A bone bruise, also known as a bone contusion, occurs when a small injury occurs on the surface of the bone. Unfortunately, you cannot visibly see a bone bruise, and often times, you will have a more traditional bruise as well, which may trick you into thinking you just have a regular bruise.
Bone bruises can be painful, especially bone bruises to the feet, and in some cases, they may require care from a doctor. Here are a few of the questions you may have about bone bruises.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Bone Bruises?
If you have a bone bruise, chances are, the skin surrounding the area will likely be bruised as well. However, the black, blue or purple color that is commonly associated with a bruise may be darker or deeper than normal.
It may also take longer to fade. In addition to those, you may experience a lump or bump on the skin, swelling, stiffness, pain, and trouble using the joint or bone.
Who Is Most Likely to Get Bone Bruises?
Bone bruises can happen to anyone. Anytime anything hits the bone, a bone bruise can occur. However, athletes and those who have labor-intensive jobs are most likely to get bone bruises.
A baseball player who is hit by the ball, an MMA fighter who gets kicked directly in the bone or a construction worker running into the edge of a steel pipe or beam, are just a few ways that bone bruises happen.
Being involved in a motor vehicle accident, falling or tripping are also common ways that people get bone bruises.
When Should You Seek Treatment For a Bone Bruise?
A bone bruise can take weeks or even months to go away. In many cases, bone bruises do heal and go away on their own. However, in some cases, a bone bruise may be just one part of the injury, and other injuries exist.
You should seek treatment from a medical professional if the swelling does not decrease within a few days after the injury occurred, the pain is not decreasing and has actually increased, or if any parts of your body around the bruise start to turn blue or become numb due to a lack of blood flow to the area.
How Are Bone Bruises Treated?
The best course of action for bone bruises is to elevate the affected leg or foot, use over-the-counter pain relievers and to regularly ice the bone bruise.
If the bone bruise is on your foot or ankle, you should keep weight off of the foot or ankle until the swelling and pain decrease. It is also recommended that you avoid any contact sports or laborious tasks until the affected area has fully healed.
If the injury that caused the bone bruise also affected the joint, you may need other types of treatment, including braces, splints or crutches to keep the affected area still.
If you suspect you have a bone bruise on your foot or ankle that requires treatment from a professional, the team at Sweeney Foot & Ankle Specialists would love to treat you. Call us today to schedule an appointment to be seen at either our The Woodlands or Magnolia, Texas office.
