Common Questions
Following is a list of the most common questions I’ve received about double jaw surgery. If your question is not answered below, feel free to ask about it in the comments and I’d be happy to respond there.
Before the surgery:
- Why should I get jaw surgery?
- Is jaw surgery painful?
- How long does it take to recover from jaw surgery?
- How much does jaw surgery cost?
- What should I buy to prepare for recovery?
After the surgery:
- Will I look different after jaw surgery?
- How much weight will I lose after jaw surgery?
- Will I experience numbness after jaw surgery?
- Will I get all of my feeling back after jaw surgery?
- What can I eat after jaw surgery?
Cries for help:
- Help, I’m experiencing pain!
- Help, my breath is terrible!
- Help, my teeth are no longer touching!
- Help, my jaw movement is not returning!
- Help, I don’t look like myself anymore!
Why should I get jaw surgery?
There are several reasons to undergo jaw surgery:
- To be able to chew with all your teeth
- To speak without a lisp
- To speak without spitting
- To stop your mouth from hanging open
- To stop breathing through your mouth and start breathing through your nose
- To change your appearance (side profile)
These reasons are all explained on the Reasons to Get Jaw Surgery page.
Is jaw surgery painful?
Jaw surgery is usually not painful. This may be difficult to believe, but since your nerves become bruised and numb during the surgery, you don’t actually feel any of the pain. By the time feeling returns to your face, most of the pain is gone.
Granted, you’ll experience a bit of pain when you yawn, sneeze and cough. It’ll also hurt when your jaw spasms (and it will spasm for the first month), but for the most part, you should not experience much pain at all.
How long does it take to recover from jaw surgery?
It will take 90 days (3 months) for a full recovery after jaw surgery. Most of your feeling and energy will be back after 2 months, but it takes a full 90 days for your bone to fuse back together. A full range of motion in your jaw will return depending on how much you’re moving it around, so make sure you follow the exercises your surgeon gives you.
How much does jaw surgery cost?
Jaw surgery costs roughly $5000 in Canada, but that price may differ significantly in other provinces and countries. If your surgery is deemed cosmetic (instead of “medically necessary”), the cost will be higher because you’ll be required to cover the hospital bills. Sadly, patients in the US have seen jaw surgery bills in excess of $50,000.
What should I buy to prepare for recovery?
You can find a full list of items that with help you through the recovery at the Must-Have Recovery Products page.
Will I look different after jaw surgery?
You will notice subtle changes in your appearance following jaw surgery. Your overbite/underbite will no longer be present and your cheeks, nose, and chin may take on a different shape as well. My cheeks filled out a lot as a result of my surgery.
How much weight will I lose after jaw surgery?
Most people lose between 5–10 pounds during the first month of their recovery. The general rule of thumb is that you will lose weight until you reach your natural body weight.
Will I experience numbness after jaw surgery?
Yes, you will experience extreme numbness following jaw surgery. During the operation, several nerves in your face and chin have to be moved around. When you move a nerve, it becomes bruised, and when a nerve is bruised, it stops providing sensations, thus giving you that numb feeling (more on this in my Day 20 post).
Will I get all of my feeling back after jaw surgery?
70% of patients regain full feeling, while 30% may experience slightly numb areas in their cheeks, chin and lower lip for the rest of their lives. The feeling you have after 6 months post-op is likely what you’ll live with for the rest of your life.
What can I eat after jaw surgery?
You’ll be on a strict liquid diet following jaw surgery. Buy lots of Boost, Ensure or Carnation supplements and learn to make smoothies, because these will be your staple foods for at least the first 2 weeks. I had to eat them for 8 weeks, but my surgery was a bit more invasive than most. You’ll probably have to administer your food through a syringe for the first week as well.
Once your surgeon gives you permission to start chewing again, you can begin to eat soft foods such as pasta and mashed potatoes. During the weeks following your re-entry into the realm of chewing, you’ll be able to eat whatever is comfortable. Don’t expect to tear into a steak as soon as you’re allowed to chew again, though.
