Tendon healing time takes much longer than a regular sprain or muscle strain. The tendon is a fibro-elastic building block in the body that binds bone and muscles together. Tendon injuries range from minor to severe, and in many cases, a complete tendon tear requires surgery to repair.
How Long Does Tendon Healing Take?
Tendon tears take so long to heal because the tendon must pass through multiple stages of the healing process. Because they’re strong and fibrous, it takes time for the tendon to grow back.
In addition, they’re built to handle a lot of power and strain, but the recovery process can be very long when they tear or sprain.
When a tendon tears, there is a significant increase in blood flow to the affected area. As a result, the injury becomes inflamed, and patients experience feelings of stiffness and pain. However, many people also report feeling warmth from the affected body part.
If you or someone you know is dealing with a tendon injury, here’s some helpful information about the healing process and what you can do to speed your recovery along.
Use RICE for Tendon Healing
RICE, or rest, ice, compression, and elevation, are critical aspects of basic tendon healing. They’re great for any injury but especially vital for tendon recovery because of how the body responds.
We’ve already mentioned the increased inflammation concerns related to tendon injuries. However, managing symptoms in even severe tendon injuries will lead to faster recovery. Here’s what you should do.
Rest – One of the best things anyone can do after a tendon injury is rest. The initial tendon injury is often a sprain or a partial tear. However, people rest for a bit and then return to playing sports or staying active. Then, they risk a complete tear because they haven’t let their tendon heal fully.
Ice – Icing is essential for controlling swelling and inflammation related to a tendon injury. People should ice their injury in thirty-minute increments immediately after an injury and then use ice to manage swelling and pain thereafter.
Compression – Likewise, compression around the tendon will help it heal faster because it prevents chronic inflammation. Buy a wrap at a pharmacy or grocery store, and keep it on snugly but not too tightly.
Elevation – Keep the tendon and limb elevated to prevent too much blood flow to the area, which can cause inflammation and pain.
Healing Minor Tendon Injuries
Often, people must see an orthopedic surgeon or get an MRI to determine the extent of the tendon injury. Severe tendon injuries usually require surgery to fix. However, minor injuries don’t always require surgery; patients can use time and certain treatments to heal fully.
Healing minor tendon injuries can be challenging because people lack the patience to wait for a full recovery. They’re anxious to get back on the court or start running again.
One major mistake they make is thinking that the absence of pain means that they are good to go. While reduced pain symptoms are a positive sign, it generally takes longer for the tendon’s strength and stability to return after an injury.
When Surgery is Needed?
Surgery is necessary for some instances, particularly for people who want to return to competitive sports. If the tendon is small or doesn’t affect the patient’s quality of life, you can live with a torn tendon that won’t heal.
However, surgical intervention is required to reattach the tendon to the bone or muscle. In surgery, the surgeon opens the area, repairs the tendon, and reattaches it to the body. The recovery for tendon healing after surgery requires weeks or months of physical therapy.
Peptides & Tendon Healing
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that carry out specific biological functions. For example, Trizepatide is a peptide that is a synthetic derivative of the gastric inhibitory polypeptide, or GIP.
In animal models, Trizepatide is associated with substantial weight loss over six-month periods. What’s more, the peptide triggers a dose-dependent weight decrease. Follow our website for more health and fitness post.
