I can’t find the citation right now, but as I recall, a lot of connective tissue has very little blood flow. Inflammation increases blood flow, which can help with healing.
Achilles tendinosis is a good example of this. The achilles tendon replaces cells at a very slow rate. If there is chronic damage, it can take decades to heal on its own. But if you intentionally damage the area with eccentric heel drops, it can heal fairly quickly.