By Dylan Glass PT, DPT, SMTC
Return 2 Sport PT & Performance
When you’re constantly active and pushing your limits, pain can sometimes feel like just another part of the process. However, distinguishing between minor aches and serious injuries is crucial to maintaining your health, performance, and longevity in your sport. Understanding the right time to seek professional help can prevent long-term damage and ensure you stay on top of your game.
Understanding Tissue Healing Timeframes
The healing process is complex and varies depending on the type and severity of the injury. Initially, the body enters an inflammatory phase which can last several days and is characterized by symptoms like pain and swelling. Following this, the proliferative phase sees the damaged tissues begin to repair themselves, a process that can last from a few weeks to two months. The final phase, remodeling, involves the strengthening of these tissues and can extend several months to over a year.
Consequences of Healing in a Damaged State
What happens during the healing process is more important than the injury itself. This is the time that your body creates structural changes with a goal of fixing itself. If we have the wrong kind of adaptations through these phases, the outcome will not be optimal.
For example, if you fell and injured your knee and then avoided using it and didn’t move it, utilizing the rest, ice, compression, and elevation method but never restored mobility and strength, the outcome would be a stiff knee. In other words, a snowball effect of more problems.
Improper healing can increase the risk of future injuries and may lead to chronic pain — a persistent pain that continues beyond the normal healing time. Chronic pain can severely limit performance and quality of life, making early and effective treatment essential.
Biomechanical Changes Due to Injury
Injuries often cause biomechanical changes as the body adapts to avoid pain. These adaptations can alter movement patterns and place unusual stresses on other parts of the body. For instance, limping to avoid foot pain can lead to hip and back problems. Over time, these compensations can become ingrained, leading to further injuries and chronic issues that are more difficult to resolve.
The Impact on Training and Goals
When injured, your training inevitably suffers. An unresolved injury can hinder your ability to train effectively, stalling progress toward your fitness or performance goals. Persistent issues may mean you’re unable to increase training intensity or volume, leading to plateaus or declines in performance. Moreover, ineffective training while injured often leads to frustration and decreased motivation, which can impact mental health and may even cause you to quit the sport you love to do.
Professional Help at Return 2 Sport PT & Performance
At Return 2 Sport PT & Performance, we understand the critical nature of addressing injuries promptly and effectively. We specialize in finding the root cause and solving sports-related injuries, ensuring that every athlete receives personalized care to avoid the common pitfalls. Our mission is to keep you, THE ATHLETE, doing what you love, by improving movement quality, resolving pain and dysfunction, and providing you with the knowledge and understanding of how to take care of yourself and remain pain free long term.
Call to Action
Don’t wait until pain and movement limitations become a permanent fixture in your life. If you’re dealing with an injury that’s not improving, or if you’re noticing changes in your ability to perform, it’s time to get some help from our Sport PT and running specialist at Return 2 Sport PT & Performance. Visit our website or call us at (256) 513-9525 to schedule a phone consultation today.
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