Foot contusion

A foot bruise is the most common injury that occurs on its own or accompanies more serious injuries, such as sprains or ruptures of ligaments, tendons, dislocations, and fractures.

The symptoms of the described injuries are very similar, so it can be difficult to determine what kind of injury occurred without an X-ray examination.

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Symptoms of a foot contusion

Signs of a foot bruise appear immediately:

• severe pain;
• the appearance of swelling;
• after 5-15 minutes there is a noticeable increase in the tumor;
• hemorrhage formation;
• the pain becomes permanent.

A foot bruise, which causes severe pain, can disrupt muscle function due to their pathological contraction. Hemorrhage into soft tissues leads to compaction, sometimes to shortening of muscle fibers, tendons and ligaments, disrupting their elasticity and sliding properties. The size of the hematoma itself depends on the force of the blow and ranges from a small bruise to a large hemorrhage.

Bone and connective tissue may form in the damaged areas during the aseptic inflammatory process. In addition to ruptures of small blood vessels and the appearance of a hematoma, a foot bruise leads to destructive changes and irritation of nerve fibers. Signs of a foot bruise persist for up to two days, and changes in nerve fibers last up to two weeks. As a rule, by the end of the second week, a foot bruise goes away without consequences.

Bruised toes

Bruise of the toes is considered to be the most common injury. This problem is faced by school football players who play without special shoes. Bruise of the toes occurs as a result of a blow with a blunt object, both in everyday life and at the workplace. The pain syndrome manifests itself clearly. This is explained by the force of the load, which increases when the foot rolls from the heel to the toe. The cause of pain during a bruise of the distal phalanx is tissue tension caused by hemorrhage or an undetected wound under the nail.

A bruised toe can have serious consequences, because the impact speed of even a minor bruise of the foot on the bed leg is approximately 50 km/h. It is not surprising that a bruised foot leads to a bone fracture. The diagnosis of the injury should be made by a traumatologist. A crack in the bone that is not detected in time can cause arthritis over time.

Soft tissue contusion of the foot

Soft tissues include skin, subcutaneous fat with nerve endings and blood vessels. Contusion of soft tissues of the foot occurs due to mechanical impact - impact, fall, short-term compression of the foot, etc. Contusion of soft tissues of the foot is divided into damage to the back or sole.

As a result of the impact, blood from the injured vessels gets into:

• into soft tissues, forming a bruise or small hematoma;
• accumulates in tissues, forming a hematoma;
• gets into nearby areas, such as joints.

Hemorrhage from small vessels lasts 5-15 minutes, and from large ones it can last up to a day. Hematomas on the sole of the foot are located deep and do not manifest themselves during visual examination. Tissues where tense hematomas have formed are subject to hypertensive ischemic syndrome. A patient with a foot bruise notes heaviness, numbness of the foot, and stiffness of movement. When a large area of soft tissue is damaged, trophoneurotic disorder and dystrophic bone pathologies occur, which are difficult to cure.

Signs of a foot contusion include varying degrees of pain, localized or diffuse swelling. A severe foot contusion can impair natural locomotor function. X-rays help rule out possible bone damage.

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Foot bone bruise

A foot bone contusion is a common occurrence during sports games, impacts against various objects, and falls. A bone contusion is usually understood as a closed, mechanical injury without significant damage to the bones. A foot bone contusion is accompanied by pain of varying intensity and swelling. Hemorrhage occurs in soft tissues, and a hematoma may appear.

It is very important to be able to distinguish a bone bruise from a fracture. A bruise does not immediately lead to impaired motor function, but as swelling and hematoma develop. In the case of a fracture, sharp pain will not allow you to step on your foot, mobility will be limited. Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis based on an X-ray or MRI.

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Bruised foot in a child

Children are particularly active. Their favorite places to play are unsuitable places - construction sites, abandoned houses. A child's foot bruise occurs as a result of an unsuccessful fall, when struck by a blunt object. The most common mechanical injuries in children are muscle and soft tissue bruises. Pain and swelling appear immediately or 2-3 days after the incident. A severe foot bruise leads to the development of hemorrhages and the appearance of hematomas.

A bruised foot in a child is often combined with a sprain, ligament rupture, muscle injuries. It may be accompanied by a dislocation, bone fracture. In case of acute pain that increases with movement, detection of thickening, changes in the shape of abnormal mobility of the limb, you should immediately contact a specialist.

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First aid for foot contusion

I have a foot bruise, what should I do? First, ensure complete rest – sit on a bench, for example. Second, immediately apply ice, something cold (a bottle of water from the refrigerator, snow, etc.) for 15-20 minutes. Repeat the procedure for the first few hours at 5-minute intervals. The cold will reduce pain and swelling. Ice compresses are contraindicated for people with diabetes. Third, place the injured limb on an elevated surface to allow blood to drain.

Heat, massage, hot baths and warming compresses should be excluded for at least 5 days. In case of skin damage, the bruise should be treated with hydrogen peroxide, iodine. If the pain syndrome with a foot bruise becomes unbearable, you can take a tablet of "analgin", "ketorol". For local anesthesia of a foot bruise, ointments are used: "diclofenac", "ibuprofen", "ketorol". Children are given painkillers in a dosage appropriate to their age - "nurofen", "efferalgan", "panadol".

First aid for a foot bruise plays an important role in the process of rapid recovery. However, if a severe foot bruise occurs, it is better to go to the hospital in a timely manner for examination and consultation.

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Treatment of foot contusion

How to treat a foot bruise? After receiving first aid and conducting diagnostics, the doctor prescribes treatment. Minor foot bruises can be treated at home, but serious, combined injuries with a dislocation or fracture require specialist supervision. Doctors often prescribe procedures such as: magnetic therapy, ultraviolet irradiation, electrophoresis.

How to treat a foot bruise at home?

A day or two after a foot injury, it is advisable to use non-heating painkillers or gels: "Bystrum", "Fastum", "Voltaren" and others. In childhood, "Rescuer" balm, "Traumeel S" ointment, "Troxevasin" gel are used as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-edematous remedy for a foot injury. "Comfrey ointment with vitamin E" and "Diclofenac", gels "Indovazin", "Dolobene", "Bruise-Off" are prescribed for older school-age children. In case of a severe foot injury, a tight bandage should be applied to reduce pain.

Treatment of foot bruises with folk remedies

How to treat a foot bruise using traditional medicine methods:

• Grind the onion to a mushy state, place it on gauze and apply to the foot bruise for 24 hours. Repeat 3 to 5 times;
• To quickly resolve the hematoma, prepare a tincture of 100 g of crushed aloe leaves and 200 g of granulated sugar. Place the mixture in a glass container, tie the neck with thick gauze and leave for three days. Squeeze the pulp and strain. Lubricate the hematoma area with the resulting mixture;
• the site of the foot injury is well treated with an infusion of two teaspoons of dry linden leaves, poured with boiling water and infused for 30 minutes;
• for foot bruises, lotions based on wormwood and celandine are effective: take 3 tablespoons of each, pour boiling water over it, and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Cool the decoction, add an equal amount of aloe juice to it. Apply a cloth (bandage or gauze) soaked in the mixture to the bruise and secure with a bandage. It is recommended to apply the compress twice a day;
• Rubbing a foot bruise is best done with a healing mixture: approximately 3-4 peeled garlic heads (to obtain 3 tablespoons of garlic gruel) are mixed with 6% apple cider vinegar in the amount of half a liter. Infuse for 24 hours in a dark place, shaking the container from time to time. Rub the foot bruise with the strained mixture.