How Long Will My Injury Take To Heal?

As you can imagine, the answer to this question is not a simple one. There are some key indicators however, that can help when determining how long your injury may take to heal.

As Physiotherapists, our job is to correctly diagnose and treat your injuries and there are many factors that will influence how quickly you recover.

These factors include the type of injury, such as a traumatic injury - breaks, sprains and tares vs repetitive motion or overuse injuries like tendonitis and bursitis.

Other variables likely to influence your recovery speed include:

• If you have had a previous injury
• Your age
• Your diet
• How closely you adhere to your Physiotherapist’s advice

Seek treatment early

One of the most important factors in the speed of your recovery is when you seek treatment.

The earlier you seek treatment and the more you stick to your treatment plan, the better your outcome. The reason for this lays with the stages of healing within your body.

Stages of healing within the human body

When you suffer an injury, your body goes through specific healing phases and if you seek treatment too late or attend too infrequently, your body will stop the healing process before you have completely healed.

It is important to note that the absence of pain DOES NOT necessarily mean your injury has completely healed and pushing your body before it’s ready can lead to unnecessary re-injuring and an extended recovery period.

The 4 stages of healing are outlined below and your Back In Motion Physiotherapist will always construct your injury treatment plan with these stages in mind.

STAGE 1: THE INFLAMMATORY PHASE

Stage one occurs from time of injury to 72 hours after your injury occurred.

The inflammatory phase is characterized by pain, swelling, redness and heat around the injured area.

In this stage, your Physiotherapist will recommend:

• Protection
• Rest
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevation
• Manual therapy

STAGE 2: THE REPAIR PHASE

Stage two is from 48 hours to 6 weeks after you suffered your injury.

At this stage your injured structures slowly rebuild. Scar tissue gets ‘laid down’ quickly but isn’t as strong as the original structure and require more time and treatment to strengthen.

During this stage your Physiotherapist will:

Perform hands-on treatment to reduce pain and restore normal movement
Prescribe a home exercise program to ease pain
Identify and modify activities that may otherwise aggravate your injury

STAGE 3: THE REMODELLING PHASE

Stage three occurs from 6 weeks to 3-6 months after injury.

Collagen is a key component of wound healing and forms the building blocks of your tissue. During this stage, collagen structures become stronger and more organised which is vital to regain maximum strength and to prevent re-injury from occurring.

Physiotherapy management for this stage includes:

• Maintenance manual therapy sessions
• Exercise rehabilitation such as Clinical Exercise, Personal Training and gym-based rehabilitation

It is important to note that a lack of strength and stability within a damaged structure is the #1 risk of re-injury.

STAGE 4: THE MATURATION PHASE

Stage four of your recovery occurs from 3-6 months to 12 months after your injury occurred.

It is in this stage that you restore of strength and durability to maximize functionality and limit your risk of re-injury. 

Physiotherapy management includes:

• Global stretching and strengthening program

Don’t rush your recovery

As tempting as it is to try and speed up your recovery or to act “tough” and “push through” any pain, trying to fast track your recovery by shortening or skipping treatment will only result in further damage, prolonged healing and likely re-injury.

Although you may be frustrated that you can’t participate in your usual weekend sports, exercise, gym or other activities, it is imperative that you seek the correct treatment plan and adhere to following in it’s entirety to recover correctly.
 

Justin Mistry - Physiotherapist and Director, Back In Motion Bundall