SPORTS INJURIES
The MCL Ligament
This ligament on the medial aspect of the knee, the medial collateral
ligament (MCL), is a commonly injured ligament. It is a broad
thick band about four to six inches long. It has deep and
superficial layers. This ligament is vulnerable to blows
to the knee from the outside, which often occur in contact
sports. The exciting thing is that these ligaments can heal
well if the person treats them correctly after the injury.
What the athlete should not do is use the RICE protocol and
anti-inflammatory medications, as these stop the healing
process. A better approach is the MEAT program, which involves
movement, exercise, natural analgesics, and specific treatments
such as physiotherapy or Prolotherapy. When they do not heal
on their own, Prolotherapy is used to strengthen them, thus
relieving the pain. The MCL rarely needs surgical repair,
but often requires stimulation repair with Prolotherapy.
Injury to the MCL also occurs when an athlete falls awkwardly
while playing a contact sport or skiing. He/she feels
a tearing pain on the inner side of the knee. Usually the
athlete can still walk but the pain increases with passage
of time. Often there is a swelling of the knee due to the trauma. These
symptoms gradually improve over several weeks, and in many cases heal completely.
In complete tears (grade III) a brace if often prescribed with gradually-increasing
degrees of motion of the knee. This type of bracing is called functional bracing.
It is used for a very short time. For the athlete who wants to speed the healing
process, even for a complete tear, Prolotherapy can be done on both ends of the
MCL to stimulate the body to repair the area.
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