essential food for regaining strength after injuries and physiotherapy

food and physiotherapy for heal injury

Physiotherapy has proven to be very helpful in assisting injured individuals to heal faster. However, apart from the procedures used by the physiotherapist, it is important to use a holistic approach to heal faster and completely. In addition to the procedures from physiotherapy, a good diet will also positively help you with quick and fast recovery. With the help of a healthy diet that is free of trans-fats and preservatives, your body will be able to digest the food better. That way all the essential nutrients needed will be assimilated by the body, leading to better healing time. Thereby, taking the right kinds of food, your body, particularly the injured parts, would be able to get the right nutrients needed to heal properly. So make it a note to conglomerate a good diet with the correct physiotherapy techniques, which will assist your body eventually to emerge stronger and healthier.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, appropriate eating habits would be helpful to rectify any malfunctions of your body’s make-up. Hence, by altering your dietary practices, you will be able to aid your body function more effectively and efficiently. Accordingly, here are a few essential foods to be taken in regaining strength after injuries and physiotherapy.

• Consume foods rich in proteins after a physiotherapy session. Because the meal or snack containing rich in protein helps in rebuilding of muscle.
• Consume adequate fiber-rich foods to keep your digestive system in good condition. As the pain medications frequently cause constipation, which could be counteracted by eating 25-35 grams of fiber or drinking plenty of water each day.
• Consume a balanced diet containing carbs, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins. This will reduce the need of taking anti-inflammatory medications.
• Consume foods rich in Omega-3 Fats, these types of fats are rich in flax oil and cold water fish. As these fats play a vital role in regulating the inflammatory response and may also help in decreasing muscle atrophy.
• Consume foods rich in vitamin C such as citrus fruits, broccoli, kiwi and peppers. It is a water-soluble vitamin and plays a vital role in healing injuries by building new protein for skin, tendons, scar tissues and ligaments.
•  Consume foods rich in vitamin A such as sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes, carrots, swiss chard, winter squash, and spinach. It promotes the formation of white blood cells to invade the infections and viruses present in the body. Thus, it increases the rate of healing and protect the injury.
• Consume foods rich in Zinc such as nuts, seeds, oyster and chicken. It is known that every tissue in the body contains zinc and helps the body to use the fats and proteins in the food to promote healing of the affected/injured tissue. In addition to the healing process, zinc also keeps the immune system strong.
• Consume foods rich in Vitamin E such as alfalfa sprouts, avocados, nuts, seeds and dark leafy green vegetables. It plays a vital role in cell repair and also helps in preventing internal scarring.
• Take enough fluids or water, i.e 6-8 glasses of water daily during or after physiotherapy.
• Cut back the alcohol, food containing sugar, fried and fatty foods. This will helps the patient to recover speedily from injury.
• Try to consume lots of colorful vegetables and fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, grapes, carrots, broccoli, and pineapple when injured. As they are rich with powerful anti-oxidants that help in knocking down the inflammation.
• Eat cautiously. Do not skip meals, take small amounts of food and avoid taking large amount at a time.

For more information, chat or connect online with a Physiotherapist from Portea. You can also avail physiotherapy at home for physiotherapy assessment at your sutable time.

Dr. Sumbul Naqvi

Sumbul is a dentist by profession and a marketer by choice. She has about 4 years of experience in marketing and a year of clinical experience. Previously, she was working with Witworks. She is a graduate from K.L.E. Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum. Driven by a mission to make a bigger impact in healthcare, she opted to work for Portea.