Ligament & Tendon Injuries

[Shotokan Seishin]

Does anyone know of any good methods to help strengthen injured ligaments and tendons?

I recently injured the 1st metatarsal joint in my foot when I caught the training mats with my big toe and rolled it under during a sparring match. My full body weight went onto the joint when it happened and I felt a ‘pop’ at the time. This was 3.5 weeks ago and the joint has been unstable since. I rested for three weeks then tried a class but there was no improvement in the stability of the joint since the injury. I know ligaments and tendons take a long time to heal so I’ll be taking 6-8 weeks off (which really stinks). My foot aches constantly, but walking does not put pressure on it in the same direction that sparring or MA practice does, so I can actually walk relatively well, I just can’t go back to training.

In the mean time is there anything I can do to help the healing process? So much of what I read on the internet says ligaments and tendons don’t heal well. Now I’m very worried that the joint won’t regain it’s stability or strength.

Anyone else experienced an injury like this?

Thanks!

 

[xJOHNx]

Not too much you can do I'm afraid.
It can take over a year for a ligament to return to it's normal strength (if it has been torn out and corrected through surgery afterwards).

Best see a physio therapist to see if your ligament is still the correct length and still has it's function.

Also ligaments don't go 'pop'. That was probably your joint or a bone breaking.
If it did went pop, you need surgery.

sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

 

[Stac3y]

When I tore the ligaments in my ankle, I had to wear supports for about 6 months. You should see your doctor.

 

[bluekey88]

Yeah, what thye said. A torn ligament needs surgery to reattach and then time to "take" and get back to some smeblance of normal strength. Assuming the pop was a broken bone and not a ligament/tendon....6-8 weeks for the bone to heal (assuming you don't move around on it and keep shifting it about).

You cannot strengthen ligaments and tendons...what you can do is strengthen the supporitng musculature through excercise and that will take some of the stress of the joints. That's what I had to do following my ACL surgery. Took about a year of intense physical therapy combined and followed with some heavy duty weight training to gte my leg back to and into better shape.

Bottom line in that you need to go to doctor to diagnose exactly what is going on with your foot and then follow your docotr's advice regarding treatment...otherwise you are more likely to make thinga worse in your efforts to make them better.

Peace,
Erik

 

[Xue Sheng]

Does anyone know of any good methods to help strengthen injured ligaments and tendons?

Since I am currently recovering from stretched ligaments in my knee and sadly this is not the first time I have injured ligaments I can tell you that there is only one sure fire way to get them back, that is assuming they are just strecthed and not torn (been there done that too) and you are not going to like it. The only thing that helps is....

Time.

You need to take time and let them heal and the only exercises you should do are those recommended by the physical therapist your MD sent you to.

 

[Shotokan Seishin]

Thanks,

I actually have seen two doctors about it. One was billed as a sports doctor but the visit to him was less than helpful. Let this be a warning to anyone….if a doctor only takes 30 seconds to come up with a diagnosis and barely looks at your injury, then I’d be very skeptical with what they say. The sports doc said I would probably be feeling a lot better in 2-3 weeks (I saw him a few days after the injury). He was SO wrong. I went and tried out a class after three weeks of rest and nothing was better and I may have re-injured what little healing had taken place. I’m pretty unhappy about the whole thing. Second doctor said I 'probably' pulled or partially tore some ligaments/tendons and to rest for a good 6-8 weeks, which is what I’ll be doing. Unfortunately they can't tell for sure what the damage is by just looking/poking/ prodding. Neither gave any instructions on what if anything can be done in the mean time other than light to moderate activity…walking etc, but no jumping around, sparring or anything that may strain the injury. I’ll be seeing the physiotherapist tomorrow for a first visit.

It’s just sooo frustrating being out of training. Things were going so well too :/

 

[xJOHNx]

Get an echography. The only thing that can rule out if it is twisted or torn.
That or an MRI, which is more expensive.

 

[geezer]

Thanks,

I actually have seen two doctors about it. One was billed as a sports doctor but the visit to him was less than helpful...

I hear you on this. Finally I found a sports doctor (orthopedic specialist) who is also a martial artist. That has made a huge difference!

As far as your injury, I'd consider what your second doctor told you. I've had similar problems with my toes and fingers. They did improve with rest... but they took a lot longer than expected. Now that I'm getting on in years, some of these injuries bother me for many months... sometimes taking over a year to heal. If rest doesn't do it, you'll have to go back to another doctor. That will be fun.

 

[Xue Sheng]

(orthopedic specialist)

That is the type of MD I go to and he is great.

