What are the phases of rehabilitation?

• A. Primary, secondary, tertiary.
• B. Inflammatory, repair, maturation/remodeling.
• C. Initial, intermediate, final.
• D. Acute, chronic, subacute.

Answer: (A)

The phases of rehabilitation align with how tissue heals after injury: inflammatory, repair, and remodeling/maturation. This sequence guides what the rehab should focus on at each stage.

In the inflammatory phase, the body responds with swelling, pain, and protection of the injured area. Rehab goals are to control pain and swelling and protect the tissue, using gentle movements, modalities as appropriate, and limited loading to avoid further irritation.

In the repair (or proliferative) phase, new tissue is laid down. The emphasis shifts to restoring mobility and gradually introducing controlled loading to promote proper collagen formation and alignment, while avoiding excessive stress that could disrupt healing.

In the remodeling (maturation) phase, the tissue matures and gains strength as collagen realigns along lines of stress. Here the rehab progresses to higher-load activities, strength training, and functional or sport-specific tasks to prepare for return to full function.

Understanding this sequence helps explain why early rehab focuses on protection, mid-phase rehab emphasizes controlled restoration of motion and progressive loading, and late rehab targets strength and function for return to activities. Other labels like prevention levels or vague time-based terms don’t map directly to how healing tissue responds and how rehab should be progressionally planned.