1. Strengthen the Ligament with Stretching
Ligament injuries can cause the ligament and surrounding tissue to tighten up, especially if the injury has gone untreated for a period of time. Stretching the injured area each day will help loosen things up and take the pressure off of the ligament. Do two to three repetitions of stretching the ligament to its full capacity and holding it for a period of 10 to 15 seconds once or twice a day.
2. Get Injections
Sometimes, doctors will inject pain-relieving medication directly into an injured ligament. The medicine will usually be a topical anesthetic, such as xylocaine or lidocaine. If the ligament is severely injured, your doctor may try to stimulate its repair and re-growth by injecting some sodium morruhate along with the anesthetics. Sodium morruhate will stimulate the body's healing response, causing the ligament to become thicker and healthier over a period of time. Usually, this injection is given once every 2 weeks until the ligament is healed.
3. Use the R.I.C.E. Method
Rest, ice, compression and elevation (R.I.C.E.) is very effective at relieving acute, short-term ligament pain from an injury. In the days immediately following a ligament injury, keep off of the injured limb as much as possible. Put ice packs on the area several times a day, apply compression to the area with an elastic bandage and keep the area elevated above the level of your heart. Do these things every day until your injury starts to feel better. In most cases, this will be in 3 to 4 days for minor injuries. If your injury is more severe, more intensive options may have to be explored.
4. Surgery Can Be Used for Extreme Cases
If you have a severe ligament injury that doesn't respond to other treatments, you may have to consider surgery as a means to end the pain. Ligaments that are torn are prime candidates for surgery. The downtime from such surgeries is usually minimal and the success rate is high. Once the ligament is repaired, you should be able to go back to your normal activities.
