Duration of a muscle fiber tear
Hamstring duration
Generally speaking, a torn muscle fiber is an injury with a very good prognosis. The duration of how long it causes symptoms to sufferers depends on several factors, above all on the location and severity of the injury, but also on when the therapy is started and how consistently it is followed. In addition, the individual training status of the person concerned has a decisive influence on recovery.
It usually takes about three to six weeks for a person to be able to fully exercise their muscles again. With this rough amount of time, one can orientate oneself according to the fact that this rehabilitation phase naturally lasts longer, the more pronounced the muscle fiber tear is.
However, since every muscle fiber tear leads to the formation of a scar in the muscle tissue, it is important not to restart training too early. As a result, the damaged area is more sensitive than usual and therefore tends to be more prone to re-injuries. That is why it is so important not to subject the muscle in question to excessive stress too soon, and complete immobilization is not recommended.
Normal everyday stress can be expected again after the initial period of 5 days of rest. Most of the time, a person affected can assess the extent to which their muscles are functional again. However, if in doubt, you can always seek advice from a doctor or physical therapist. To relieve the damaged muscle, taping muscle fiber tears can also help, whereby the tensile forces on the affected muscle are to be reduced.
In the few cases where surgery is necessary (which is only the case if more than a third of the muscle is torn), the patient is advised to consistently rest for a period of 6 weeks after this operation in order to prevent the muscle from tearing again.
After this time, the muscle is actually always completely healed and can be used again as usual.
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Complete healing
Complete healing after a muscle fiber tear is understood to mean the possibility of full weight bearing without pain or the risk of relapse of the affected muscle.
It should be noted that even if the muscle is fully resilient, a scar remains on the muscle and thus the muscle remains damaged even after the disease has healed.
In most cases, however, the prognosis after a torn muscle is very good. Depending on the severity of the muscle fiber tear, complete genesis can be achieved after about 2 to 6 weeks. The severity of a muscle fiber tear depends on the percentage of muscle fibers that are torn in the affected muscles.
For complete healing after a torn muscle fiber it is absolutely necessary to carry out the acute therapy as well as the subsequent therapy according to the exact instructions of the attending physician. So, above all, protecting, cooling, elevating and applying a pressure bandage directly after a muscle fiber tear are essential for a good course of therapy.
Sick leave
In the case of a ruptured muscle fiber, regardless of the severity, it is always sensible to first protect the affected muscle. Depending on the severity, therapy with medication can take place, or an operation must be planned.
Because of the pain and the unconditional protection of the affected muscle, the attending physician will in any case call the affected person sick for a few days. The duration of the individual sick leave depends on the severity of the injury and the individual activity of the person concerned.
People who work hard physically and therefore have to strain the affected muscle at work are written off sick longer than people who do not strain the muscle at work. A person who is very physically challenged at work can only work again after the torn muscle fiber has healed completely, whereby people sitting at a desk, for example, can work again sooner.
The time it takes for a torn muscle to heal completely depends on the severity and the associated therapy. Depending on the course of the illness, the duration of the incapacity to work can last between about one week and six weeks. Outliers upwards and downwards are possible in special cases.
