The other day I was involved in a discussion about ligaments and tendons. There seemed to be some doubt about what each one was, and what they did.

A ligament is a tough, non-elastic, yet flexible, white fibrous connective tissue that connects two bones together at the joint. Ligaments strengthen the joint and limit its movement to certain directions. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by hyperflexing the wrist causing the carpal tunnel ligament to become inflamed, which causes swelling of the median nerve. The median nerve, in an inflamed and swollen state, fills the tiny tunnel space and rubs on the ligament or the eight small bones that are on the other side of the tunnel. Ligaments in a sheet form known as peritoneum support and hold together abdominal organs.

Tendons are parallel bundles of collagen that attach muscles to bones. Tendons are inelastic but flexible. Tendons concentrate the pull of the muscle on a small section of the bone. Some tendons are surrounded by a sheath. The tendon sheath is a tubular, double layer sac that contains synovial membranes and synovial fluid. Synovial fluid acts as a lubricant for the tendon. Achilles tendinitis is when the tendon rubs against the sheath and becomes swollen and inflamed, usually because of overuse or lack of synovial fluid. Lack of synovial fluid can be caused by poor diet.

Collagen, besides being the bundles of tendons, is a major constituent of the skin and spinal discs. Collagen keeps the skin soft and pliable. Cigarette smoke, including second hand smoke, destroys collagen. If your skin looks prematurely old, you have aches and pains, including arthritis pain and tendinitis, your back hurts and you smoke, you now know one of the reasons.

If you were worried about those extra pounds and started an exercise routine but ended up with aches and pains that didn’t want to go away, you may have been suffering from tendinitis. Unfortunately, if you quit exercising because of the pain, you didn’t accomplish your original objective. You can build the strength in the muscles more quickly than it’s possible to strengthen the tendons, especially if you go too far too fast, lift too much before you’re properly conditioned, or get caught in the competition trap.

Following are some ways to deal with the tendinitis problem.

Nutritional therapy includes vitamin B6, B complex, vitamin C with bioflavonoids, 2 to 4 mg. daily of copper (orally or wear copper bracelets), manganese and bromelain, essential fatty acids from flaxseed oil or ground flax seed, (flaxseed oil is much more expensive, goes rancid quickly and contains no fiber), olive oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil, and seafood (especially cold water fish like salmon, trout and deep ocean fish), cod liver oil (one tablespoon one to two hours before meals), D-phenylalanine and or calcium and magnesium (taken 4 hours apart since they compete for the same receptor sights as does Vitamin C), free form amino acid complex (Bragg liquid aminos is one), multi-enzyme complex with pancreatin, Vitamin A, horsetail or silica extract, Vitamin E and selenium.

Everyone is different and some are deficient in one nutrient and some in others, but these are the ones mentioned most often as beneficial for all tendinitis problems.

An herbal therapy is willow bark, cramp bark and prickly ash in equal parts. Take one teaspoon of the mixture once a day. This is for pain. Willow bark is Nature’s formula that aspirin is modeled after. Bromelain can also be used as an aspirin substitute.

Hydrotherapy consists of soaking the affected area in warm Epsom salts, then drying the affected area and rubbing it down with hot olive oil.

Topical treatments include elevating the affected area if possible, soaking several layers of gauze in apple cider vinegar, then place coarse kosher or sea salt (regular salt has aluminum compounds to stop it from clumping) on the vinegar soaked gauze, or muslin, and wrap around the affected area. Rub salt moistened with vinegar on the affected area twice a week to help loosen tight tendons, restricted sheaths and joints, this also works for Achilles tendon problems. Another treatment is to take mullein leaves, mostly found in cooler climates, and boil three or four in water for three minutes. Place on the affected area and wrap with a hot moist towel, then wrap in a dry towel. Leave on for twenty minutes three times a day. A third treatment is to wrap the affected area in hot castor oil packs. Wrap in plastic to avoid staining and cover with a heating pad to keep pack hot. Leave in place for three to four hours.

Contrast therapy: After the first thirty-six hours (acute stage), alternate hot and cold by application of hot towels for three to four minutes followed by thirty to sixty seconds of ice pack. Repeat three to five times daily, or until the pain is gone.