Often taking longer to heal than a broken bone, injuries to ligaments, tendons and other soft tissue can cause a major disruption to your training schedule - and not to mention frustration.  In fact, most active people would regard this disruption as more troublesome than the actual pain of the injury itself.

Muscles and joints can become injured whenever the body is in motion.  When you’re in the gym, on the track, on the slopes or in the kick boxing dojo, sweating and pushing yourself, injury is always a possibility. Strains and sprains are the most common types of sports injuries. They can occur in almost every type of sport - from hockey to golf, from karate to bowling.   Sprains refer to the damage caused to a tendon or ligament, usually a minor or partial tear.

Tendons hold bone and muscle together.  Ligaments hold bones together.  When there is a minor tear as there is in a sprain, it will cause inflammation, pain and swelling, but also impaired movement because the affected are does not have the full support that it needs for healthy movement.  Sprains cause sharp pain and rapid swelling of the area.  Strains refer to overworking a muscle.  It causes muscle cramps, localized pain during movement, swelling and loss of mobility.  Another joint injury is bursitis- often called tennis elbow, a swelling of the fluid-filled sac inside the joint.  It usually causes localized pain on movement of the joint and swelling.  Outright tears of ligaments and tendons are rare, but do happen.  Reattachment of the ligament or tendon through surgery is the only realistic option if this is the case.

Conventional treatment of muscle and joint injury involves the use of anti-inflammatories and pain relievers.  They take away the acute symptoms but do not help to heal the injured tissue.  The use of such medications may make an individual return to activity too quickly, predisposing the area to re-injury.

At the initial event of injury, it is very important to act quickly, as this will often shorten the duration of the injury.

First aid for muscle and joint injuries is easily remembered by the acronym RICE, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.  Immediately after the injury raise the area above the heart and apply ice for up to 20 minutes.

Apply ice every 4 hours for 2 days.  Only use heat after the initial swelling has subsided.  Use a splint or sling to immobilize the area.  Go to the hospital if there is significant swelling or if joint activity is compromised.

The natural treatment of a sprain or a strain includes supplements to both relieve the symptoms as well as to speed and ensure maximum healing.  Inflammation and pain can both be reduced by MSM; it is a potent natural anti-inflammatory and works quickly.  You can also use the homeopathic remedy arnica (both topically as well as internally) for the symptomatic relief of a sports injury.  To support healing of the joint or soft tissue, you can use glucosamine combined with chondroitin.  They have been clinically proven to help regenerate cartilage.  You might also consider a collagen supplement.  For some people, it may work more effectively than glucosamine / chondroitin.  Antioxidants are also very important during your recovery from injury because inflammation brings with it free radical damage which can cause the cartilage to become stiff.  Please see the table below for more information about dosage and other alternatives available to you.

Of course, prevention is always the best way to treat injuries.  To prevent injuries include stretching in your warm up and cool down activities.  This helps ensure that your ligaments and tendons are flexible and supple.  If you have had a previous injury that has healed, be sure to pay extra attention to it during your stretching phase; this will help to prevent a reoccurrence.  You might also consider seeing a sports chiropractor or a sports massage therapist.

In respect do diet, protein is an important part of an injury recovery program.  To provide the body with the raw materials for tissue repair eat sufficient amounts of protein or use a protein supplement (whey protein is best).  Eat, or drink the juices of, raw fruits and vegetables including beets, garlic and radishes.  They are packed with vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Drink at least 2L of filtered water to flush waste products from the damaged area.  If you are too busy to make these juices yourself, you could consider a green food supplement.

To prevent muscle and joint injury eat chromium rich foods such as nutritional yeast, lobster and cheese.  This ensures a steady supply of blood sugar to working muscles.  Eat wheat germ because it contains octacosanol, which prevents strains by increasing muscle oxygenation, and vitamin E, which heals tissue.  Eat oats because they contain the connective tissue supporting nutrient, silica.

The following is a list of supplements used for muscle and joint injury.  Adult doses are given.  (CLICK SUPPLEMENT NAME FOR PRODUCTS).