If you have the following implements, you should survive perfectly fine:
- A reliable blender (this is extremely important, as you’ll be blending almost everything)
- Smoothie materials (ice cream, yogurt, milk, bananas, strawberries, granola, peanut butter, honey, etc.) — Recipe
- Soup (you’ll have to blend everything except tomato soup)
- Ensure, Boost or Carnation (I drank 3 of these per day during my liquid diet phase)
- Prune juice (you’ll need the fiber in it)
- Whole milk (you’ll need all the calcium you can get so your bones heal back just as strong as they were before)
- Water (make sure you drink at least 1 L of water per day; drinking 2 L per day is a much better option)
The most important item on that list is water. If you don’t drink enough water each day, you’ll become dehydrated and sick, and your bowel movements won’t feel good because none of the fiber you’re eating will dissolve into your body.
Help, I’m experiencing pain!
If your pain is chronic (ie. consistent and throbbing), you may have an infection and should schedule a visit with your surgeon just to be safe.
On the other hand, if your pain comes in small bouts, it’s likely your nerves reawakening or your teeth being pulled by the elastics. In this case, just be patient and the pain will subside in due time. If you were prescribed pain medication, that may help as well.
Help, my breath is terrible!
At times, your breath may be indicative of the fact that you are not allowed to brush your teeth or floss during the first several weeks of recovery. To aid in freshening your breath, try gurgling with warm salt water a few times each day. Soon enough, you’ll be given the go-ahead to brush and floss again.
Help, my teeth are no longer touching!
An open bite is a common problem following jaw surgery. Fear not, however, because your teeth will naturally grow until they encounter opposition (in the form of your other jaw), so this problem will slowly correct itself over time.
Help, my jaw movement is not returning!
If you have been given the green light to resume eating regular food, but the movement in your jaw doesn’t seem to be returning, try whistling and chewing gum each day. Whistling will help to break up scar tissue, while chewing gum will stretch the muscles in your jaw.
Help, I don’t look like myself anymore!
This is perhaps the most common fear people have following jaw surgery. Remember that swelling takes a minimum of 3 months to go away, so try to avoid judging your appearance until that point.
Also, keep in mind that you are your own worst critic because you’ve been seeing your face in the mirror every single day for most of your life. While the subtle changes in your appearance seem drastic to you, most people will not even notice that your face changed shape.
January 21, 2016 at 12:15 pm
Hey, I don’t know if anyone can honwith my question ?
I have told and asked my orthodontist and surgeon and they don’t know what’s wrong or what to do :/
I have my surgery back in October 2015 and since mid Christmas I’ve had incredibly sensitive teeth/ guns to the point I can’t brush my teeth because it hurts so much I cry I can’t describe how painful they are even to touch ! And it doesn’t seem to be letting up or getting better and now my gum bleeds, I’ve been told it isn’t an infection is it my nerve ?
January 21, 2016 at 6:14 pm
Hi Louise, if your gums are enflamed and have started bleeding, that wouldn’t be caused by your nerves. What you’re describing does indeed sound like an infection, but if your surgeon has ruled that out, I’m not sure what else might be causing you pain and inflammation in your gums.
Try reading this WebMD article on swollen and painful gums: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/gum-problem-basics-sore-swollen-and-bleeding-gums.
Near the end, they have a list of standard tips, such as brushing softly, rinsing with antiseptic mouthwash, getting more vitamin C in your diet, drinking more water, etc. I would say that if you try these tips for a week and do not see an improvement, book an appointment with your surgeon and kindly ask him to take a second look.
Let me know how it goes and what you learn. I’m interested to hearing about how you solve this so I can share it with anyone who experiences this in the future. 😊
January 21, 2016 at 11:54 pm
Okay thank you, yes I don’t trust my surgeon very much as to me he doesn’t always seem clued in, that’s why I decided to ask someone else 🙂
Would there be any other treatment for an infection such as anti.biotics ? I’m just getting concerned due to not being able to brush and my teeth rotting as well as my orthodontist is looking at taking my braces of in March and at the rate of pain I’m feeling currently that terrifies me :/
January 22, 2016 at 1:38 am
If you don’t trust your surgeon’s advice, you may want to simply visit your orthodontist to hear their opinion (and hopefully their solution). If they are also telling you nothing is wrong, it’s possible that this is just a case of extreme tenderness due to braces and surgery.
To ease your fear a bit, I can assure you that having your braces removed is painless. Your orthodontist will simply remove your wires and then pry each brace off with a pair of dental pliers. While this sounds unpleasant, it should not actually cause any pain. The weirdest part is how slimy your teeth feel afterwards!
