Can Physio Help Muscle Injuries — Avulsions?
- Murray Leyland
- Mar 10
- 3 min read
I was just with a patient this week when their son asked me:
“Can physio actually help this kind of muscle injury… or does it just need time?”
Great question.
Because when we’re talking about muscle avulsions — especially in teenagers — it’s not your typical “pulled hamstring” story.
Let’s break it down properly.
What Is a Muscle Avulsion?
When most people think of a muscle tear, it usually happens in the middle of the muscle.
Think of it like a rope fraying in the centre.
That’s common in adults.
But kids and adolescents?
Different story.
In growing bodies (roughly 10–16 years old), muscles are often stronger than the attachment point where the tendon connects to the bone — and that attachment sits near a growth plate.
Imagine a strong rope tied to a peg that hasn’t fully hardened yet.
When a young athlete sprints, kicks hard, or explodes off the mark, instead of the muscle tearing in the middle, it can actually pull a small piece of bone away.
That’s called a bony avulsion.
It often feels like:
A sudden “pop” during sport
Pain near a bony point (often the hip, pelvis, or knee)
Difficulty continuing activity
Surprisingly okay walking the next day… until they try to run again
Sound familiar?
Do Muscle Avulsions Heal?
The good news?
Yes — they heal really well in kids.
Because growing tissue heals fast.
But there’s a catch.
They need the right management.
Rush things too early and you risk:
Ongoing pain
Delayed or incomplete healing
Re-injury
This is where physiotherapy can make a huge difference.
How Can Physio Help Muscle Avulsions?
1. Accurate Diagnosis
The tricky part with avulsions is they can look like a simple muscle strain.
But children rarely get true muscle belly tears.
During assessment we look at:
How well the athlete can move
Strength of the injured muscle
How much range has been lost
Whether tenderness is in the muscle — or directly over bone
If we suspect an avulsion, we organise an X-ray straight away.
We use a local clinic that bulk bills, so imaging can often be completed the same day, allowing us to plan recovery properly.
No guesswork. No delays.
2. Protect the Healing Phase (4–6 Weeks)
Unlike a mid-muscle tear, an avulsion is treated more like a fracture.
There’s usually no casting — it’s difficult to immobilise areas like the hip or pelvis — but we guide the early phase carefully.
This typically includes:
Relative rest (often walking only)
No aggressive stretching
Avoiding early heavy loading
It’s not about doing nothing.
It’s about doing the right amount while the bone heals.
3. Rebuild Strength Properly
After 4–6 weeks, once healing is underway, we begin rebuilding.
Because during the rest phase athletes naturally lose:
Muscle strength
Fitness
Movement control
Rehab then progresses through stages:
Targeted strength work
Progressive loading
Gym-based rehabilitation
Gradual running programs
Sport-specific drills
Not random exercises.
Structured progression.
That’s how we reduce the risk of the injury happening again.
4. Prevent It Happening Again
While avulsions can be difficult to predict, our goal is always the same:
The athlete leaves stronger than when they arrived.
We focus on:
Building long-term strength to support growth
Improving movement technique
Restoring confidence in sprinting and explosive movements
We don’t just aim for pain-free.
We aim for ready.
When to See a Physio for a Suspected Avulsion?
If your child has:
Ongoing pain after what seemed like a muscle strain for more than a week
Pain that flares with sprinting or kicking
A “pop” during sport that never quite settled
Don’t just assume it’s a tight muscle.
The earlier we assess it, the smoother the recovery tends to be.
Most muscle avulsions heal beautifully when managed properly.
But they don’t respond well to being ignored.
The BOTTOM LINE
So can physio help muscle injuries like avulsions?
Absolutely.
We:
Diagnose the injury properly
Protect the healing phase
Rebuild strength and control
Guide a safe return to sport
And most importantly, we help young athletes move forward — not stay stuck on the sidelines.
Ready to Fix Your MUSCLE INJURY?
If you’ve got a child dealing with a muscle injury, or something that just hasn’t settled, send us a message and we’ll get you booked in and on the way to recovery.
I know we can help get them back to running, kicking, and playing with confidence again.
Your Personal Best, Our Priority.
Murray Leyland
Director, Thornton Physiotherapy
🎥 Didn’t catch the video earlier? Watch the video here.
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Avulsions sit at that intersection where rehabilitation and surgical decision-making overlap, so expectations need careful framing. Even references like https://www.tandooripalace.co.nz Royal Reels can shift attention, but the real issue is how timing, tissue damage, and individual recovery capacity shape what physio can realistically achieve.