Orthopedic Injury and Surgery Recovery Time

After an injury, the first thing on most patients' minds is recovery, especially if your injury has been taking you away from your favorite activities and sports. Our goal at OrthoCarolina is to help you return to, or even surpass, the level of performance and functionality you had before your injury, and proper recovery management is essential. Whether you’re dealing with an injury or looking at some post-surgery downtime, you can trust in OrthoCarolina's track record of successful recovery rates, led by our highly skilled clinicians.

Recovery After an Acute Injury

Acute orthopedic injuries are injuries to your musculoskeletal system that occur from an isolated incident. Acute injuries are common in sports and activities that require repetitive twisting and jumping, such as basketball. Due to the cause of these injuries, athletes and highly active people are the most likely population to require recovery from an acute injury at some point in their career. Some of the common acute orthopedic injuries that we help patient recover from include:

• Sprains
• Strains
• Dislocations
• Fractures
• Impingements

OrthoCarolina is home to award-winning, high-caliber orthopedic clinicians that can properly evaluate, diagnose, and treat acute orthopedic injuries. The treatment plan decided by OrthoCarolina’s orthopedic specialists will inform your recovery and length of downtime required.

Recovery for severe acute injuries

Non-operative treatment options will be considered by your orthopedic provider, but in the case of severe acute injuries, surgery might be necessary for full recovery from an injury. If this is the case, you can rest assured that you’re in good hands with OrthoCarolina’s award-winning, specialist orthopedic surgeons.

Recovery for minor acute injuries

For less severe acute injuries that don’t require surgery, some of the following treatments for speeding up recovery may include:

• RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)
• Working with an occupational or physical therapist 
• Medication such as oral anti-inflammatories
• Steroids or cortisone injections
• Bracing or casts
• Regenerative medicine

Regardless of your treatment plan, rest and downtime will likely be an essential piece of successful recovery. At OrthoCarolina, our specialists work with athletes on a professional level, and understand the importance of getting back on the field or court, so you can trust your orthopedic care team will take your lifestyle into account while providing treatment and guidance for recovery.

Recovery from Overuse Injuries

Overuse injuries are microtraumas that are caused by repetitive use of a body part over a long period of time. Some common overuse injuries help patients recover from or manage include: 

• Runner’s knee
• Achilles tendonitis
• Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS)
• Shin Splints
• Plantar Fasciitis 
• Muscle Strains
• Brachial plexus or “burner” neck/shoulder
• Radial nerve injury
• Carpal tunnel syndrome

Recovery for overuse injuries will vary depending on the severity, type of overuse injury, and treatment plan decided by your orthopedic care team. Management is a big part of treating overuse injuries, which focuses on lifestyle changes and non-surgical methods to reduce your symptoms. The orthopedic surgeons and specialists at OrthoCarolina will work closely with you to assess the best treatment options for your recovery, and will prioritize minimally invasive treatments for recovery if possible.

Some non-surgical treatments commonly used to help manage or recover from overuse injuries include: 

• Lifestyle changes to reduce symptoms, and improve or restore mobility
• RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)
• Working with an occupational or physical therapist 
• Medication such as oral anti-inflammatories
• Steroids or cortisone injections
• Bracing or casts
• Regenerative medicine 

If your clinician does decide that surgery is the best treatment in your case, you’ll be in the hands of highly-specialized orthopedic surgeons at OrthoCarolina, who will guide you through every step of your surgery, including post-surgery recovery. 

Recovery after Orthopedic Surgery

OrthoCarolina is home to best-in-class orthopedic surgeons and specialists, and specializes in innovative and award-winning orthopedic care. If orthopedic surgery is the best treatment option for your situation, you’ll be in the hands of some of the top orthopedic surgeons in the Carolinas. 

As with any surgery, recovery time will be required before returning to your regular activities, especially high-impact activities such as sports. At OrthoCarolina, you’ll have access to specialists that can guide you recovery, such as physical therapists (PTs), and ongoing care and check-up appointments to ensure the success of your full recovery.

Recovery for Injuries and Surgery in Athletes

The Sports Medicine Center at OrthoCarolina is home to orthopedic surgeons that serve as team physicians for professional sports organizations and collegiate-level athletic programs. Suffice it to say, athletes trust our team at OrthoCarolina, and we know the importance of full recovery for athletes. 

As with all of our patients, the specialists at our Sports Medicine Center, and all of our clinic locations, consider non-operative treatments for injury recovery. Non-surgical treatments for sports injuries typically result in quicker recovery and hold less risk for patients. But in cases where surgery is required for full recovery and functionality, OrthoCarolina is the better choice as we specialize in orthopedic sports medicine, and provide access to best-in-class surgeons.

Our Sports Medicine Center location is also home to a sports physical therapy clinic, so you’ll have access to a comprehensive rehabilitation program that prioritizes successful recovery and limited downtime, after treatment of an orthopedic injury. 

Recovery Time for Orthopedic Injuries and Orthopedic Surgery 

We know our active patients want to get back to their sports, activities, and regular day-to-day activities as quickly as possible. With that said, downtime during recovery is essential to successfully and safely returning to your pre-injury lifestyle. Your care team will stay in close communication during and after your treatment to assess when it’s safe to make your return from the sidelines.

• Recovery time will depend case-by-case, and is influenced by various factors, such as: 
• The severity of your initial injury
• The methods used to treat your injury
• Whether or not surgery was required for proper treatment
• The level of activity you wish to return to post-treatment 
• Your level of collaboration with clinicians that support recovery, such as orthopedic PTs
• Allowance of appropriate downtime

While rest and downtime away from your sport or regular activities can be difficult, following your orthopedic specialist’s advice regarding rest is a key component of full, successful recovery from orthopedic surgery or injuries.

Tips for Reducing Recovery Time 

After being assessed and treated for your injury, our specialists will communicate helpful tips for management of your recovery. It’s important to note that promoting reduced recovery time can start even before treatment at one of OrthoCarolina’s specialty clinics. Additionally, our best-in-class orthopedic specialists do everything in their power for your successful recovery, but your commitment to recovery is essential as well. Some important steps you can take to limit recovery time include: 

• Getting prompt treatment – Avoid pushing yourself to continue activity if you suspect an injury. OrthoCarolina partners with the Hurt!App which provides resources to assess your symptoms and identify an injury. We also provide walk-in appointments and convenient hours of operation at our Orthopedic Urgent Care Clinics, so you can get same-day attention from clinicians who specialize in orthopedic injuries. 
• Seeking out specialized care – Seeking treatment from medical practitioners that don’t specialize in orthopedic injuries can increase risk for misdiagnosis or improper treatment. OrthoCarolina is the better choice for orthopedic injuries, as our clinics are staffed by high-caliber orthopedic specialists who can provide best-in-class treatment from start to finish. 
• Following the advice of your clinicians, surgeon, or therapists – Our teams at OrthoCarolina will provide the best treatment available in the field of orthopedics, provide you with management and recovery guidelines, but our patient’s commitment to following medical advice and recovery is a key part of our high rate of successful recovery