how long does it take your body to heal?

Written By Sarah Livingston

You took a spill skiing. Or slipped on ice taking the trash out. Or sprained your ankle walking down the stairs (yep, it happens to athletes too).

Now you’re wondering:

“How long is this going to take to heal?”
 “Is there anything I can do to speed things up?”

Let’s break this down — what actually happens inside the body when tissue gets injured, and what you can do to help it heal faster.

First, your body is incredible. Every type of connective tissue — muscle, tendon, ligament, bone, cartilage — follows the same healing phases after injury:

1. Inflammatory Phase (0–7 days)

Swelling = normal.
Your body sends inflammatory cells to the area to protect and start the cleanup process.
Sleep, hydration, and calm movement (as tolerated) help.

2. Proliferation Phase (1–6 weeks)

Fibroblasts arrive → think of these as construction workers.
New collagen and new blood vessels start forming.

Early movement (the right dosage) helps collagen lay down in the right direction, improving strength and mobility.

3. Remodeling Phase (6 weeks – 12+ months)

Collagen reorganizes.
Strength and tendon capacity come from progressive loading — NOT rest.

How Long Do Different Tissues Take to Heal?

Healing is not linear, and pain ≠ tissue damage.

But here are general healing timelines:

Tissue healing duration

Muscle: 2–8 weeks

  • Awesome blood supply → heals fastest

  • Strength comes back quickly with loading

Bone: 6–12 weeks

  • Blood supply is good

  • Immobilization is often part of early healing

Tendon (strains + tendinopathy): 12–16+ weeks

  • It can take as long as 6–9 months for chronic tendon issues

  • Very limited blood supply.

  • Requires progressive loading for true healing.

  • Rest alone makes tendons WEAKER

Ligament: 8–12+ weeks (full tears vary)

  • ACL reconstruction = 9–12 months

  • Healing depends on the amount of tear + stability required

Cartilage / Meniscus / Labrum: 12 weeks – 6+ months

  • Minimal blood supply = slower

  • Sometimes requires surgery

Nerve: 1 mm/day (~1 inch/month)

  • The sloth of healing

  • Sensation may not fully return

Disc Herniations

  • 6–12 Weeks for Symptom Relief

  • 3–6+ Months for Full Healing

We can’t leave out disc herniations because they are one of the most common injuries we see — especially in skiers, lifters, cyclists, and anyone who sits for long periods. The good news? Most people improve much faster than they think and disc herniations DO heal—a common misconception!

A disc herniation follows the same healing phases as other tissues, but the timeline looks a little different:

What to expect:

  • Most people experience significant symptom improvement within 6–12 weeks.
    Pain, tingling, and mobility often get better as inflammation settles and the irritated nerve calms down.

  • Full structural healing can take 3–6+ months.
    The disc material gradually “resorbs” — meaning the body breaks it down and reabsorbs it over time.

  • Larger herniations or those with strong nerve involvement may take longer.
    Some take several months before imaging shows substantial change.

Why this matters:

Symptom improvement happens faster than tissue healing, which is why someone may feel better lifting by week 4–6 even though full resorption is still underway. This is completely normal and also why gradual exposure to prior activities/sports and loading is important to avoid re-injury. No one wants to make this healing process take longer than it has to!

And just like tendons and ligaments…

Movement > Rest

In fact, extended rest usually makes things worse.

Early, comfortable movement (we say “comfortable” with a grain of salt—it’s not usually comfortable!), gradual loading, walking, and building deep abdominal/back strength all help reduce pain and accelerate healing.

“So what can I do to heal faster?”

Short answer: Control what you can control.

Sleep (your superpower)

Your body heals during deep sleep which typically happens during the first sleep phases of the night.
Prioritize it. Protect it. Guard it like gold.

Nutrition (fuel > restriction)

  • Protein → tissue repair + collagen formation

  • Vitamin C → collagen synthesis

  • Omega-3s (EPA + DHA) → decreases systemic inflammation

If you’re increasing protein, aim for: > 1.0 g per kg of body weight / day
(especially during injury when tissue demand is higher)

Medications

  • NSAIDs (Ibuprofen / Naproxen)
     Short-term use can help with pain, but long-term use can delay tissue healing.
     Your body needs some inflammation — it’s part of the healing process.

  • Steroids
     Reduce inflammation, but may slow collagen remodeling.
     Follow your MD instructions and avoid unnecessary repeated steroid injections.

Things that slow healing

  • Smoking or vaping (reduces blood flow)

  • Alcohol (disrupts inflammation response and sleep)

  • Resting too long (“rest is best” is outdated — motion is lotion)

The Real Takeaway:

Your body heals. Your job is to create the best environment for it to do what it’s designed to do.

Sleep well.
Eat enough protein.
Progressively load the injured tissue.

And if you’re not sure where to start?
That’s exactly what we help people with every day.

Schedule an evaluation and get a customized plan:

SCHEDULE

REFERENCES / FURTHER READING:

Sarah Livingston
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