Healing Takes Time

One question we frequently answer in the office is “how long will it take?
While we never really know when someone will be fully recovered from an injury or a chronic problem we have enough an idea of the minimum time it will take. That time is dependent on what type of injury was sustained. Also playing a role is what type of tissue was injured. Is it muscle, tendon, ligament, bone or nerve?

Tissues will have different healing times because they are made up of different cells and they have different functions.

Muscle – Its function is movement, stabilize joints and hold us up in good structure (posture).
Tendon – Connects the muscle to the bone. This tissue is very strong and resilient under tension.
Ligament – Connects bone to bone. It holds the skeletal system together.
Bones - They support the body structurally, protect our vital organs, and allow us to move.
Nerves - Are responsible for the control of the body and communication among its parts.

With most injuries there will more than one tissue that is injured. Having multiple tissues to heal will affect the healing time. Let’s looks at a sprained ankle for an example. Spraining an ankle is diagnosed when a ligament is injured. In order for a ligament to be injured a joint must come out of alignment enough to damage the ligament. This could bruise or even break the bone. The delicate nerves that control the ankle and the tissues will no doubt be injured. There could also be an injury to a tendon or a muscle. With the ankle sprain you can injure more than just the ligament.

The chart depicts the minimum amount of time needed for that tissue to be healed. As you can see in the chart there can be different grades or severity of an injury.

You can use any joint as an example to get the idea it takes time. So when we answer how long will it take for someone to “get over” a back injury or any other painful condition we are unable to give them the amount of time, but we can give them the minimum. And when it comes to new or chronic joint issues, all tissues must heal and be properly restored in order for the problem to not come back or cause a problem somewhere else from compensating due to the injury.

Schedule an appointment at Maximum Chiropractic in Eureka today!