Muscle Tears & Tendinopathy
Evidence-based rehabilitation to restore tissue capacity and get you back to what you love.
What Are Muscle Tears & Tendinopathies?
Muscle tears typically occur when muscle is exposed to excessive tensile load, rapid eccentric contraction, or fatigue, causing disruption of muscle fibres and connective tissue. Tendinopathies develop from repeated mechanical loading that exceeds a tendon's capacity to adapt, leading to altered tendon structure, impaired collagen alignment, and reduced load tolerance rather than classic inflammation (Cook & Purdam).
The Healing Process
Muscle healing progresses through inflammation (0–7 days), repair/regeneration (1–6 weeks), and remodelling (weeks–months), with satellite cell activation and collagen reorganisation. Tendon healing is slower and characterised by reactive, dysrepair, and potentially degenerative stages, with limited vascularity and slower collagen turnover contributing to prolonged symptoms.
How Physiotherapy Helps
Physiotherapists optimise healing by applying graduated mechanical loading, which stimulates appropriate collagen synthesis and fibre alignment. Early management includes pain modulation and load reduction without complete rest. Progressive strengthening (especially eccentric and heavy slow resistance for tendons), movement retraining, and addressing kinetic chain deficits restore tissue capacity. Education on load management and return-to-sport criteria reduces re-injury risk.
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