Why Time Off From Injury Isn't ALWAYS the Answer

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September 30, 2025•3 min read

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Why Time Off From Injury Isn't ALWAYS the Answer

How does the healing process work?

The process following an injury follows 3 stages

Inflammatory phase: This acute phase brings in extra blood flow to provide nutrients and all the parts of the scaffolding that will start to repair the tissue while also removing waste and damaged tissue. This lasts 1-7 days.
Repair phase: The parts of the repair process delivered during the acute inflammatory phase begin to start to lay a scaffold to connect and repair tissue. This process lasts 4 days to 6 weeks.
Remodel phase: This is a long term ongoing process from the subacute phase until tissue is healed. The scaffolding begins to relayer and organize to provide integrity and full healing. Starts around 3 weeks and can last several months

As you can see healing is complex and dynamic with moving parts and stages that overlap. Depending on the tissue damaged and the severity these timelines can vary from days to months.

When and how to train through an injury

We use the word injury in a very broad spectrum. Sometimes tissues in our bodies are just overwhelmed and irritated and just need to be corrected before they become more long term problems.

Example 1: ankle sprain that is grade 1-2 can have swelling, some pain and mild difficulty walking or running for a week or two, while a higher grade can take 6-8 weeks. A low grade ankle sprain can and should still be loaded. Key things to address are ankle stability and balance, hip and core strength, and non weight bearing cardio until weight bearing becomes better.

Example 2: Hamstring strains again are graded based on severity. A low grade HS will be uncomfortable with stretching and heavy loading and will longer stride gait patterns like running. Progressive loading with strength, doing isometrics and progressing to concentric and eccentric loading will stimulate healing and speed up the process.

Example 3: Stress fractures are more frustrating because they can take you out of sport for several weeks or months based on location and severity. In this case loading the tissue around the fracture is limited, but that does not mean we can't do cardio and strengthen in other ways. Water jogging or swimming, weight training with some modifications and cycling are all almost always allowed and encouraged.

When time off is the answer

Sike, it almost never is. There is always something you can be doing to help the body heal better. Even post-operatively what do we do, we start the rehabilitation process. Our bodies like stimulus and loading appropriately is the best way to get back to sport and life quicker and more effectively

How Physical Therapy helps

Provide education and guidance on what is wrong, how to address it, and how to prevent it in the future
Start the rehab processearlyand reduce healing timelines by weeks to months in some cases
Provide a safe environment to load the body in the more direct and effective ways.
Work on all the things that need to be addressed tomake sure it doesn't happen again!

Ready to book an evaluation? Click the link below to book a call with one of our PT's today ⬇️

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Also, If you are dealing with an injury and need help or would like to optimize your performance and recovery with some professional help, book a phone consultation below!

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