January 22, 2016 at 2:14 am
Thank you 🙂 I’ve been reading other threads to find similar cases, as my orthodontist and surgeon don’t seem to have any idea of what is causing the problem, just want to put my mind at ease 🙂
I’m only concerned with braces as my teeth are so tender that when she did my elastics it hurt so badly i cried again :/
But thank you 🙂
January 20, 2016 at 1:45 pm
Hello, I had double jaw surgery 5 weeks ago but since week 2, I had this sensation around my chin that feels really cold and wet and it is annoying, cant seem to find anything to diminish it, it is constant and doesn’t not go away, tried several things including lidocaine. Reading stuff, I found that could be Trigeminal Neuralgy, TICs or Patsy’,,, any comments
January 20, 2016 at 7:22 pm
Hi Mauricio, that sensation is likely due to your nerves healing, so it’s actually a good sign! I experienced odd sensations in my nose, cheeks, lips, and chin for about 2 months, so what you’re feeling is still perfectly normal.
If it’s really uncomfortable, you can try placing a hot pack on your face for 10 minutes each day to soothe your nerves, but I’m not sure if there’s anything you can do to speed up your nerves’ healing process. Good luck!
January 18, 2016 at 9:34 pm
So I am 18, and my double jaw surgery is tomorrow. Reading all of these comments was super encouraging. Who would have ever thought that so many people are/were in the same boat as me!
Thank you for creating this site and for providing so much information.
-Kayla
January 18, 2016 at 9:57 pm
Kayla, I wish you the best of luck with the surgery tomorrow. If you have any struggles during the first few weeks, feel free to reach out on here. 😊
January 17, 2016 at 11:40 pm
Hello Graham!
I just had double jaw surgery 1/13 (had an underbite and my lower jaw was more to my right) My swelling is going down but i have pain near my ear like if im clenching too hard (mostly my right side) . Is this normal? And i have pain on the sides of my nose if i touch/move my nostril….mostly my right side. The pain near my ears comes and goes for periods of times but my nostril pain is always there ):
January 18, 2016 at 5:15 pm
Hi Brenda, experiencing pain around your ears and nose is perfectly normal this early in the recovery. The surgery is quite invasive and likely disturbed quite a few nerves in the process, so until they heal, you may feel pain whenever you move different parts of your face.
If you experience any chronic pain, I recommend taking whichever pain medication your surgeon prescribed to alleviate that. Good luck!
January 15, 2016 at 5:05 pm
I had lower jaw surgery on January 5. I am ok with everything going on and know my recovery process and will be seeing my surgeon every week. He said every one heals at different rates. I was just wondering how long it took everyone to be able to fit their teeth together? I only have my 3rd molars on my right side touching. Nothing else! Still swollen on both sides and still have sutures in my mouth.
January 17, 2016 at 6:49 pm
Hi Bree, I also had an open bite on both sides following the operation. My teeth started touching again after about 3 months of recovery. In other words, have patience and remain hopeful. Once your swelling goes away, your molars should begin to meet again. 😊
January 15, 2016 at 4:58 pm
Hey guys, my surgery is in 10 days. I’ve been wanting it for a very long time but now I’m starting to have second thoughts. Is this normal?
January 17, 2016 at 3:38 pm
Yes, it’s completely normal. I just had my 18th jaw surgery a couple days ago & it’s always a little nerve wracking. With each surgery there is the probability that there could be extra issues that can only be seen once your surgeon cuts you open. If you are having feelings of being super nervous you can definitely give your maxiofacial surgeon a call & ask for a medication like valium, something to keep you more calm for the next few days before surgery. The last thing you need is to be stressed out because it can cause even more pain than you’re already in & if you have good surgeon he or she should definitely give you something to keep calm. Good luck, just do your best by trying to look at “the glass half full instead of the glass half empty.”
January 15, 2016 at 11:41 am
i had lower jaw surgery and now it has been almost 45 days….i want to ask that from when i can start my gym…can i start now or should i wait more fr a month?
