What Is The Treatment Swelling And Bruising Caused After A Fall?

Posted on Mon, 6 Jan 2014

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

Mon, 6 Jan 2014 Answered on

Mon, 27 Jan 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I do crossfit for excercise and after deadline, did box jumps and my legs gave out on me and my chin gashed into box with most of my weight. Have swelling and bruising a few cuts. Have been elevating leg and icing, but after 4 days, I still have a burning sensation around bruised area. Is this normal? Recommendations or anything I should be more proactively doing or concerned about?

Answered by Dr. K. Naga Ravi Prasad (-5 hours later)

Brief Answer: It is a part of normal inflammatory process. Detailed Answer: Hi, thanks for writing to XXXXXXX All the symptoms in the your description occur as a part of normal physiological response of the injured tissues and due to the inflammatory substances released at the site of injury. There will be temporary concussion injury of the nerves at the injured area leading to burning sensation. Generally, all these signs and symptoms will settle down with time, mostly within a week or two. The general treatment guidelines for your condition are as follows - - Give adequate rest for the injured area for it to recuperate and avoid any movements that produces pain - Apply ice wrapped in a damp towel to the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes every two to three hours during the day. Ice will help calm the inflammatory response and stimulate blood flow to the area - Use an elastic compression bandage around the injured area to limit any swelling and movement that could make the symptoms worse. It should be wrapped snugly around the affected area but not so tightly that it restricts blood flow - Keep the injured area raised and supported on a pillow to help reduce swelling - Oral anti-inflammatory medications (such as Aleve or Motrin) can help relieve symptoms of pain and also calms the inflammation. Your symptoms should resolve with the above measures. If not, consult an orthopedic surgeon for further workup and management. Hope I have addressed your query. Happy to help further Regards

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