Often times, we find that patients have unrealistic expectations throughout their recovery. They either feel like things are moving faster than expected, or much slower than expected.
Whenever there is tissue damage, there is a window of time required for the tissue to fully heal. With that said, pain is not always accompanied by tissue damage, so ask your PT about your diagnoses before referring to this chart. If your pain is driven be tissue damage, you can expect something as common as a rotator cuff tendonitis to take anywhere from 3-7 weeks IF you seek PT as soon as symptoms arise. If it turns into a "tendonosis" (essentially if it becomes a chronic issue lasting longer than 3 months), healing times increase to 3-6 months.
This chart below provides average healing time based on type of tissue. Healing time can vary depending on age, extent of damage, medications, co-morbidities, etc. Your PT will use this chart and various time frames to design a home exercise program specifically for YOUR diagnosis and tissue. They will determine what is safe and recommended for you to do. Always ask your PT about your prognosis and healing time and it will give you a good idea of what to expect throughout your rehabilitation.