January 15, 2016 at 5:58 pm
Hi Arman, you should be able to return to the gym by now, but I recommend starting with slower exercise and lighter weights. Do not do any exercise that puts excessive stress on your face or causes you to clench your teeth. Remember that the bone in your jaw is not yet healed, so you don’t want to knock anything out of place. 😊
January 15, 2016 at 3:23 am
I’m on my second day of recovery after receiving double jaw surgery on the 14th of Jan 2016 ! I’m turning 17 this year and I was fine with heading into the operation knowing it will make me happy with my new bite! However, I am feeling very hungry and a little bit sore, having to admit that I am just a little bit underprepared for recovery. The pain management is fine and I’m trying to suck through a straw but I’m finding it hard. And the constant hunger is annoying! How do I solve this? I am trying to drink a smoothie but I really don’t know what else to do to cure the hunger! Also I had to fly to another city to undertake the operation and I am a little bit unsure of flying back just six days after. It’s only an hour flight. Any tips on what to cure the hunger for now?
January 15, 2016 at 4:56 pm
My daughter is 3 weeks post surgery and she drank blended soups and smoothies 2-3 days post surgery. She used a baby spoon to do so. Sucking through a straw will be very difficult considering your face muscles are exhausted and you’re swollen, so I would definitely advise against that. To help cure your hunger, try blending up a Carnation chocolate shake with ice cream, chocolate sauce, peanut butter, and banana for a calorie-rich meal. Also she could eat blended up oatmeal and even thinned yogurt.
January 15, 2016 at 6:15 pm
Thank you for the ideas! I will definitely try the thinned yoghurt !
January 16, 2016 at 3:06 pm
By one week post surgery she moved on to really creamy mashed potatoes and soft scrambled eggs. For the potatoes we mixed in steamed smashed carrots and gravy blended with ground beef. I know it sounds gross but she was so desperate for something filling. She only has rubber bands in the back so that helps. Also, I’d advise making more calorie rich soups or ensure they have legumes or lean meat in them. You can blend those best when they are already warm. She found that as long as she could work the food around her mouth with her tongue and toward the back of her mouth she could swallow thicker food that had just been smashed. Hang in there, I feel for you!
January 17, 2016 at 3:45 pm
Instead of sucking through a straw (it can make the muscles more tense) use a syringe & that will push in whatever you are drinking right so your muscles can recover.
January 13, 2016 at 12:48 am
Hey Graham Great job! I will be having my surgery in 3 months time. I also have a level 3 underbite. I was just wondering does the surgery effect the length of the face? Also I feel that I have a slightly flat looking face with quite an empty cheek, does the surgery have any effect on that?
January 13, 2016 at 5:02 pm
Hi Hafi, the shape of your face will change during the surgery, but I’m not sure if the “length” of your face will be affected. To be honest, it’s difficult to describe how your face changes. I thought I looked the same post-op, but my friends and family told me I looked a bit different.
As for your cheeks, some surgeons will offer small silicon implants to fill out your cheeks, if you so desire. I recommend asking your surgeon if this is a possibility for you.
January 16, 2016 at 11:04 am
Thank you so much for the response!
January 9, 2016 at 3:32 pm
Love this website and especially this page; helped me alot during recovery! I’m now 6 weeks post double jaw surgery for underbite. I’ve written an ebook to help others – I find passing on experiences is such a valuable thing to do! Instagram @jawsurgeryxx
January 9, 2016 at 6:34 pm
Kathalina, awesome work writing an ebook and good luck with the last half of your recovery!
January 7, 2016 at 10:48 pm
Hi Graham, my name is Grace and I just had double jaw surgery on December 21st, about 2 and 1/2 weeks ago. I’m going back to school on the 19th of this month, and I was just wondering, can I expect to be able to talk better by the time I go back? I’m still pretty swollen so it’s hard to move my mouth, and I get tired easily when I talk.
January 8, 2016 at 4:21 am
Hi Grace, you should be able to communicate fairly clearly by Jan 19 as that will be a full month into recovery.
(Do note, however, that if you have a splint in, your communication will suffer a bit.)
January 5, 2016 at 7:24 am
My daughter underwent double jaw surgery on 30th December 2015 .Her nosecond was very neat and straight now it is looking like shorter can any one guide
January 7, 2016 at 7:57 pm
Hi Jyothi, many surgeons must reshape the nose in order to fit all the parts of your face into their new positions. It is virtually impossible to comment on the shape or orientation of a person’s nose right after surgery due to the intense swelling. If your daughter’s nose still appears to be a bit “off” after 8 weeks of recovery, you can bring it up with your surgeon to see what they say. I know that sounds like a long time from now, but it’s important to wait for the swelling to go away so you can see where everything settles. Hope this helps!
