A quick guide for understanding your recovery 

It’s a real pain sustaining an injury a few weeks before an event or an injury that slows you down at work or even worse, forces you to take time off.

Everyone is different and there are a lot of factors that can influence your recovery including;

  • sleep
  • diet
  • age
  • stress level
  • lifestyle
  • cardiovascular health
  • severity of the injury

Understanding general guidelines on tissue healing time can help you as a starting point in setting up your recovery time frame. 

So what is the general rule of thumb regarding tissue healing time?

First things first you have to understand your injury, usually we categorize the injury by specialty and grade (3 grades)  e.g. Biceps femoral tear grade 1 – in english that translates into small hamstring tear. It is also very important for the patient to understand the difference between acute, sub acute and chronic – how long ago did you sustain that injury? That factor will change the tissue healing time dramatically.  

For most patients treated by myotherapy a reduction in pain can be achieved relatively quickly. But because he doesn’t hurt anymore doesn’t mean that it is healed!

There will be risk of reinjury until complete tissue remodelling. This can take weeks to months depending on the severity of the injury and different factors. Unfortunately, we cannot change human biology and speed up tissue healing time. Physical therapists can play an important role in the rehab process by providing treatment and guidance through the following steps to recovery: 

  •     Determine your condition and prognosis
  •     Find the root cause of the problem
  •     Develop a plan of attack (management plan) with you
  •     Reduce symptoms, restore range of motion and strength
  •     Monitor progress

 Average tissue healing time:

 GRADE 1GRADE 2GRADE 3GRAFT (E.G ACL)
MUSCLE STRAIN2-8 wks2-4 MONTHS9-12 MONTHS 
LIGAMENT INJURY2-8 wks2-6 MONTHS6-12 MONTHS12+ MONTHS
ACUTESUB-ACUTECHRONICTEAR or RUPTURE
TENDON INJURY2-6 wks2-4 months3-9 months4-12 months
Bone/ fractureArticular cartilageMeniscus/Labrum
6-12 wks9-24 months3-12 months