Noticed Swelling And Purple Discoloration On Calf. Hurts To Walk. How To Get Relief?

Posted on Tue, 12 Mar 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 Answered on

Thu, 4 Apr 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I fell coming out of jacuzzi and bruised my entire calf. It swelled and turned purple almost immediately and hurt to even walk. I've been putting arnica on it to get back to normal but have noticed my ankle has started swelling and turning purple. Is this serious? What should I do?

Answered by Dr. Polash Sannigrahi (1 hour later)

Hello XXXXXXX,

Thanks for your query.

The swelling & purple discolouration is due to accumulation of fluid and blood (hematoma).
The blood cells which gets accumulated are eventually broken down and absorbed in the body.
But this is a slow process & takes times to disappear completely.

Till that time, symptomatic relief is obtained by taking analgesics, ice compression & adequate rest.
You can also use analgesic gel & muscle relaxants.

However, if the symptoms still persist or aggravate or associated with other complaints like loss of sensation, severe restriction of movements, then it will be better to consult an Orthopedician & get a proper physical examination done to rule out any fracture or ligament injury.
Based upon that, appropriate management steps can be taken.

Also there is a need to rule out any disturbance in the bleeding & clotting mechanisms.

Investigations like complete blood count, bleeding time, clotting time & X XXXXXXX of ankle joint will be helpful in clinching the diagnosis.

There is no need to worry, you will be fine.

Wishing you a good health.

Let me know if I need to clarify further.

Thanks & take care.

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar