are repeatedly stressed beyond what they can tolerate. This causes irritation, inflammation, and pain — even without a tear.
In these cases, the key is to reduce stress, allow irritation to settle, and then gradually reintroduce loading through targeted physiotherapy exercises. Avoiding unnecessary rest or panic helps tissues adapt and recover faster.
The Importance of Early Pain Management
Pain is unpleasant, but it’s also a protective mechanism. Using appropriate pain relief, such as analgesics or anti-inflammatories (under guidance from your doctor or pharmacist), can reduce pain severity and encourage early movement – both of which improve recovery outcomes.
Practical Tips for a Successful Recovery
- Stay Positive: Believe in your body’s ability to heal. Research shows optimism can speed recovery and reduce pain intensity.
- Keep Moving at Appropriate Levels: Avoid total rest unless medically necessary. Gentle movement promotes circulation, prevents stiffness, and supports healing.
- Address the Whole Person: Reflect on psychological or social stressors that may be impacting your pain or slowing your progress.
- Seek Professional Guidance: If pain persists or worsens, your physiotherapist can assess whether additional interventions or referrals are needed.
- Use Education as a Tool: Understanding what’s happening in your body can reduce fear, encourage activity, and improve outcomes.
Why the Biopsychosocial Approach Leads to Better Results
Seeing you as a whole person — your body, mind, and environment — provides more options to improve recovery. Beyond hands-on therapy and exercises, strategies can include:
- Talking to a friend about stress
- Engaging in enjoyable hobbies
- Addressing sleep or nutrition
- Getting professional help for mental health or relationship issues
This holistic perspective empowers you to take control of your health and find multiple paths to healing.
Final Thoughts
Your body is an amazing, adaptable system. But optimal healing requires more than just focusing on joints, muscles, or medications. By understanding the natural healing process, considering psychological and social factors, and staying engaged in your recovery, you can maximise your potential for a full and lasting recovery.
At Logan Physio, we’re here to support you with evidence-based physiotherapy that treats you as a whole person. If you’re struggling with pain or injury that’s not improving, reach out — together, we can help you move better, feel better, and thrive.
