“He that can have patience can have what he will.”
~ Benjamin Franklin
This is the third and final stage in how the body heals itself. Even though someone has reached this last stage does not mean that they are on the home stretch. Indeed, this stage consumes the majority of the healing process beginning at the end of the proliferation stage (which is around week 2 or 3 after injury) and lasting up to two years in some cases. Many do not finish this stage, cutting themselves short of their true potential. When done correctly, this stage is a beautiful showcase of all that the body is capable of and the magic that movement works on us from our cells up.
We can think of remodeling just as it sounds. When the foundation of a house is done, it is now time to put in the floors, siding and roof. Similarly, the outline of the tissue repair is complete after proliferation and now the strong collagen and other parts of the connective tissue are laid down in an organized fashion. Eventually you would remodel the inside of your home by breaking down walls to make certain rooms bigger or building additions as desired. The remodeling process works the same way as movement organizes tissues to be strong and flexible along lines of stress.
Movement is the key ingredient. The tissues only make adaptations in response to forces induced by movement. Some say “you are what you eat” and we could also quip “you are how you move”. Muscles get stronger, more efficient and bigger with use. Tendons and ligaments gain tensile strength. Even bones, which we tend to think of as being inert, change profoundly. Bones will not only change their density but will actually morph their overall shape to accommodate forces placed on them. The attachment sites of tendons to bones will get bigger as the muscles pulling on those sites get stronger.
The human body amazes me all the time but nothing is quite so awe inspiring as remodeling (in my opinion). Nothing gives me more hope than considering how adaptable the body is to its environment. We are resilient beings with a diverse array of untapped potentials. Only one of which is recovering from pain and injuries holistically. Change the environment, change the outcome. How lovely is that?