About 20 years ago, I had arthroscopic surgery on my knee. I was running a lot, and over a period of a few months, my right knee began “talking” to me. A trip to my doctor ended up with a referral to an orthopedic surgeon, and not knowing any better, I let him operate without much diagnostic assessment.
Everything I had heard about arthroscopic knee surgery was that it was a piece of cake, and I would be running again in two weeks. The surgery happened, and it turned out that the knee had needed nothing (it was “pristine” in the words of the surgeon). I was left to recover on my own. Despite all I had been told about recovering from this kind of surgery, it took me six months of pain, physical therapy, and frustration before I was able to run even a few steps.
I learned several painful lessons from that surgery, and one was that despite the expectations of your medical team, friends, and well-wishers, the time it takes to heal from trauma or surgery varies a lot from person to person. There are a number of factors that can influence healing time:
Your overall health. If you’re run down, have poor immunity, or have some other health condition, it can take longer for you to heal than, say, a healthy 20-year-old.
The amount of trauma involved in your injury. A dentist once told me that how quickly a person heals from a tooth extraction is directly related to how difficult it was to pull the tooth. This is true of any kind of trauma. A bad accident or complicated surgery takes some serious healing time.
Your level of pain. The bottom line is it is incredibly difficult to heal when you’re in a lot of pain. It’s harder to move, eat, and sleep—all of which are needed to recover.
Your mindset. It can be hard to keep your head in the game if your quality of life is diminished by pain and immobility, but a sense of calm and optimism about your condition can help a lot. Being motivated to get yourself up and moving around, and knowing that you will eventually heal, can work like a tonic.
Diet. Your body uses a lot of energy to heal itself. Help fuel the process by giving it what it needs. Stay hydrated and eat nourishing proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and lots of plant-based foods. Your body will thank you.
