When we are talking about injuries there are 2 types; hard and soft tissue. Hard tissue consists of things like bones and soft tissue consists of muscle, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, etc. These soft tissue types of injuries are by far the most common in the athletic world. the Healing time frame for these injuries ranges for 6-8 weeks and can vary depending on many different factors.

Today i’m going to list the top 5 reasons why your soft tissue injury is not healing as fast as it could be.

1. You’re not sleeping enough

Sleep is crucial for physical and mental recovery. It’s during sleep that our body repairs itself, grows, and processes everything we learned and practiced that day. Adequate sleep allows this recovery process to occur. If you don’t get a full night’s rest, then your body does not have the time to recover.

At least 25% of American youths get less than the recommended amount of sleep for their age. Here are the guidelines for recommended hours of sleep...
Ages 6-13 need 9-11 hours of sleep
Ages 14-17 need 8-10 hours of sleepAges 18+ need 7-9 hours of sleep

The better you sleep, the better you heal.

2. You’ve been told to “Just Rest”

Even if one part of your body is injured, the other 95% of your body is still healthy and capable of training. Shutting down completely when injured is the biggest mistake an athlete can make. The healthy parts of your body will get de-conditioned, weak, and tight.

The goal for any injured athlete should be to return to your sport better than you were before getting injured. This can be achieved by working with a Sports Specialist who can teach you how to safely train your body and refine your technique...even when you have an injury!

3. You don’t realize there is even a problem

Many athletes are tough...sometimes too tough.
If you’re serious and passionate about your sport, sometimes it’s hard to slow down and recognize that something is not right with your body. The easier thing to do is to hope that ache or pain will away if ignored. Unfortunately, ignoring early warning signs can keep you out of your sport for a significant time later down the road.

Pain is like your body’s check engine light. Sometimes it goes off because there is a major problem, and other times it activates for silly reasons (just like your car...) The problem is, you don’t know how serious this issue is if you “keep playing through it”. The problem with sports injuries is a lot of them do not heal on their own, and the longer you wait to deal with it, the more difficult it is to get rid of it. Playing through the pain can cause your body to compensate and overuse other parts of your body. This puts you at an increased risk for suffering from another injury in a different part of your body.

The first step, reaching out to a sports specialist, is sometimes the hardest step.

4. Too much, Too soon, Too Fast

When you increase activity, be it walking, running, swimming or some other favorite sport, unique stresses are placed on your muscles, bones and heart. Progressing too quickly to a level of exertion in which your body is not accustomed puts you at risk for muscle strains or tendonitis, bursitis, stress reactions or fracture.

You can prevent an overuse injury from doing too much, too fast, too soon. Increase your distance, time or intensity by no more than 10 percent in one week. Combine this guideline with periods of recovery, mild to moderate workouts and a few intensive sessions to safely progress in activity. This slow and steady approach may help you reach your fitness goals in stride and avoid a setback.

5. Poor Nutrition and water intake

Poor nutritional habits and being dehydrated can impact athletic performance and iis one of the biggest mistakes that could be contributing to your problem. Poor nutrition and dehydration impacts tissue repair and can also cause muscle aches, pains, fatigue, and dizziness.

Try to drink water throughout the day. Avoid excess caffeine, including coffee, tea, alcohol, and energy drinks as these will dehydrate your body even more.

I wont sit hear and suggest one diet or another because I honestly believe each person needs something different. if you can simply avoid excessive amounts of fast food or processed foods and make Sure youre eating enough calories to fuel your body for your particular sport, you WILL recover better. Period.

BONUS TIP: Go see your physical therapist!

Once you realize there is a likely injury and are in need of help, you need to take action immediately and see a Sports Specialist, like our physical therapists. The last thing you want to do is waste your time with ineffective treatments that delay you from getting back to 100%.

When recovery from sports injuries, the worst thing you can do is “wait and see”. I’ve seen countless athletes try this approach and they end up having to spend more time in physical therapy to fully recovery than they would have if they had come right after the injury occurred.

It saddens me to see an athlete miss months of their sport when it could have only been weeks if they had sought physical therapy earlier.

And in case, you weren’t aware, you don’t even need a prescription from your physician to get started on your physical therapy! Click below to schedule your consultation with us today!