Physical therapy can be a lengthy process, but it is definitely worth the time spent. Physical therapy can relieve pain, improve range of motion, and accelerate recovery from injury or surgery. Whether you’re just starting your physical therapy journey or you’ve been at it a while, you may be wondering, “How long does physical therapy take?” 

In some cases a full recovery may not be possible. You may never reach the same level of ability that you had before the injury. But the goal of physical therapy is to help you achieve the maximum ability possible. 

Factors that Affect Treatment Time Length 

• The extent of the injury: A major injury will typically require a longer time in physical therapy than a minor injury. 
• The part of the body that is affected: Some areas of the body are able to heal faster than others, For example, muscles tend to heal more quickly than tendons or ligaments. 
• The level of effort the patient exerts: Your physical therapist will help you through your exercises and teach you what to do, but you must do the work. The harder you try and the more effort you put forth, the faster your recovery time will be. But don’t over do it. If you try to do too much before you are ready, you could do more harm than good. 
• The healing rate of the patient: Everyone heals at different rates. There is no mathematical equation for the healing of the body. Your amount of time in physical therapy may be different than someone else’s, even if you have similar injuries. 

Average Healing Times for Various Tissue Types

As stated above, the length of healing time is partly determined by the body part affected. Different tissue types will heal at different rates. Here’s a breakdown of the average healing times for different tissues:

• Muscle: 2-4 weeks
• Tendon: 4-6 weeks
• Bone: 6-8 weeks
• Ligaments: 10-12 weeks
• Cartilage: up to 12 weeks

Feeling Impatient About Your Progress in Physical Therapy?

Are you still wondering, how long does physical therapy take to work? If you don’t feel that you are making adequate progress in physical therapy, you may need to try a different physical therapist. Not all physical therapists use the same methods. Some use different tactics and equipment to help you get your desired results. 

SOS Physio uses state of the art equipment, we look forward to helping you make faster progress toward your physical therapy goals.