Ligaments and tendons are extremely important elements of the human musculoskeletal system, holding bones together.
Under the influence of various reasons (malnutrition, injuries and hereditary diseases, severe somatic pathologies of other organs), the functional state of connective tissues is disrupted, which can lead not only to a change in the quality of life, but also to disability.
There are many nutrients necessary to maintain adequate functioning of the musculoskeletal system and accelerate the regeneration of damaged connective tissue (in tendons and ligaments).
Below are 7 foods that are useful for strengthening ligaments and tendons. It is recommended to include them in the daily diet if you have diseases of the musculoskeletal system or are prone to them, as well as during periods of active physical activity.
Dairy
Milk is a valuable source of calcium, tryptophan and other amino acids for the human body.
Calcium ensures complete neuromuscular transmission, maintains tone and ensures muscle contraction, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of ligaments.
Tryptophan increases the rate of tissue synthesis of the ligament and tendon complexes, promotes the absorption of essential amino acids entered into the body with food. It has been proven that a decrease in tryptophan content in food negatively affects the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.
In addition, dairy products improve immunity.
Due to the calcium and tryptophan content, dairy products are beneficial for skeletal muscles, bones and ligaments.
Why is it important to eat right after surgery?
The success of joint replacement largely depends on the state of the immune system. She will have to protect the body from bacteria that can infect the postoperative wound. Therefore, it is very important to support immunity for 1-2 weeks before and immediately after surgery.
The immune system suffers from free radicals, so it is important to improve the intake of antioxidants into the body. Good antioxidants are vitamins A, E and C, zinc and selenium, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits (tomatoes, cranberries, broccoli, nuts and citrus fruits). All of them provide good immune support.
Broccoli and tomatoes are good immune support
Rich meat broths
Decoctions of meat products, which contain not only meat as raw materials, but bones, tendons and skin, are rich in hyaluronic acid. The combs of roosters and hens and chicken feet are especially valuable.
Hyaluronic acid is absorbed in the intestines, breaks down into individual protein metabolites, which then travel to the ligaments, tendons and joints. They are necessary for the restoration of damaged tissues.
The University of California found that hyaluronic acid helps increase the content of type III collagen in damaged ligaments, which significantly improves repair and enhances the formation of blood vessels for nutrition and oxygen supply. A decrease in the intensity of inflammatory processes was also noted.
It is recommended to add rich meat broths with the inclusion of offal to the diet to maintain the integrity and rapid restoration of ligaments and tendons when ruptured or sprained.
Gymnastic techniques to strengthen knee joints
Experts have developed several complexes, the purpose of which is to strengthen tissues and prevent the development of pathologies. Some of them do not require additional equipment, while for others it is necessary to purchase special simulators.
- Complex according to the Bubnovsky method.
Includes the most effective exercises, the systematic repetition of which will make it possible to recover from injuries and will not allow pathologies to develop. In the process of gymnastics, metabolism in organs improves and nutrition of cartilage is normalized.
For non-advanced stages of disease, the complex will help avoid surgical interventions for joint diseases. However, for some, physical activity may be accompanied by pain at first.
Most exercises are designed to be performed using exercise equipment, but several exercises can be performed at home. Basic exercises of the Bubnovsky system look like this:
- Crush the ice and place it in a towel or other material, then wrap it around your knee. Lean on chairs, kneel and walk around a bit. Pain in this case is inevitable, but it will soon pass. One set includes 15 kneeling steps.
- Kneel down on your heels and support your body with support. Hold this position for 10-15 seconds.
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended. Hold your feet with your palms and parallelly extend your toes towards you. This way the hamstring muscles are stretched and blood circulation returns to normal.
2. Exercises by Professor Dikul.
The set of exercises is designed for several stages with increasing levels of difficulty. After completing the first, simpler cycle, you can gradually move on to increased loads. The technique combines more than 50 exercises, the main ones of which are the following:
- Lie on your back, place your palms on the floor near your torso, place your feet next to each other. The upper body should be static. From this position you need to slide your legs in different directions. It is important to feel the tension in the lateral ligaments. It is advisable to linger for 5-10 seconds at the point of greatest tension.
- Get on all fours, lower your head. Calmly raise your head and leg, while freezing in the top position, at the point of maximum tension. Gently return the body parts to the starting position.
3. Exercise therapy according to Evdokimenko’s method.
Basic exercises for restoring knee joints and strengthening them:
- Lie on your stomach with your arms parallel to your body and your legs straight. Raise your right leg by about 20 cm. Hold it in this position for half a minute. In this case, the pelvis should be pressed against the floor. After this, return to the starting point and repeat the same with the other leg.
- Lie on your side, bend your right leg and keep your left leg straight as high as possible above the floor. Hold it in this state for 20 seconds, then slowly lower it. Do the same with the other limb.
- Sit on a chair, straighten one leg and hold it in this position for 30 seconds. Repeat this with the other leg.
4. Exercises to prevent age-related modifications.
Irreversible processes in tissues begin to appear after 40 years. At this time, chronic diseases worsen in people, and reserves of vitamins and useful elements are depleted. Therefore, the prevention of ligament diseases at this age must be addressed even in the absence of complaints. The following exercises should be done daily:
- Lying on your back, lift one leg and then the other. When lifting a limb, bend your leg at the knee, then straighten it. Do this 10 times.
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight. Bend one leg and place it on the other. Hold your bent knees with your hands and pull them towards your body.
- “Bicycle” lying down or sitting on a chair.
- Do calm, shallow squats. When lowering, stop at the bottom point for a couple of seconds.
Climbing stairs and doing exercises using a step platform also help.
- Exercises for recovery after injury.
