Jayson Tatum shares a physical and mental update on his Achilles rehab

In a recent video posted by the NBA's X account, Jayson Tatum checked in to provide an update on his rehab. As the Boston Celtics star works his way back from a torn Achilles, he is making encouraging progress.

"Rehab is tedious, man. It's six days a week," said Tatum. "It's starting to get a little bit better. I'm out [of] the boot now. Better days ahead, but just trying to take it one day at a time."

Speaking on the need to be resilient as he works his way back from an injury that has dramatically altered the careers of many athletes across sports, Tatum shared that the "first six weeks of this was probably the toughest six weeks of any point in my life.

"Just had to accept it and realize, it happened, and now I've got to do everything in my power to get back to who I was and get back to playing."

Reasons for optimism about Tatum's recovery

There have been significant advancements in the treatment of Achilles tears. Perhaps most notably, that includes the SpeedBridge procedure.

While this author can't confirm that's the operation Tatum underwent, where he is in his recovery process suggests that's the case. Furthermore, Dr. O'Malley, who performed the Celtics star's surgery, is reportedly known for the SpeedBridge procedure. He performed it on Kevin Durant and Tiger Woods after they suffered the same injury as Tatum.

Arthrex, the company behind the SpeedBridge procedure, provided crucial information about why, from starting rehab and weight-bearing earlier to a decreased risk of infection, one should feel good about the distinct possibility that Tatum underwent this operation.

Furthermore, Dr. Kevin Stone, a leading expert in Achilles tendon repair, explained to this author that the medical community has "learned a lot about how to add growth factors to damaged tissues these days.

"You hear about everybody getting PRP, some getting cells, some getting fat cells, some getting stem cells, and some getting birth tissues. These are all factors that we can use to accelerate tissue healing. And all of them can be added to help an Achilles tendon heal."

Thanks to factors like those advancements, Dr. Stone is bullish about the prospect of Tatum recapturing All-NBA form upon returning.

"There's nothing about an Achilles rupture that should prevent him from coming back better than he was before," he stated.

So, while Celtics fans and surely those within the organization are understandably nervous about the uncertainty of what's to come in Tatum's career, the medical world has an optimistic outlook.

That Tatum is attacking his rehab so aggressively, working out six times a week, is evidence of an individual determined to make those projections come true. It's a testament to someone who refuses to let his injury define the rest of his playing career.