January 4, 2016 at 12:44 pm
Hi!
I’m getting double jaw surgery in a few months but I’m only 15 I was wondering what you do to prepare for the surgery (special wires etc) and if my age would affect recovery time.
Thanks!
January 4, 2016 at 12:53 pm
Anna,
I had my double jaw surgery when I was 17. However, I don’t see your age affecting your recovery period much. If anything, I think it will speed things up. To prepare for the surgery I suggest buying protein powder, bananas, milk in order to make yummy milkshakes since you won’t be able to chew, I suppose.
January 4, 2016 at 12:12 pm
Hello all,
I had the surgery on Dec 18. Everything went better than expected. My only concern at this point is the fact i cannot move my jaw left to right nor foward. I am able to open it about 2 fingers but i cannot move the jaw side ways. What do you think?
January 4, 2016 at 12:56 pm
Alli,
It takes sometime for your jaw to get movement back. Try doing jaw movement exercises everyday at least once. Move as far as you can everyday. Your muscles may also be stiff because they are still getting acustomed to your new jaw! Good luck
January 4, 2016 at 9:49 am
How long after the operation do you think that I will be able to sit up and do school work?
January 4, 2016 at 12:58 pm
Mnan,
When I had my double jaw surgery a year ago, I went back to school in three weeks. My face was still swollen however I was still able to do school work and what not.
January 3, 2016 at 6:57 pm
Hello, I’m having my jaw surgery January 26 after waiting 8 years!!!! I’m so excited but I’m really worried about how I’m gonna look after. Also I’m 20 and I start school January 13. I’m hoping to only need 2 weeks off school so I took two classes and an online class. Do you guys think I’ll be okay going back in 2 weeks?? My surgeon said I might recover quicker since I have a positive attitude going into the surgery but idk :/ I didn’t want to take a semester off.
January 4, 2016 at 1:03 pm
Donna,
I had my surgery a year ago. For me, I took 3 weeks off. ( Two off them were winter break). I could’ve gone back to school in two weeks but I decided to take another one off because I was still swollen, but not in pain or anything. I had a splint in my mouth as well so I couldn’t talk so well while I had it on, which was 6 weeks. I’m not sure if you’ll get a splint though.
January 7, 2016 at 7:28 pm
Donna, I would also recommend taking 3 weeks away from school. Not only will you still be very swollen after 2 weeks, but you’ll also be lacking in energy, so it will be difficult to mentally focus for an entire day. You should be able to spend half days on your online class leading up to returning to school full-time, though.
January 3, 2016 at 11:32 am
Hi! I’m having jaw surgery on February 8th and my main worry right now is work… I don’t want to go in with a swollen face but I also can’t afford to miss more than 2 weeks. I also work as a nanny so I was wondering how long my mouth will be wired shut for? One week?
Also, I’ve been playing around with my jaw my mandible bringing it forward to see how I’d look without my underbite and I’m scared the surgery will make my chin too foward? I know it’s probably silly but I’m freaking out. ..
January 3, 2016 at 11:42 am
Hi bee! I had double jaw surgery on 12/9/15 and I’m still wire shut 😔 they only removed my splint on the 2 week post-op and they put on the rubber bands again so I’m not able to open my mouth what so ever! I was only going to take 1 month off from work but I decided that I’m not ready to go back do to that I still feel week, swollen and only on a liquid diet!! But everyone heals differently!! I’m 35yrs old so if your younger you bounce back to normal quicker… You will find out when you are able to go back !! Good luck 😁
January 7, 2016 at 7:23 pm
Hi Bee, as Rachel mentioned, each person recovers at a different pace. Personally, I would highly recommend taking a minimum of 3 weeks off from work. After 2 weeks, you will likely still be very tired, quite swollen, and unable to speak clearly (if at all).
I know it’s tough to get time off work, but remember that this recovery is a one-time thing. I hope you’re able to work something out! 😊
January 2, 2016 at 4:39 am
Hello All !
I posted on here about a week prior to my double jaw surgery and now about a month later I would like to share my experience/story with you!
