Q. Dear Terry, “I had surgery on a torn rotator cuff two months ago. The surgeon told me to expect four to six months recovery time. It feels like I’m making some progress, but very slowly. I’m wondering if there’s anything I could be taking to help this speed up the recovery process?” – Parker N., Islip, NY

A. Dear Parker, Injuries or surgeries that involve ligaments and tendons can have a lengthy recovery process. One of the key reasons for this is ligaments and tendons have limited blood supply. In most cases, a broken bone will heal faster than a ligament or tendon issue. However, there are key nutrients we can provide the body to boost the healing process.

To facilitate healing, I recommend a combination of ingredients specific to ligaments and tendons. It should include the human forms of vitamin B6 (as pyridoxal-5-phosphate, P-5-P) and vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin), along with magnesium, manganese, bromelain, zinc, vitamin C, niacinamide, and boswellia. Vitamins B6 and B12 are essential for tendons, ligaments, and flexibility. Magnesium plays a role in certain enzymes that help the body repair damaged tissues. One of the most crucial ingredients is manganese. You need at least 36 mg of manganese to have an impact, so make sure the dosing of this critical nutrient is sufficient. Bromelain helps to repair the tears in ligaments and tendons that can occur from injury or inflammation. Zinc helps to ensure that any tendon or ligament repair proceeds along the right track to help you get active again. Vitamin C is crucial for collagen formation after injury. Niacinamide helps to prevent the breakdown of collagen, which is a building block of joint tissue and cartilage. Boswellia reduces the degradation of synovial fluid in the joints and can have a huge impact on how our ligaments and tendons function.

I would take 300 mg of vitamin C (as ascorbic acid), 200 mg of niacin (as niacinamide), 40 mg of vitamin B6 (as pyridoxal-5-phosphate), 500 mcg of vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin), 75 mg of magnesium (as magnesium bisglycinate), 10 mg of zinc (as zinc bisglycinate), 36 mg of manganese (as manganese bisglycinate), 250 mg of boswellia, and 100 mg of bromelain daily.

Healthy Regards!

Terry . . . Naturally