Illustration muscle fiber and muscle bundle tear
- Muscle fiber
of a skeletal muscle
Muscle fibra - Muscle fiber bundles -
Muscular Fasciculus - Epimysium (light blue) -
Connective tissue sheaths around groups
of muscle fiber bundles - Perimysium (yellow) -
Connective tissue sheaths
around muscle fiber bundles - Endomysium (green) -
Connective tissue between muscle fibers - Myofibrils (= muscle fibrils)
- Sarcomere (myofibril segment)
- Myosin threads
- Actin threads
- artery
- vein
- Muscle fascia
(= Muscle skin) - Fascia - Transition of muscle fibers
in tendon fibers -
Junctio myotendinea - Skeletal muscle
- Tendon fibers -
Fibrae tendineae
You can find an overview of all Dr-Gumpert images at: medical illustrations
- Muscle fiber
of a skeletal muscle
Muscle fibra - Muscle fiber bundles -
Muscular Fasciculus - Tendon fibers -
Fibrae tendineae - Transition of muscle fibers
in tendon fibers -
Junctio myotendinea - Muscle fascia
(= Muscle skin) -
Fascia - Skeletal muscle -
Maecenas musculus osseus
You can find an overview of all Dr-Gumpert images at: medical illustrations
Therapy of a torn muscle fiber
It is important to begin appropriate therapy for the torn muscle immediately after the event that led to the torn muscle, based on the PECH rule:
P stands for pause. The muscle should be immobilized and spared, the activity in which the accident happened must be interrupted immediately and, depending on the extent of the injury, should be followed by a rest period of around five days.
E stands for ice. The injured muscle should be cooled as quickly as possible, for example with an ice pack, whereby one should make sure that the ice does not come into direct contact with the skin.
C stands for compression (compression). A simple pressure bandage should be applied or had to be applied around the painful area.
Finally, H stands for high camps. Depending on the options available at the scene of the accident, someone else should hold the leg up or place it on a slightly elevated object. This quick first aid means that swelling and / or bleeding can be kept as low as possible right from the start. This allows the muscle to heal completely in a shorter period of time.
Since this first aid is usually provided quickly and professionally for professional athletes, a torn muscle fiber often heals faster in these than in laypeople.
Torn muscle fiber in the calf
The calf is a common location for a torn muscle fiber. The time it takes for the calf to heal until it is fully resilient depends on various factors. For one, the severity of the muscle fiber tear is of crucial importance.
There are a total of three different degrees of severity, whereby the percentage of muscle fibers that are torn is decisive for the classification of the individual muscle fiber tear.
A slight torn muscle fiber, i.e. type I, can be completely healed after about 2-3 weeks, whereas a severe muscle fiber tear can take more than 6 weeks to heal completely.
The duration of the healing process also depends heavily on the acute and subsequent therapy. So it is important to spare the muscle immediately after the muscle fiber tear and not to strain it anymore, to cool it, to apply a pressure bandage and to elevate the corresponding muscle. These measures greatly improve the prognosis of a torn muscle fiber. Depending on the therapy and severity, a torn calf muscle can be healed after 2 weeks or, in the case of severity III, with an associated operation of the calf after 6 weeks.
The individual duration of the healing process can of course vary, whereby the affected persons can usually assess for themselves what strain the muscle can be expected to carry with a torn calf muscle. However, stressing the damaged muscle too early can be associated with relapse, which is why it is very advisable to ask the treating doctor for advice before stressing the muscle to the full.
Read more on this topic at: Torn calf muscle
Torn muscle fiber in the shoulder
The shoulder is one of the most common locations for a torn muscle fiber.
The length of time it takes for a muscle fiber tear on the shoulder to heal depends on the severity and the therapy. It is generally important that the affected muscle on the shoulder is spared immediately after the injury, i.e. that there is no longer any strain on the muscle.
Furthermore, the muscle should be cooled and, if possible, elevated. A pressure bandage should also be applied.Depending on the severity, these measures with adequate pain therapy are sufficient for complete healing of the muscle. Complete healing in these cases can take about 2 to 4 weeks.
If many of the muscle fibers in the affected muscle are torn, it may be necessary to perform an operation on the muscle. It can take more than 6 weeks for the muscle to fully heal and resilient after the operation. In any case, it is important to completely spare the muscle, whereby a light load a few days after the injury promotes healing.
However, the attending physician can best estimate the individual duration of the muscle fiber tear. He should also be consulted if there are any questions about the possible resilience of the affected muscle, so that overloading of the shoulder muscle, which can greatly reduce the course of therapy, is prevented.
Read more on this topic at: Torn hamstring of shoulder, torn hamstring of forearm
