Sometimes it seems that after a winter of not being as active as we'd like, as soon as the weather shifts we rush outside and pick up our "summer" activities as though 6 or 7 months hadn't passed. This can result in some strains, soreness or pain in your body. The body's natural response to injury like this is inflammation. When a muscle, tendon or ligament is damaged the area tends to lose function and become inflamed and painful. Though painful, this is a really important part of the body's healing process. It limits further damage by restricting movement in the injured area and starts tissue repair and reconstruction.
The first 72 hours following an injury, it's recommended to rest and elevate the damaged area, applying ice intermittently for 10-15 minutes at a time. This helps to reduce the pain of inflammation and keeps the recovery time to a minimum. Chiropractic treatments also aid in faster injury recovery. There are three main parts in repairing and rehabilitating injured tissue.
1. Consuming appropriate nutrients to help support the body's response to the inflammation
2. Rebuilding damaged connective tissue, such as ligaments, tendons and joint cartilage.
3. Relaxing the soft tissue area where the injury occurred.
Two very important nutrients to help deal with inflammation are the fatty acids omega-6 and omega-3. These are not produced by your body so you must get them from your diet - this is why they're called essential fats. Some foods rich in these fatty acids include:
-fish and shellfish
-flaxseed (linseed) oil and canola oil
-hemp oil and soya oil
-pumpkin and sunflower seeds
-leafy veggies
-walnuts
Also there are some enzymes in citrus fruits called bioflavinoids that can help to minimize the effects of pain and swelling.
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