 

[K831]

Only problem I have had with Ortho's is I find they push surgery harder than they should. They are of a more western "invasive" mind set than I typically like.

Both shoulder dislocations (one each side) I went to an Ortho first, and each time they recommended surgery immediately. Each time my Physical Therapist asked me questions, did some apprehension tests etc and determined the shoulder could be healed without surgery. Both times I achieved full recovery without surgery, and in doing MA, lifting weights etc I have had no shoulder troubles.

I don't mean to down surguery, it is sometimes needed to heal, but it is important to recognize that there are those in the medical profession who make money based on surgery, prescriptions etc, and those who get paid to help the body heal itself in a less invasive matter. Take that into account and weigh it agaisn the opinion you are getting. The key is to find a doctor with greater objectivity and broader study (why I prefer DO's over MD's).

Also, for ligament/tendon/cartilage strains and sprains most docs recomend the RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) treatment. I have had much better luck with the MEAT (movement, exercise, analgesics and treatment) method. Research it and see what you think.

Also, do all you can to empower you body to heal itself; eat right and get some extra joint suppliments so that your body has the nutrients it needs to heal. Sleep right so your body has ample rest to heal and ample time to produce HGH etc...

Lastly, and this is the stuff some scoff at, do not underestimate the power your mind can have on healing your body. In both my shoulder disclocations, and when I broke my back, I spent time looking at the anatomy of the injured part of my body, so that I could visualize it healing. As I fell asleep at night, stood in the shower etc, I visualised a strong healthy body, and I told myself I was healed. I truly believe that to be a component in having faster and more complete recovery than the doctors said I would.

 

[ATC]

Since this is a foot injury why not see a foot doctor first? They will do an X-ray to see if anything is really damaged. Without looking at the damage everyone is only guessing.

Foot injuries tend to take longer to heal as the foot actually gets very little blood flow.

See a foot doctor and at least get an X-ray of the foot. Then start the guessing from there.

 

[Shotokan Seishin]

Thanks Everyone,

As scary as it seems, the sports doc that I went to see was supposed to specialize in feet....although I later found out he is not a registered Podiatrists. Go figure.....again, lesson learned.

I have been doing some research online about tendon and ligament injuries and the healing process. It's been informative, although there's a lot of information out there, and often conflicting.

Here's an interesting article I found.

http://www.caringmedical.com/symptoms/meatvsrice.asp

"MEAT vs. RICE Treatment
Traditional modern medical treatment for acute injuries, such as those that occur during active sports, usually receive the RICE protocol. In fact, it’s become a standard for sports injuries and pain management. RICE, by the way, stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. A “P” is occasionally added to the equation. It stands for Protection, and consists of bracing or taping the area. In addition, most injured individuals are also encouraged to take anti-inflammatory medications. Unfortunately, in order to help heal injured ligaments and tendons, there couldn’t be a worse approach. Read on to find out how the RICE protocol came about, why it’s counterproductive to healing and why the MEAT (Movement, Exercise, Analgesics and Treatments) protocol is the best way to heal weakened and injured ligaments and tendons.
..."

Soooo.....if given that this info is true, then icing ligaments and tendons may do more harm than good, whereas heat and methods to encourage blood flow may be the best way to go.

Thoughts?

 

[xJOHNx]

Ice is used in the first 24 hours of an injury. To stop the cells from forming too much cells that attract inflammation molecules. To stop the edema as the article said. This is the first stage of hhealing, inflammation (after that you have stage two: rebuilding/reconstructing and stage 3: maturation).
So yeah RICE only works in the first 24 hours.

After that heat is more likely to help, because it helps the blood flowing. Apart from that we start physiotherapy after the first 24 hours. Even with very worse injuries like torn crucial ligaments. We do circulation therapy and the progress. To keep the blood flowing as blood contains everything you need to heal injuries.

Get an echography, it will show if it is ligament problem. RX is just gonna show your bones (ligaments have low levels of calcium, that's why they don't show up that great on RX). Plus echo should be dirt cheap.

 

[ATC]

Yep! After a couple days of rest M.E.A.T. as you put it always worked for me. Even after my two knee surgeries I was in therapy after 4 days rest. That was for ligament damage. For my cartilage damage (simple scope) The doctor had me get up and walk right after the surgery and I went to therapy the next day.

However after each therapy session I still was told to go home and R.I.C.E., they never used heat at all. The bike and other exercises for movement was all the heat that was generated. Also after I was able to start back at sports I was told to always ice right after.

Still think you need to see a foot doctor if it is bothering you still. You need to know what the actual problem is. At this point you are still guessing.