Try building the ligament back up slowly without forcing it to take too much weight too soon. Keeping the joint elevated when possible helps reduce swelling. As most athletes soon find out, muscle fibers will tear with too much exertion or stretching. You will probably feel some immediate pain if you tear a muscle, say, by lifting too much weight or by suddenly reaching out to catch a baseball. The muscle gradually becomes swollen, tender, and stiff.
Muscle strains are nearly always minor and heal completely by themselves within a few days.
But if the muscle will not function at all, it may be completely torn and you need to see a doctor. Be careful of less severe muscle strains as well. If you do not treat a serious muscle strain properly, or if you strain the muscle repeatedly, you may lose strength in the muscle permanently. For minor muscle strains an ice pack can help ease the pain and keep swelling down. An elastic bandage wrapped around the affected area also reduces swelling, but the bandage must not be so tight that it hampers blood circulation.