A pulled ligament, also known as a ligament sprain, occurs when one of your ligaments -- a band of connective tissue that helps stabilize your joints -- is stretched beyond its normal capacity. Pulled ligaments in your ankle, notes the Nucleus Medical Media website, are the most common injury among Americans, accounting for about 85 percent of the 1 million ankle injuries that occur in the United States annually. Diet and nutrients may help speed your healing, although you should always check with your doctor before using this natural healing approach.
Pulled Ligaments
Ligament sprains -- excessive stretching or tearing of your ligament fibers -- are graded on a scale of one to three, with grade three ligament sprain being the most severe. The severity of your ligament sprain largely depends on the type of injury you sustain and the number of ligaments you injure. Rest is a helpful health measure in healing your injured ligament, although many health experts, notes the Sports Injury Bulletin website, suggest that loading an injured ligament, or performing weight-bearing activity, in a reasonable way may actually improve your healing time and enhance your injured ligament's strength and stability.
Dietary Recommendations
Eating the proper diet is an important consideration when recovering from a pulled ligament. Helpful dietary additions for this health problem, notes certified nutritional consultant Phyllis A. Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," include raw vegetables such as beets, radishes and garlic as well as pineapples and foods that contain significant amounts of essential fatty acids, such as halibut, flaxseeds and walnuts. Essential fatty acid-rich foods may be particularly helpful in promoting cellular health and speeding your recovery. More research evidence into the efficacy of these foods for this health purpose is required.
Nutritional Supplements
Nutritional supplements -- both herbal and non-herbal supplements -- may contain nutrients that are helpful in treating your pulled ligament. According to naturopathic physician Sharol Tilgner, author of "Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth," helpful herbal supplements for this health problem may include rue, arnica, cayenne, wintergreen oil, tea tree oil, calendula and St. John's wort. Beneficial non-herbal supplements may include chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate, bromelain, manganese, turmeric and zinc. Further scientific inquiry me be needed to asses these supplements' true efficacy in treating pulled ligaments.
Warning
Pulled ligaments, though a common health problem, can be severe and cause significant temporary disability. In some cases, pulled ligaments may require aggressive treatment using conventional allopathic treatment measures. Most cases of pulled ligaments will respond to appropriate dietary changes and nutritional supplementation. Avoid using nutrition therapy for this health problem until you have reviewed all aspects of this natural healing approach with your primary care provider. Your doctor can counsel you on the risks, benefits and limitations of this approach.
References
- Nucleus Medical Media: Ligament Sprain and Strains
- Sports Injury Bulletin: Ligament Injury Recovery
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.; 2010
- "Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth"; Sharol Tilgner, N.D.; 1999
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