After injuries to the knee, tendons and ligaments, it is recommended to engage in physical therapy for faster recovery. The doctor selects exercises for her based on the injury and its level of complexity. Exercise therapy should be carried out slowly, and the degree of load should gradually increase over time.
The recommended set of exercises includes ankle circles, slowly raising the legs with bending at the knee, and leveling the toes of the extended leg. Leg swings, squats and exercises on machines are allowed only after full recovery.
- Therapeutic massage to improve the health of joints and ligaments.
Massage helps saturate tissues with oxygen and nutritional compounds. It is performed by gently stroking the patient's tissues. The massage therapist's movements begin from the hip, smoothly moving to the knee. The knee joint is massaged very carefully. The first sessions last 2 minutes, after which the time increases and reaches 15 minutes.
Nutrition tips
In addition to exercise therapy, special attention should be paid to food. Experts recommend:
- Include foods with plenty of collagen and gelatin in your menu. It can be jellied meat, jelly, aspic.
- Be sure to consume foods containing antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances. For example, green tea, nuts and fruits.
- The body needs vitamin D and calcium. There are many of them in cottage cheese, milk, eggs, and fish.
You need to remove fried and fatty foods, foods with preservatives and dyes from your diet. For overweight people, a diet is recommended, as excess weight overloads the joints and increases the risk of damage.
ethnoscience
Along with traditional methods of treatment, folk methods can also be effective. Among them, the following are especially popular:
- Grind 20 sheets of bay leaf, add half a liter of boiling liquid. Boil the resulting mixture for 5 minutes, then pour into a thermos and leave for 4 hours. You need to take the solution several times a day, one sip at a time. Drink the decoction continuously for 3 days, and then rest for a week. If necessary, the course is repeated.
- Chicken cartilage is famous for its high percentage of collagen content, so it is boiled and taken in the morning before meals. You can also eat chicken legs. After which you need to drink orange juice or hot water with lemon.
- 100 g of sunflower root are passed through a meat grinder, and then 1 liter of water is poured. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for another 10 minutes. After cooling, the liquid is expressed and drunk for 3 months instead of water.
When selecting folk remedies, it is worth taking into account individual intolerance to the components. There are no other restrictions on taking these medications.
Fatty fish
Seafood contains large amounts of the valuable amino acid tryptophan. This substance is one of the main building elements for bone tissue, tendons, ligaments and skin.
The amino acid not only increases the rate of tissue restoration, but also helps normalize mood (for depressive disorders) and gives an attractive aesthetic appearance to the skin.
Scientific experiments demonstrate that tryptophan deficiency can lead to significant damage. There is a pronounced curvature of the spinal column (due to loss of functional activity of the ligamentous apparatus). Also, a lack of tryptophan increases the content of calcium, magnesium and sodium in the body, leading to multiple organ disorders.
In addition, oily fish is one of the 11 foods that are most beneficial for joints.
It is recommended to use fatty fish more often (at least 2 times a week) to maintain healthy ligaments.
What you need for a good stretch
So, let's start with the fact that there are no such drugs, including vitamins, that by taking them, without any exercise, you can improve your stretching without any problems. All this is a myth, and training, nutrition and vitamins must be combined, and only then can you get the desired result.
So, let’s highlight the components that can have the greatest impact on the level of flexibility and stretching:
- Omega 3 and 6, which are fatty acids, significantly increase muscle elasticity. This component can help with the main task, as well as make your skin/hair/nails as attractive and healthy as possible. To avoid taking any synthetic drugs, the described substances are found in significant quantities in fatty fish, flax oil, nuts and eggs;
- water. It is the sufficient fluid content in the body that accelerates biochemical processes, allowing cells to be in good shape all the time;
- salt. If you want great flexibility, then salt is enemy number one. It is deposited in the joints, not only spoils the stretch, but can also cause developing arthritis. The downside of salt is its ability to retain fluid in the body.
Important! Losing weight can also have a significant effect on stretching, as it reduces the stress on joints and cartilage.
Chicken eggs
Chicken eggs contain a wide range of vitamins (D, C, E, B), macro- and microelements, essential amino acids, which are building materials for the body’s cells.
Eggs contain a significant amount of collagen, which is broken down into valuable amino acids (proline, lysine, glycine) and used by ligaments, cartilage and muscles.
According to research, with a lack of dietary collagen, there is a decrease in bone density, decreased muscle tone, and loss of elasticity in ligaments and tendons.
To increase the absorption of collagen from eggs, you should additionally consume foods rich in vitamin C (bell peppers, citrus fruits, strawberries, pineapple).
A chicken egg is a valuable source of amino acids and vitamins necessary to maintain the anatomical and functional integrity of the musculoskeletal system.
Red grapes
Grapes have a wide range of properties: they slow down aging, prevent the formation of atherosclerotic deposits on the walls of large vessels, and inhibit malignant cell proliferation.
Grapes, according to scientific research, prevent the development of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system, prevent fibrosis of the tendons of those muscle groups that, for various reasons, are not able to work properly.
An improvement in metabolic processes in the connective tissue of ligaments and tendons was also noted.
Grapes are an indispensable product for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle or have serious pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.
What to avoid
There are many foods that negatively affect the condition of ligaments and tendons. The most harmful are:
- Sweets. The most dangerous are sugar, cakes, pastries and pastries. They promote the deposition of fat cells in muscle tissue, the development of dystrophic changes, which provokes the degradation of connective tissue.
- Fats. Inhibits the absorption of calcium by myocytes and connective tissue cells. As a result, calcium begins to be actively removed from the bones, causing osteoporosis. You should avoid animal lard, as well as long-term frying of food in oil.
- Oatmeal. Due to the presence of phytic acid in its composition, oatmeal causes a malabsorption of calcium, which negatively affects the entire musculoskeletal system.