The subacute phase of soft tissue healing typically begins within 72 hours of a soft tissue injury, although its major activity, tissue repair, begins immediately.  During this time, the body is regenerating collagen and cells and making and organizing scar tissue.

Nutrtional/herbal support for this phase of healing aims to support formation of new connective tissue, reduce excessive scar tissue formation, minimize pain, restore or maintain full motion (which helps minimize pain and promote functional scar tissue formation), and prevent degeneration and stiffness.

One of the key nutrients for this phase of healing is, believe it or not, vitamin C.  We tend to think of vitamin C as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune support (which it is), but forget that it is a critical co-factor for the creation of collagen.  If you take vitamin C routinely, you should increase your dose following a soft tissue injury (including surgery).  It is reasonable to increase your dose until you begin to have loose stools, then cut back by 10-15%. 

Manganese, copper and zinc are helpful for preventing oxidative damage during tissue repair.  Multi-vitamins may not contain enough of these nutrients to meet the extra demands of repairing injured soft tissues, so many formulas directed at this end include small additional amounts of these elements.  Anti-oxidant formulas also typically contain these ingredients.

Providing extra glycine, proline and lysine (amino acids which are prevalent in collagen) can also be helpful. Glycine can be made from other amino acids, so direct dietary intake is not essential, but it is abundant in high protein foods such as beans, fish, meat, and dairy products. Lysine is familiar to many herpes sufferers because it seems to help prevent or minimize outbreaks; good dietary sources include lima beans, potatoes, eggs, cheese, milk, meat, and brewer's yeast.  Proline is found mainly in animal meats.  Amino acid supplements are also readily available.

The research on the efficacy of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate is very mixed, but many holistic providers believe there is enough evidence to suggest benefit that it is worth supplementing with these during soft tissue healing.