Foot contusion: causes, symptoms, home treatment
The content of the article:
- The reasons
- Symptoms
-
Treating a bruised foot at home
- Drug therapy
- External means
-
Oral preparations
Homeopathic remedies
- What to do if the integrity of the skin is damaged
- How to treat a bruise with traditional medicine
- When to see a doctor
- Video
Foot contusion is one of the most common injuries. Even minor damage can cause significant discomfort, as every step is painful. In order to protect yourself from the consequences of injury, it is necessary to contact the emergency room in the first hours after the injury.
Foot contusion is a common injury
This type of injury can injure the toes, arch of the foot, sole, heel, or tendons of the ankle. In some cases, the contusion is complicated by a sprain. Treatment of such an injury is carried out at home, but in order to exclude more serious damage, it is necessary to consult a specialist.
The reasons
Both adults and children can hurt the foot. You can get such an injury while walking or during non-traumatic sports.
The most common causes of a bruised foot include:
| Cause | Description |
| Sharp frontal impacts | They occur with a sharp movement of the leg or running. Often with such bruises, the toes suffer and fractures occur. |
| Sharp leg movements | They often cause sprains or sprains. |
| Falling heavy objects on the leg | In this case, the upper side of the foot may be affected. If the object is very heavy or uneven, the metatarsal bones are fractured |
| Jumping or falling from a low height | Often in such cases, the leg twists and, in addition to injury, sprains occur |
Symptoms
With minor bruises of the foot, the symptoms are not pronounced and disappear on their own without specific treatment within 2-3 days.
The damage can be very painful
If the damage is serious, the person has the following symptoms:
- painful sensations that extend to the entire foot and intensify with movement. Sometimes the patient has a throbbing pain that subsides at rest;
- slight numbness of the foot after injury;
- stiffness of movements;
- swelling and redness. In some cases, the leg swells, which can be seen even in the photo;
- hematoma at the site of the injury.
Often, with a bruised foot, damage to the skin occurs (lacerations, abrasions). In this case, bleeding may occur.
Treating a bruised foot at home
In order to prevent the appearance of edema and hematoma, immediately after the injury, cold is applied to the damaged area. This can be a cold object, a bottle of ice water, or a wet cloth.
Cold must be applied to the injury site
Drug therapy
External means
Trauma is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. In order to reduce pain, drugs are used based on nimesulide, diclofenac, ketoprofen (Fastum, Fanigan, Voltaren, Diclofenac, Ketonal).
To reduce pain, use external agents such as Diclofenac
If the bruise is accompanied by edema, a good effect is given by combined agents, which, in addition to the anesthetic component, include dimethyl sulfoxide or troxerutin (Dolobene, Indovazin).
Ointments or gels are applied to the affected area 2-3 times a day, according to the instructions, and rubbed in with light movements. Apply drugs until the symptoms of bruising disappear. In most cases, complete recovery occurs within 7-14 days. With severe injuries of the foot, the rehabilitation period can be three weeks.
Oral preparations
In order to reduce severe pain, the doctor may prescribe drugs from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Most often in such cases, Ibuprofen, Nimesil, Nimid, Dicloberl are used.
Homeopathic remedies
Homeopathic remedies are also used in complex treatment. According to patient reviews, the most effective drug in this series is Traumeel S.
Traumeel C can be used in both adults and children
It is a complex homeopathic medicine that has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. It is prescribed for any injuries, dislocations, hematomas, fractures and ligament ruptures.
Traumeel C tablets are taken orally three times a day. The drug can be used to treat injuries in children of any age. For external use, use the drug in the form of a gel or ointment. This agent has an analgesic effect, it dissolves hematomas well.
What to do if the integrity of the skin is damaged
If the skin has been damaged during an injury, the wound must be carefully treated with an antiseptic and covered with a bandage. In case of significant damage, an urgent need to see a doctor may need stitches.
Before using anesthetic ointments, you should carefully read the instructions, since most of them are not recommended to be applied to open wounds and abrasions.
How to treat a bruise with traditional medicine
In the absence of the necessary medicines, the cabbage leaf will help relieve pain. It is applied to the affected part and fixed with a bandage. It needs to be changed every 6-8 hours. Used as needed. A thin layer of honey can be applied to the leaf surface before use.
Cabbage is one of the most effective folk remedies for treating bruises.
Potatoes will also help to cope with the problem at home, without resorting to the use of drugs. To do this, the raw potato is ground on a grater, and the resulting gruel is applied to the site of injury. From above it is covered with polyethylene and a compress is fixed. The dressing is changed every 3 to 6 hours until symptoms improve.
When to see a doctor
If, despite the treatment of a bruised foot at home, there is no improvement within 2-3 days, the patient still hurts to step on the foot, and the swelling does not decrease, an x-ray should be taken.
Contusion must be differentiated from a fracture of the foot bones
The bones of the arch of the foot are very thin, their fracture is almost invisible, so it is difficult to distinguish it from a bruise. The load on the sore leg can lead to their displacement, which is fraught with long and serious treatment.
Video
We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.
Anna Kozlova Medical journalist About the author
Education: Rostov State Medical University, specialty "General Medicine".
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