Exercise and wound healing

Got an "ow-e" and want it to heal faster?

No matter if you have a cut from a kitchen knife or a surgeons scalpel, the sooner a wound heals is quite often better. But as we advance in years our ability to heal slows...way...down. Not long ago researchers at Ohio State University identified a quite impressive assistant to wound healing, and it's exercise.

The study, led by Charles F. Emery, PhD, professor of psychology (why a psychologist is studying wound healing baffles me, but...) at Ohio State University in Columbus, included 28 healthy adults, average age 61, who had not exercised for at least six months prior to the study and who envisioned themselves as not being layden with stress.

Half of the group started an exercise program of 75 minutes of warm up, cool down, aerobic exercise and strength training, 3 x weekly. The other group laid around a lot and performed a bunch of nothing.

A month later, all of the participants received a tiny puncture wound in their upper arm that was then monitored for its rate of healing. The study also measured the participants' levels of the stress hormone cortisol, both before and after a stress test, conducted prior to the study and again at the study's completion.

May I have the results envelope, please?

The group who exercised healed faster; in 29 days versus 39 for the nonexercisers. The Dr.'s weren't surprised to see this because exercise is known to increase nutrients to and waste material from the site of a wound.

However...the second finding (which was about the changes in cortisol levels) was a completelu different finding.

You see, exercise usually causes a rapid, if not immediate, rise in cortisol levels. But the weird thing was that after the initial stress test, neither groups' cortisol levels rose. The only explanation was that age slows the body's ability to regulate cortisol. This kind of "bodily dis-association" could definitely explain why wound healing slows as we age because cortisol plays a role in increasing the efficiency of our bodies immune system.

After the post-study stress test, cortisol levels did increase in the exercise group. Dr. Emery stated that this discovery lead him an understanding that exercise enhances cortisol regulation and that it seems to combat the natural decline of regulation that often comes with age. Oh yeah, and the study demonstrated that exercise enhances wound healing.

Although the exercise group engaged in a vigorous routine, Dr. Emery said that, more than likely, doing less... more often should be equally as beneficial for healing. He also advised the standard recommendation of 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.

The bottom line: Taking a 10-mile hike will not repair the damage to from the cut on your leg by suppertime, but I think you can see that regular exercise can have a positive impact when it comes to healing faster.

Just a little help from your Uncle Steve.

SP