How long will it take for my injury to heal?

A question I am asked a lot, and quite rightly so. Any injury, be it back pain or knee pain, we need to be back on our feet as soon as possible, and knowing time-frames allows us to rationalise the road to recovery.

Injury healing times are dependent on many factors, such as the tissue-type affected, the severity, the length of time it has been damaged, and what the predisposing and maintaining factors are. In the treatment setting all these factors need to be discussed and addressed so the most appropriate action plan can be implemented.

A factor that many do not like to accept, is time. Your body needs TIME to regenerate and repair the damaged tissue. You can stretch, foam roll, mobilise, massage, and ice pack to help your injury, but time is a significant factor we all need to accept and build in to a treatment plan. Below is a an average regeneration and repair time for different tissue injuries. There is often a wide range in time periods as it is dependent on the severity and chronicity of the injury.

Bone: 6-12 weeks

Tendon: Months or even years

Muscle: 2 weeks to more than 3 months

Ligament: 6 weeks up to 12 months

Articular cartilage: 6-12 months

Patience is a key factor in recovery, and if we start loading too early then re-injury can occur. This will set you back and prolong your frustrations. Get it right first time, then you'll be back doing what you love in no time.

Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional to help diagnose your injury, and guide you through recovery.