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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 treatment
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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