I had the surgery on November 30th at Stanford. The nerves definitely hit me the day of surgery! I was definitely having some major anxiety but I was trying to keep calm. When they operating room and I moved to a different bed. There was about 10 doctors in there ! One guy was giving me breaths of gas to put me under anesthesia. It took me awhile to go under and didn’t seem to be working very well. Then it hit me! the last thing I remember was looking over at my actual surgeon and then I was out! Waking up from surgery was very blurry. I do remember seeing my family and that I was being very whiny and emotional. I don’t recall having any pain, I think I was just very uncomfortable, mainly because the first night i noticed that my tongue was actually wired in between my teeth (on accident) and i could not get it out. My tongue was stuck and seemed to be getting swollen. My nose was stuffed and i could barely breathe from my mouth. The nurses were all very worried about cutting my wires so i had to wait until the morning when my surgeon came in. My surgeon was very shocked and upset that the nurses didnt cut the wires to get my tongue out, but she cut the wires and got it out in no time and it was instant relief! I believe that was a really rare event so i would not be to worried about it happening to you, also i have an abnormally large tongue. My nose got super stuffed up with dried up blood. If there is one thing that I highly recommend doing before surgery is buying a humidifier. Literally saved my life. I would also recommend not judging the way you look immediately after surgery or even a couple of weeks because swelling is so drastic that it is really hard to tell. I was really worried about my appearance for about the first 2 weeks but then swelling went down a ton and I am so happy that I went through with this. I can feel all my screws, but it really does not bug me. When they took my splint out 10 days after surgery i was also a little iffy about the way my teeth looked, they were sort of “off” but they have definitely fallen into a good place. I would love to help anyone who is going through this! You can always find me on instagram: lecia_stover or facebook: lecia stover.
January 7, 2016 at 7:11 pm
Thanks for sharing your experience, Lecia. It’s funny that you remember being whiny when you woke up from surgery. It’s okay, though… I think you’re allowed to be a bit “needy” after an invasion like that! 😂
December 28, 2015 at 2:38 pm
Ihi, i had a Bi-Maxillary Osteotomy Surgery (broken bottom jaw and brought it forward 7mm and litfted my top jaw 3mm) on the December 4th. After 2 days in hospital i was discharged. Had a couple of days of no energy and nearly passing out but after that ive been totally fine and havent been in any pain at all! But while having my operation i had a massive bleed on the lower right side of my lip, and the surgeon thought i might have nerve damage. As im still numb they cant say but the last couple of days ive been having like a tingling sensation that part, anyone got any ideas what it is? Am i having my feeling back?
If your thinking of having surgery go for it, its the best thing ive done! When i started i told myself it will be a hard 6 weeks but i have the rest of my life to enjoy my new face!!! And remember to be positive!
Food wise after 3 days of liquid diet i had enough so i started to eat mash with things like curry without the chicken and using top of my mouth to eat it. Best thing i did as i had all my energy and felt myself in a day!!
Im now 3 weeks and a half in after my operation and gone back to work (im a teacher) 2 days ago!!
December 30, 2015 at 9:59 pm
Hi Cara, it’s usually a positive thing when you feel that tingling sensation in your lips and chin as it means your nerves are healing from being bruised. It’s difficult to draw any conclusions about nerve damage until a couple of months have passed by, so I would take the tingling as a good sign for now.
Also, lucky you for being able to eat soft foods during your first week of recovery. I was on a liquid diet for 7 full weeks! 😀
December 31, 2015 at 4:36 am
Hi Cara.
Yes. A tingling sensation indicates that your nerves are trying to recover. It’s not a guarantee but certainly a good sign. I really hope they do recover for you! 🙂
December 28, 2015 at 12:05 pm
Hi Grahm I am having double jaw surgery on Jan 13, 2016. I love working out and staying active i.e. running, Insanity (similar to P90X), and Pure Barre. My question is how far into recovery is it safe to start running and then doing high intensity work outs?
December 28, 2015 at 12:08 pm
My apologies on the misspelling of your name.. Graham 🙂
December 28, 2015 at 2:40 pm
Hi Edyta, i would ask you orthodontist/surgery. I wouldnt say for at least 2 weeks as you could knock the plate/screws out of place? My surgeon told me one of his patients broke a plate by going down stairs so you have to be careful!
December 30, 2015 at 9:57 pm
Hi Edyta, as Cara mentioned, you’ll want to lay low for the first 2–4 weeks to give your body a chance to heal. I returned to the gym after 6 weeks and was playing ultimate frisbee again after about 7 weeks. Basically, try to go easy on your body for the first month (walking is okay) and then let your pain and energy levels be your guide. 🙂