Recovery Timeline · Regenerative Medicine
Biologics (PRP, BMAC, Lipogems)
Biologic injections (PRP, BMAC, and Lipogems) use your own cells and growth factors to support healing in joints, tendons, and soft tissue. This is a non-surgical, in-office treatment with a short recovery, and any response tends to build gradually over weeks to a few months. This guide is general education, not medical advice. Your own recovery is individual, and your surgeon and physical therapist will set the plan that fits your body and your goals.
Many people notice gradual improvement over 6 to 12 weeks, with continued progress possible out to 3 to 6 months, though response varies from person to person.
Recovery is individual. The timeline below is a general roadmap, not medical advice, and your surgeon and physical therapist set the exact pace for you.
Your recovery, phase by phase.
- 1Day 0
Procedure Day
Receive the injection in the office and rest the treated area while the biologic begins its work in the tissue.
- Same-day in-office treatment, then home (no general anesthesia, no hospital stay)
- Expect mild pressure or fullness at the injection site as the area is treated
- Ice and gentle rest for the remainder of the day, with the limb elevated when possible
- Arrange a ride home if a lower-extremity joint was treated or if you were given any sedation, and drive only when your team clears you
- 2Days 1 to 7
Expected Flare and Soreness
A temporary increase in soreness, swelling, or stiffness is common and is generally part of the healing response, not a setback.
- Soreness or a flare in the treated area, often most noticeable in the first 2 to 5 days
- Use ice and rest as directed, and favor acetaminophen over anti-inflammatories if your surgeon advises avoiding them
- Keep movement gentle and within comfort, and avoid heavy loading or stressing the area
- Soreness often begins to settle toward the end of the first week, though this varies
- 3Weeks 1 to 4
Calm and Protected Movement
Let the flare settle while you gradually reintroduce easy, controlled movement under your team's guidance.
- Return to normal daily activities and light walking as comfort allows
- Begin or resume guided physical therapy if your team recommends it
- Avoid high-impact, heavy, or sport-specific loading until your team clears you
- Track changes in pain, swelling, and function to share at follow-up
- 4Weeks 4 to 12
Gradual Response and Rebuilding
This is often the window when people start to notice steady improvement as tissue healing and strength build together, though timing differs for each person.
- Progress strength, range of motion, and load with your physical therapist
- Reintroduce more demanding activities in a stepwise way as tolerated
- Attend any planned follow-up so your team can assess your response and adjust the plan
- Understand that a second session may be discussed depending on how you respond
- 5Months 3 to 6
Continued Maturation and Return to Activity
Healing tissue continues to mature, and your team guides a gradual, confident return toward full activity or sport.
- Build toward your target activities, training, or competition once your team clears you
- Continue a maintenance strength and mobility program to help protect your result
- Reassess your goals and whether additional treatment is appropriate
- Recognize that response varies, and improvement is individual and not guaranteed
Do this. Avoid that.
Do
- Rest and ice the treated area on the day of your injection, and keep the limb elevated when you can.
- Follow your surgeon's specific guidance on medications, since anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or naproxen are often paused around biologic treatment.
- Expect and accept that a temporary flare in the first several days is commonly a normal part of the healing response.
- Reintroduce activity gradually and complete your physical therapy program, which is integrated into your plan at JOI.
- Keep all follow-up appointments so your team can measure your response and adjust the plan.
- Stay hydrated, eat well, prioritize sleep, and avoid tobacco, all of which support your body's healing.
Avoid
- Do not return to high-impact running, jumping, heavy lifting, or sport-specific training until your team clears you.
- Do not take anti-inflammatory medications around the procedure unless your surgeon specifically approves them.
- Do not judge the result in the first week or two, since any response tends to build gradually over weeks to a few months.
- Do not apply heat, soak in a bath or hot tub, or submerge the injection site beyond what your team advises in the first days.
- Do not push through sharp or escalating pain in an effort to speed things up.
- Do not skip physical therapy or assume the injection alone will do all the work.
When to call us
Recovery has ups and downs, but some signs need prompt attention. Call the office, and for any emergency call 911.
- Fever, chills, spreading redness, warmth, or drainage at the injection site, which can signal infection and should prompt a same-day call to the office.
- Pain that is severe, escalating, or far beyond the expected soreness, especially if it does not ease with rest and ice.
- Significant or rapidly increasing swelling in the treated joint or limb.
- New numbness, tingling, weakness, or an inability to move or bear weight on the treated area.
- Sudden chest pain, trouble breathing, or a hot, painful, swollen calf can be signs of a blood clot or other emergency. Call 911 right away.
Biologics (PRP, BMAC, Lipogems), answered.
Plan your recovery with a surgeon
Questions about your recovery? Talk to the surgeon.
Whether you are deciding on a procedure or already on the mend, get a clear, individualized plan from a double board-certified sports surgeon with integrated physical therapy.