Eggs, meat, fish, seafood, nuts, seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, linseed, hemp, sesame including tahini), dairy produce, mushrooms combined with green leafy vegetables.
*Flourine/fluoride is a mineral that supports tendons and ligaments. It is found in fluoridated water, tea, and fish. * Copper is another mineral that can promote healing. Dark leafy greens, dried fruits (prunes), cocoa and black pepper contain copper.
The generally accepted wisdom on how to initially treat a ligament injury can be summed up in one acronym: RICE, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
The collagen that vitamin-C produces also improves the body's ability to maintain bone, muscle, and tendons. The obvious place to start is with citrus fruits – such as oranges and grapefruits. Bell peppers, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, and kiwi also have plenty of vitamin C.
Tendons connect muscle to bone and ligaments connect bone to bone. These connections are very strong and resist high tensile forces but when injured there are a variety of factors that affect healing times. Technically tendons should be the quicker tissues to heal if we focus on the blood supply network.
Protein – Adequate protein helps the body to maintain elasticity and produce collagen. Protein found in lean poultry, eggs, fish, beans, lentils, and in some dairy products like Greek yogurt is ideal for tendon health.
A fully torn ligament, or Grade III tears, rarely heal naturally. Some can initially be treated conservatively, where the injured area is immobilised to help promote healing. However, most of the time, surgery is needed.
Vitamin C: Tendons and ligaments also need vitamin C, a nutrient found in many vegetables and fruits, because both tissues contain large amounts of collagen. Vitamin C plays an essential role in new collagen production, and a Vitamin C deficiency can weaken your tendons and ligaments by preventing collagen synthesis.
When exercising, use restraints to improve the strength of the ligaments and joints. Include several joint exercises such as squats, push-ups, pull-ups, and lunges with moderate resistance. For the best effect, complete them in sets up to 12 repetitions.
In case of ligament sprain or rupture, doctors generally will recommend using the knee normally. Walking should not cause any more damage. However, make sure to walk with your heel down first. In the case of recovering patients, gradually increase the activity duration.
In addition, various forms of massage can improve venous return and help with muscle waste management, or can stimulate improved blood flow to an injured or overworked tissue. Deep moist heat, Hydrotherapy, or Ultrasound can supply comfort and blood flow to enhance and aid healing.
Marine collagen appears to be particularly good at triggering native production of collagen types 1 and 2. This is why it is a great choice of supplement for athletes, or for those who struggle with joint, tendon and ligament problems.
Eat antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory foods
“Berries are a really good option, such as strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, avocados, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes are all rich in antioxidants and key vitamins as well.”
Ligaments attach bones to other bones. They generally have a more limited blood supply than either muscle or tendon – lengthening their healing time.
Our findings suggest a role for vitamin D supplementation in decreasing inflammation in tendon and ligament in addition to its beneficial effects on muscle.
Common causes of ligament tears are twisting body parts or hard or awkward landings. Tears often happen when ligaments are stretched fully and then encounter some form of impact or trauma. Ankle sprains, a mild torn ligament in the ankle, can happen when you are walking or running, land awkwardly, and twist your ankle.
Multiple studies have shown that using NSAIDs can slow the healing of broken bones, damaged ligaments, and other tissues. If you are trying to heal the damage done to a knee, shoulder or other joint, using NSAIDs can significantly lengthen the healing time.
The process can take months to resolve itself, and despite advances in therapeutics, many ligaments do not regain their normal tensile strength. This can now turn into a “nagging,” injury and may turn to itself into something that will require: Anti-inflammatories.
If the ligament is only mildly sprained, it may heal in just two to four weeks. Moderate ligament sprains can take over 10 weeks to heal. If a ligament is very seriously injured, you should expect your recovery to take between six and 12 months to heal completely.
The collagen fibers are key to providing tensile strength to the tendon.