Understanding the Healing Process: What to Expect After Injury
Injuries are frustrating for many reasons, but especially when recovery doesn’t go as quickly—or smoothly—as we hoped. But the truth is, our bodies are hardwired to heal. Even if recovery feels slow, there’s a natural process your body follows to repair tissue and restore function. Understanding this process—and how to support it—can make the experience a little bit more manageable.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through the three stages of healing that our body generally goes through. Keep in mind, these are general and not all bodies or tissues heal at the same rate!
Why Healing Takes Time
The body is incredibly capable. Each stage of healing plays a specific role in recovery. Pain, swelling, and stiffness aren’t just obstacles—they’re signals. These symptoms often tell us what our body can and can’t tolerate at any given point.
That said, healing timelines can vary. Factors like age, overall health, stress levels, sleep, and nutrition all influence how fast (or slow) someone recovers. For example, individuals with diabetes may experience slower tissue repair, and poor sleep can significantly delay recovery because much of our healing happens during rest.
Different tissues in the body also have different healing potentials and timelines. For example, bone has lots of blood supply and typically heals really well and strong when managed properly. On the other hand, ligaments and cartilage have lower blood supply and although have potential for healing it typically isn’t as complete as bone.
It’s common for people to feel frustrated about their injury healing. Recovery rarely goes in a straight line—it might feel like one step forward, two steps back. And many people compare their progress to others, or to how quickly they’ve recovered from past injuries. Having a general understanding of the general stages of healing can help ease some of those frustrations and set realistic expectations.
The Three Stages of Healing
1. Inflammatory Phase (~0–7 Days)
This is the body’s immediate response to injury. You might notice swelling, warmth, bruising, and pain that’s easily triggered. Tissue irritability is high—meaning even small movements can provoke symptoms.
During this stage, protection and supporting the early healing is important. You might need crutches or a sling to offload the area. While we used to recommend ice and anti-inflammatories during this time, new research suggests these may delay healing by interfering with the body’s natural inflammatory response. After the first 24–48 hours, it’s often better to use ice sparingly, if at all. Check out this link to learn more.
Instead, focus on:
Gentle movement: Early, pain-free motion helps with circulation.
Pain management: Protection/Rest, compression, and elevation can help reduce discomfort..
Optimal loading: Begin gradual weight-bearing or protected movement as tolerated to support circulation.
2. Proliferative Phase (1–6 Weeks)
Tissue repair begins during this phase as a type of collagen is laid down to “patch up” the injured site. You may notice less swelling and a gradual return of movement. Pain becomes more predictable, and your body starts to tolerate more activity.
This is when we:
Progress exercise: Isometric contractions (muscle activation without movement) are a good starting point—for example, quad sets for a knee injury.
Restore range of motion: Gentle stretching and mobility work help prevent stiffness.
Introduce light loading: Begin rebuilding strength and tolerance in the injured area.
One helpful tool here is to implement the 24-hour pain rule to guide how much activity is helpful vs. harmful. Activity that is well tolerated will typically follow this pattern in a 24 hour period:
Pain doesn’t increase more than 2/10 during activity.
Any increased pain resolves within 2 hours afterward.
Pain doesn’t disrupt sleep or linger the next day.
If any of these are off, it may be a sign to scale back.
3. Remodeling Phase (6+ Weeks)
This final phase can last for months depending on the injury. Collagen is still reorganizing and strengthening, so tissues continue to adapt and respond to load. You might feel “almost normal,” but that doesn’t mean you’re fully healed.
At this stage:
Higher-level movements return (jumping, sport drills, resistance training).
Pain and swelling should be minimal or absent.
Rehab isn’t just about being pain-free—it’s about returning to full function and preventing re-injury.
Many people stop rehab too soon in this phase. But to build full tolerance and reduce the risk of re-injury, it’s important to complete your rehab plan—even after you start to feel better.
Tips for Supporting Recovery in Any Stage
Listen to your body: Respect pain signals. Gradual exposure is more effective than “all or nothing.”
Track your pain: Use the 24-hour pain rule to guide your activity level.
Prioritize sleep: Most healing happens while we sleep. It’s essential, not optional.
Fuel your body well: Good nutrition provides the raw materials your tissues need to rebuild.
Manage stress: Stress can make us less tolerant to pain and can affect how well we heal. Practices like mindfulness and positive self-talk can make a difference!
Get early guidance: Seeing a physiotherapist early on can help manage the injury effectively and reduce the risk of complications.
Final Thoughts
Healing takes time—and it’s rarely linear. But your body is capable of amazing recovery when it’s supported well. Even if tissue healing isn’t perfect, our goal with physiotherapy is to help you return to meaningful function.
If you’ve recently had an injury, don’t wait it out. A physiotherapist can guide your recovery from day one, helping you navigate setbacks, ease fears, and guide you with exercise and other assistive treatments on the path to recovery!
