Active people generally can’t stand being inactive. One of the worst things that can happen to any athlete, from a professional to a hobbyist, is to be sidelined by an injury. There’s real frustration of being sidelined while your sport moves on without you. Add to that the actual physical pain you suffer while you rehab your injury. Depending on the severity of your injury, it can take months and even years to fully recover from a sports injury. Some injuries are so severe you may never completely recover. Instead, you’ll have to adjust your athletic lifestyle to meet your new physical reality. One of the first things most people do when they suffer an injury is to do some research on how long they can expect to be out. Several factors play into rehabilitation time. Here are some general guidelines you can expect when it comes to recovering from a sports injury.

Minor Injuries

It’s hard to cover all minor injuries, but the most common minor sports injuries involve sprains, strained muscles, soreness, and also injuries caused by exhaustion or dehydration. Thankfully, some things can be done to speed up recovery, so you won’t be out of commission for too long. The RICE method involves rest, ice, compress, and elevate, and is a good process to follow to control swelling and allow your muscles, bones, and ligaments to rest and recover faster.  

The key to minor injury recovery is not getting back to exercising too quickly. A lot of athletes try to push the envelope and get back to training as soon as they no longer feel any pain. Even if they can feel pain still, as long as it’s bearable, they’ll get back on the bike or back in the pool. Make sure you make a full recovery before getting back to your normal routine.

Generally, though, you can expect to be out anywhere from a matter of days to a couple of weeks depending on how bad the injury is. Sore and tired muscles can be resolved by adding extra fluids into your body and resting. A severe ankle sprain, however, needs time to heal.

Major Sport Injuries

Sports injuries on the more serious end of the severity spectrum require more intense physical rehabilitation and longer recovery times. You’re lucky if that’s all that’s required. Many significant injuries require surgery to heal. Broken bones, torn ligaments, spinal injuries, and other serious sports injuries can take months and even years to rehab. That also often involves intense therapy sessions and countless visits to the gym and doctor to restore full functionality.

The Path to Recovery

If your injury is minor, the main thing you want to do is rest and control inflammation. Thankfully, there are plenty of online resources that specifically outline how long you can expect for your body to fully recover from things like sprains, strains, fractures, and other minor injuries.

If ever uncertain, contact a medical professional to get help with your recovery. They’ll be able to guide you through to make sure you’re completely back on your feet before getting back into sports or any type of exercise.

Possible Recovery Agents Like Peptides

Several studies indicate that peptides could help heal injuries in shorter periods. The peptide TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4), despite not being studied enough yet in humans or human applications, has shown promising research results in mice and rats. The rodents receiving the peptides experienced faster recovery and promoted cardiovascular health, grew blood vessels faster and facilitated cell growth. These tests done on rats and mice are a good indicator of injury recovery.

Overall Health to Promote Injury Recovery

There are also things you can do to promote overall health. The healthier your body is, the better armed it will be to fight against inflammation and help your body heal faster after an injury. Keep track of things like your diet to prevent unnecessary weight gain as you recover. Make sure you’re getting appropriate levels of vitamins and staying as active as possible. Your injury may keep you off the playing field, but it may not prevent you from taking a walk or doing pushups and other simple exercises at home. As always, consult your physician to make sure any activity you engage in won’t make your injury worse.

Sports injury recovery time varies depending on the type of injury and the sport you’re participating in. Minor injuries are something most athletes have to deal with at some point, and sooner or later we all become experts at treating them. As you experience injuries, you’ll learn more about treatment and what you can do to speed your recovery time. There’s a mix of mental and physical rehabilitation that needs to be done to fully recover from an injury. Sometimes your mind might be ready to go but your body isn’t and vice versa. Do what you need to do to make sure your mind and body are in sync to prevent re-injuring your body and extending your downtime. Before you know you’ll be back out there doing what you love.