The healing processes include blood clotting, tissue mending, scarring, and bone healing. Authentic perception of the experience of illness in the particular person is the essential basis. The blood vessels in the neighborhood of the injury dilate to provide an increased blood supply. At the same time the pores in the thin walls of the capillaries also widen, letting more plasma than usual flow through to the injured tissues.
Inflammation causes pain, which impairs the function of the injured part.
If the skin is broken and there is bleeding, this mechanism goes into operation at the site of the injury. Twelve essential clotting substances, or factors, are recognized. Not until tissue is damaged, and the fourth substance is liberated, is the blood clotting, or coagulating, mechanism put to work. In the blood there are fragments of protoplasm known as platelets. Even though no more than a few drops of blood may flow from a cut, platelets by the tens of thousands come in contact with the rough edge of injured tissue, and they disintegrate.