When an Injury Is Recovering Do It Bruise Again
Many people are surprised at how long a soft tissue injury (muscle, tendon or ligament) takes to heal and wonder why they're non fully recovered and back to normal two or three weeks later.
Unfortunately, this is normal as the fourth dimension information technology takes for your body to complete tissue healing is really much longer.
And then what actually happens when you sprain your talocrural joint, damage your knee or strain some muscle fibres?
In that location are 4 main stages that your body goes through, although in reality these aren't distinct and they all overlap:
Phase 1: Bleeding
Just like a cut to your skin causes external haemorrhage, a bruise is a sign of haemorrhage from your internal soft tissues. Muscles have a very good blood supply and therefore bleed more than and for a longer time, often producing a large trample. Ligaments don't have a great blood supply so will bleed less.
Information technology's important to rest during this phase to let time for the bleeding to stop (approx. 4-half dozen hours).
Phase ii: Inflammation (swelling)
Inflammation starts within the offset 60 minutes or two after injury, peaks within i-three days but lasts at least a couple of weeks. This stage is when you lot will experience swelling and some heat around your injury.
This is entirely normal and a natural part of your body'due south tissue healing procedure. Information technology needs to occur and there is zilch you lot can do (or should do) to prevent information technology. Follow these handling principles to improve your recovery time – P.O.50.I.C.E:
Protect – don't endeavour to push through hurting and swelling. You can continue with activities as pain allows but residue when you are able, peculiarly in the get-go few days, to allow healing.
Optimal 50oading – keep the injured expanse moving within a comfy range to maintain strength, flexibility and to trigger the adjacent phase of healing.
Ice – this will largely help with pain relief very early on. Try applying an ice pack for upwards to 15 minutes, two-3 times per day
Compression – you can employ gentle compression around your icepack using a towel. Compression bandages, like tubigrip, can be used at other times.
Elevation – keep the injured area supported and lifted while resting and especially when you are using an icepack.
Phase iii: Proliferation
Your torso has to create scar tissue to repair your injury. This process starts at effectually 24-48 hours and it tin proceed for several months, normally stopping at around iv-6 months. So if you're wondering why you still take some symptoms a couple of weeks afterward spraining your ankle or human knee, it's because your body is busily laying down scar tissue.
The key to helping your body recover during this phase is to gradually exercise in a pain free manner that doesn't overload the make new scar but creates a bit of tension within it to build strength and flexibility.
Phase iv: Remodelling stage
Even when yous are past the stages of pain and inflammation, your injury isn't fully recovered. Ligaments, muscles and tendons all take different jobs in your torso and your new scar must be taught bear like the structure it was formed to repair. At around 2-3 weeks your body starts to remodel the new scar to become it as shut as possible to the original tissue. This process can actually go on for up to two years.
Your risk of reinjury is higher during this phase due to loss of strength, flexibility, residual and reaction time, then it'due south actually of import to follow a proper rehab programme. Your programme should also have into account any underlying causative factors to foreclose recurrence.
So what's the take home bulletin?
Firstly, inflammation and swelling is normal afterwards an injury and takes longer to resolve than most people expect. And don't panic if you lot're not 100% dorsum to normal within a few months. If y'all've had a very bad joint sprain, it's possible that you might still feel some very minor issues upwardly to a year down the line and you tin can still make a full recovery.
There are things y'all can do each phase to speed up healing, help your body create a better repair and forestall recurrence.
A physiotherapist will be able to advise yous on the right treatment and exercises to acquit out at the correct time. We'll besides be able to become you back on rails if things are taking a bit longer than expected.
Arrive impact if you lot have any questions,
The Physiofit Team!
Source: https://www.physiofitcambridge.co.uk/advice/how-long-does-it-take-to-recover-from-a-soft-tissue-injury/
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