Bone Bruise Treatment

Bone bruise is a painful injury of the bone. Although a bone fracture may not occur in this type of injury, it often leads to bleeding around the bone area. During the injury, excessive pressure generated, damages a portion of the bone. An MRI scan will show a localized abnormality in the bone. In most cases, the adjacent bone is not significantly affected. As a result, this injury may not lead to a bone cancer. Bone bruises are often a result of sports related injuries. A person hit with an object on the bone or met with a car accident is likely to have a bone bruise. The most commonly affected body parts that suffer from a bone bruise are knees, ankles and foot.

Bone Bruise Symptoms
A bone bruise can be quite irritating. Common symptoms associated with bone bruise include intense pain, stiffness and swelling. In some cases, the skin color of the affected area becomes blackish blue. Change in weather conditions can aggravate the pain. If the knee bone is injured then the person finds it difficult to walk. Normal range of motion of the injured part is severely hampered.

The injury is a precursor to a bone fracture. In this type of injury the cortex of the bone is damaged. The cortex made up of ossseous tissue, is a thick outer covering of the bones. The cortex consists of a very tough fiber known as the fiber collagen. In bone bruise only a small amount of damage happens to the bone bruise, yet it can cause bleeding. Even though not a fracture, a bone bruise causes terrible pain that does not go away easily and is likely to last for months. Bone bruises also take time to heal as the injury affects the innermost part (medullary cavity) of the bone. Although, X-ray examination is helpful to look for fractures, it cannot detect bone bruises. An MRI scan is necessary to check for bone bruises.

How to Treat Bruises?
In order to reduce the severity of the pain,painkillers like acetaminophen are very useful. NSAIDS such as ibuprofen that is available under the brand name Motrin and Advil are formulated to do the dual job of decreasing the swelling and the pain. An ice massage on the affected area can also help to relieve the pain. Rubbing ice cubes for 5-10 minutes three times a day is generally recommended to get rid of swelling. One should never apply ice cubes directly on the skin. Wrapping the ice cubes with a cloth and then applying it on the skin is often advised to prevent skin damage. Along with the prescribed treatment, compulsory rest is a must to stimulate the healing. Lack of adequate rest can cause further complications. Too much movement puts undue pressure on the injured bone, thereby increasing the pain. One can also consult a doctor to know about other medications helpful to treat this condition. The doctor may also ask the patient to perform certain non weight-bearing exercises to promote healing. These exercises generally involve performing range of motion so as to keep the joint in good condition and to prevent further problems such as scarring of tissue.

Micro-current therapy can also be applied to promote the healing process. In this procedure, a small quantity of electric current is passed through the affected portion of the body. This therapy is indeed very beneficial to relieve the pain and repair the damaged tissues. Any injury disrupts the body's electrical fields. Micro-current therapy produces electric signals that occur naturally, whenever the body is repairing the injured tissues. This therapy tries to mimic those electric signals to allow the bone to heal faster. An important point to note is that the amount of electric current used is so small that the person undergoing the treatment hardly feels the current. Too much electricity is not used, ensuring that the body's defense mechanism is not affected. The therapy safely reduces the swelling and is effective even for chronic pains.

One may have to wear braces to provide additional support and stability to the injured tissue of the affected area. The intention is to prevent the injury from aggravating by reducing the pressure on the damaged area. For instance, a bone bruise that affects the knee-joint may require you to wear functional or rehabilitation knee braces. These braces reduce the recovery time, alleviate pain and moreover make the knee stronger. Wearing the brace or an ACE bandage is the best support that one can give to speed up healing. These braces also restrict movement, which is necessary to recover from the injury at the earliest.

Supplements for Bone Bruise Treatment
Bromelain an important constituent of fresh pineapples, is a protein digestive enzyme helpful to treat various injuries including bone bruise. Extracted from pineapples, bromelain available at various drugstores in tablet or capsule form, is an effective bone bruise treatment. It can considerably reduce swelling and pain following a physical injury. Including vitamin K and vitamin C tablets can also improve the condition. This is because vitamin C supplements, also known as 'immune system building' medications, help to decrease the recovery time whereas vitamin K is essential for a healthy bone structure. These supplements are safe for oral use and should be taken as directed by the doctor. Rubbing ointments that contain vitamin K can also benefit the bruised area.

To speed up healing, apart from taking bromelain, one should avoid smoking and chewing tobacco. This is because, tobacco products contain nicotine, a substance that causes the blood vessels to compress, in turn reducing the blood circulation to the injured area. Decreased blood flow means the amount of nutrients reaching the site of injury will also decrease drastically. As we all know, essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals play a crucial role to repair damaged tissue. Considering this fact, it is no surprise that bone bruise takes longer time to heal in smokers than in people who follow healthy habits.

A delay in bone bruise treatment may increase the recovery time to several months. Timely treatment, really works to get the desired results. Remember, bone bruise cannot be cured in a day or two. It may take weeks or even months for complete recovery.