Nutrition for Injuries

Nutrition is often overlooked when it comes to recovering from an injury, but proper nutrition plays an implortant role in tissue healing and recovery. During your appointment we will discuss specific instructions regarding the recovery of your injury. Below are some general dietary guidelines, as well as some common over-the-counter supplements used to speed recovery.

General Dietary Goals - during musculoskeletal healing

• Maintain adequate caloric intake (at least 2000 Cal/day), and a protein intake of 1.0-1.5 g/kg/day (70-100g protein/day for a 70 kg/100 lb person).
• Decrease or remove "junk" foods (highly refined or processed foods) from the diet replacing them with "whole" foods (fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and whole grains).
• Avoid fried foods, greasy foods and excess use of fat condiments (butter, margarine, gravies, mayonnaise, cream cheese, salad dressings, cheeses).
• Substitute fish, poultry, extra lean cuts of red meat, eggs, or nonfat dairy products for fatty red meats (hamburger, hot dogs, most luncheon meats, sausages bacon, steaks, and most pork cuts).

Supplementation

Anti-Inflammatory

• Proteolytic enzymes:
• Bromelain (from pineapple skin)
• Trypsin/Chymotrypsin (from papaya)
• Do NOT use these enzymes if you are allergic to pineapple or papaya, have an increased tendency to bleed, or have an infection.
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Connective Tissue (GAGS)

• Condroitin sulfates (shark cartlidge)
• Glucosamine sulfate
• Zinc (for wound healing)

General Health

• Anti-oxidant tablet (A, C, E, Selenium)
• Multi-vitamin and mineral tablet