Treatment for Bruised Bones in the Foot

People often confuse a bruised bone with a fractured bone. Bruises develop when the outer layer of the bone is injured and hair line cracks develop in it. The bone is actually not fractured but is inflamed to a large extent. People who indulge in a lot of sports and athletics are more prone to such bone injuries.

Depending on the location of the injury on the bone, a bruised bone is classified into three categories.

• The most common type of injury is the one which is caused to the blood vessels present in the outer layer of the bone, known as periosteal bruise.

• If the bruise has occurred in the outer surface of the bone that lies just underneath the skin, then it is known as subcutaneous injury.
• Intramuscular bruise is actually a muscle trauma that has an indirect effect on the bones.

The treatment for bruised bones in the foot depend on the severity of symptoms and the location of the injury. The effects of a bone bruise can be dangerous when misdiagnosed. When the bone in your leg is subjected to direct force, then coagulation of blood might also take place in the membrane surrounding the bone. It is known as sub-periosteal hematoma.

Injury to the cartilages of a joint as a result of compressive thrust gives rise to sub chondral lesion. Bleeding inside the bone occurs when the injury is caused directly to the bone marrow.

Sometimes the pain doesn't occur immediately and you experience it the next day after waking up. If you have hurt your leg due to minor accidents, then you should use an ice compress immediately. This proves to be very useful when you slip off a staircase and twist your ankle.

An ice compress is also recommended when you hurt your leg (knee, ankle, toe, etc.) while playing, running, exercising, cycling or while doing other physical activities. Using an ice compress prevents swelling and the pain will considerably diminish. You should continue using an ice compress for a few days until the pain has completely disappeared.

Bruised bones cause a great deal of pain. And you have to take pain killers to get relief. Doctors recommend non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen or naproxen ) to combat the pain and reduce the internal inflammation. The dosage of pain killers should be strictly determined by doctors because an overdose might lead to health complications.

While resting your body, you can gradually start elevating your foot. Slowly move it up and down and do not apply force. If you do not try to move your feet, then it will swell disproportionately causing you much more pain and discomfort.

The right technique to move your foot is to sit on a chair and try to lift your foot gradually and then bring it down. You can also follow a rotational technique for moving your feet. The range of motion exercises when done under the guidance of a physiotherapist aids in quick healing of the bruises.

You should get an X-ray done immediately to know the impact of the bruise of your foot. Treating bruised bones in the feet is sometimes done by microcurrent therapy, wherein electric current is applied for stimulating healing.

You should not ignore the pain under any circumstances and you must get proper treatment as soon as possible. Take considerable rest and follow your doctor's advice to recover speedily.