Therapy
The basic therapy of a bone contusion consists – as with all sports injuries – mainly of protection, cooling and compression. With regard to cooling, it should be noted that the affected area should not be cooled continuously, but rather briefly for a few minutes at a time. In mild cases, these measures, supplemented by pain and anti-inflammatory medications such as diclofenac or ibuprofen, are already sufficient as long as the period of rest is chosen sufficiently long.
Both drugs are available as tablets and as ointment. If the drugs have to be taken over a longer period of time, it should be discussed with a specialist whether measures should be taken to protect the stomach (proton pump inhibitors), as stomach complaints are among the most common side effects of these active ingredients. If the bone contusion is accompanied by other injuries, e.g. torn ligaments, a separate therapeutic decision must be made for these.
If there is a large bruise in the area of the bone contusion, which has not largely receded after 10-14 days, its removal by a surgeon should be considered in order to prevent the development of an infection. The healing of a bone contusion is not likely to be shortened by medication. However, the symptoms, such as pain, swelling and bruising can be helped in their regression.
Painkillers such as ibuprofen and diclofenac relieve pain. Ointments and gels such as Diclofenac Gel can be used for local treatment.
- Diclofenac Ointment
- Voltaren®
Duration
There is no generally valid statement regarding the duration of a bone contusion that would do justice to the great versatility of the diagnosis. This versatility results from the different locations where bone contusion can occur. In addition, the duration of a bone contusion depends on how consistently the patient follows the therapy and which concomitant injuries are present.
In the best case, mild cases can regress within days to such an extent that sport can be resumed.This is particularly the case when the affected bone is not subjected to too much stress during sports, such as a shoulder contusion in a soccer player. However, if the bruise is more severe or the affected bone is subjected to a great deal of stress during the sport in question, it may take weeks or months before the patient can resume the sport. If the bone contusion is accompanied by ligament or tendon injuries, healing (convalescence time) is correspondingly longer.
In rare cases, however, a bone contusion can still cause discomfort months or years after its first appearance. This is particularly the case with bone contusions that are not caused by an acute injury, but in the long term by overloading or incorrect loading. Insufficient adherence to the therapy guidelines, e.g. too short or too lax sparing, can also promote such a protracted course of disease.
