That is the most asked question in my clinic! And that is understandable – we all want to return to good health and function ASAP – but the answer obviously depends on what is wrong in the first place.
Timeframes vary immensely
In orthopaedics, a variety of injuries occur and so healing timeframes vary immensely. Good nutrition, lifestyle, a person’s age, and whether people re-injure or have adaptive stresses, are other matters that contribute to advancing or inhibiting the healing timeframe.
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We all hope for a definitive answer but there are none. For example, if you look at the NHS website answer for sciatic pain (nerve compression originating in the lumbar spine) it says,
It usually gets better in a few weeks to a few months but can last longer.
That is a broad descriptive answer with no definitive timeframe… You can’t blame them, nor anyone, for saying that – that is just a realistic management of any patient’s expectations.
Why are there timeframes for different body tissues?
Muscles have more blood supply than either tendons or ligaments and so blood, containing nutrients and oxygen, is critical for cellular recovery in every body tissue. I’ve developed my combi-treatments to help speed up your as they are tailored to your specific needs. Read more about Combi-treatments.
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Guide to healing timeframes
Here’s a rough idea of healing timeframes for different body tissues.
Muscles
- 1-3 weeks for minor over stretching.
- 4-8 weeks for moderate or partial tears.
- 3-12 months for severe or complete tears requiring surgery.
Read more about: How muscles work…
Tendons
- 1-3 weeks for minor over stretching.
- 4-12 weeks for partials tears.
- 3-12 months for severe or ruptured tendons that require surgery.
Read more about: Tendinitis & tendinosis
Ligaments
- 1-3 weeks for minor over stretching.
- Moderate tears from 3-6 weeks or 8-12 weeks depending on the specific joint affected.
- 3-12 months for severe or ruptured ligaments that require surgery.
Can you see a pattern forming? The answers are the same for minor stretches (1) and severe injuries (3) but are variable in all areas for the moderate tears (2)… and the main reason that that is variable is due to blood supply! Muscles have more blood supply than either tendons or ligaments and so blood, containing nutrients and oxygen, is critical for cellular recovery in every body tissue.
What about structures that are deeper in the body?
Healing of meniscus?
Advancing onwards now to discuss meniscus injuries in our knees… some of the meniscus has a good blood supply and some of it doesn’t. Fraz Hussein, Birmingham Orthopaedic Consultant Knee Surgeon, stated in his online Zoom lecture in 2026 that “once injured, the outer third of the meniscus can recovery due to good blood supply but the rest does not.”
Healing of bones?
Bones are also highly vascularised – we perhaps think of them as hard and dryer structures but they have a lot of blood supply. Inhibited bone blood supply after a fracture will delay healing or even promote non-union (failed healing).
K-Laser can help both meniscus and bone injuries
K-Laser can help both meniscus and bone injuries – helpful post surgery!!! As K-Laser helps all body tissues, wherever, and is proven to speed up repair and lessen the formation of scar tissue… reducing recovery by up to half the expected time.
K-Laser advances angiogenesis which is a biological process in which new capillaries form from pre-existing blood vessels. This is critical for delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissues throughout the body.
Worried about Laser therapy? Consider reading K-Laser: The facts
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Allied Health Professional
As an Allied Health Professional and I will be advising you on what I feel is best but I will also tailor your treatment plan to meet your own preferences and expectations. I will assess your injury or condition and we’ll agree together upon what treatments will be used.
I’m qualified in Osteopathy, Sports Massage, Acupuncture and K-Laser therapy, and have twenty plus years of experience. Clients often gravitate towards my Combi-treatments, which, put simply combine several of my skills to procure the best possible outcome – clients say they get great results from these as they really are tailor-made for you.
Don’t take my word for it though, please read the reviews on my treatment pages!
Call for a chat: 07816 303 742