BRUISES

A bruise is a contusion,an injury in which the capillaries underneath your skin rupture.And because of this, the blood flows to the surrounding tissue. This giving the reddish-purple appearance most associated with bruising.

FIRST DEGREE- This bruise is the least severe. It is the result of a minor rupture of the capillaries and is accompanied by mild pain, some swelling and stiffness. There is usually very little loss of function as a result of a first degree bruise.

SECOND DEGREE- This bruise is the result of a moderate rupture of the capillaries and increased bleeding. There is also increased swelling and pain associated with a second degree bruise and a moderate loss of movement at the injury site.

THIRD DEGREE- This bruise is the most severe of the three. A third degree bruise is the result of a major rupture of the capillaries and will result in massive swelling, severe pain and instability around the injury site.

Some people seem to bruise if you look at them the wrong way...lol My step mother used to bruise with the slightest bump. Common suggestions include;

1.) People platelet and blood coagulation disorders can bruise easily.

2.) Being deficiant in vitamin c, your more prone to bruise easily,due to weaker blood vessels.

3.) Rare genetic disorder called von Willebrand disease, which prevents the blood from clotting properly. This disorder affects at least 1% of the population.

4.) Bruises in elderly people may be due to thinning of the skin.

5.) Medications

6.) Maybe you just hit something harder then you expected.

7.) Heavy and rigorous exercise may cause bruises, which results from microscopic tears in blood vessels underneath the skin.

Treating the injury asap is very important in any soft tissue injury. Proper treatment will go a long way later, and help you towards a full recovery.

First degree brusing may require little or no treatment.

Second and thrid degree brusing should be treated with the R.I.C.E.R Regimin.

R(rest)- Very important that the injury area be kept still as possible. This will help slow down blood flow to the injury and prevent any further damage.

I(ice)- This is the most important part. Applying ice with have the greatest effect on reducing bleeding, swelling and pain. Apply ice as soon as possible after the injury has occurred.
(When using ice, be careful not to apply it directly to the skin. This can cause "ice burns" and skin damage. Wrapping the ice in a damp towel generally provides the best protection for the skin)

C(compression)- Compression actually achieves two things. Firstly, it helps to reduce both the bleeding and swelling around the injury, and secondly, it provides support for the injured area. Use a wide, firm, elastic, compression bandage to cover the entire injury site.

E(elevation)- raise the injured area above the level of the heart at all possible times. This will further help to reduce the bleeding and swelling.

R(referral)- If the injury is severe enough, it is important that you consult a professional physical therapist or a qualified sports doctor for an accurate diagnosis. They will be able to tell you the full extent of the injury.

Firstly, you must keep active! Don't listen to anyone who tells you to do nothing. Now is the time to start some gentle rehabilitation. Most of the swelling will have subsided after the first 48 to 72 hours and you are now ready to start light activity.

Light activity will not only promote blood circulation, but it will also activate the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is vital in clearing the body of toxins and waste products, which can accumulate in the body following a sports injury. Activity is the only way to activate the lymphatic system.

Before we move on, a quick word of warning. Never, Never, Never do any activity that hurts the injured area. Of course you may feel some discomfort, but NEVER, NEVER push yourself to the point where you're feeling pain. Listen to your body. Don't over do it at this early stage of the recovery.

Next, you now need to start three vital treatments. The first is commonly used by physical therapists (or physiotherapists), and primarily involves increasing the blood supply to the injured area. The aim is to increase the amount of oxygen and nutrients to the damaged tissues. Physical Therapists accomplish this aim by using a number of activities to stimulate the injured area. The most common methods used are ultrasound and heat.

Ultrasound, or TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) simply uses a light electrical pulse to stimulate the affected area. While heat, in the form of a ray lamp or hot water bottle, is very effective in stimulating blood flow to the damaged tissues.

Secondly, to speed up recovery and repair the damage tissue it is vital that you start to massage the injured area and connecting muscles. While ultrasound and heat will help the injured area, they will not remove the scar tissue and other damaged tissue. Only massage will be able to do that.

Initially, the injured area may be quite tender, so start with a light stroke and gradually increase the pressure until you're able to use firm strokes. Concentrate your effort at the direct point of injury and use your thumbs to get in as deep as possible to break down the scar tissue.

Just a few final points before we move on. Be sure to drink plenty of fluid during your injury rehabilitation. The extra fluid will help to flush a lot of the waste products from your body.

Also, I recommend you purchase a special ointment to use for your massage called "Arnica". This special ointment is extremely effective in treating soft tissue injuries, like bruises, sprains and tears. You can purchase this ointment at most health food shops and pharmacies.

And lastly, gentle stretching should also be included as part of your heat and massage treatment. This will help to regain your range of motion and re-align the damaged muscle fibers. While working on increasing the flexibility of the injured area, it's also important to increase the flexibility of the muscle groups around the injured area.

Stretching is one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance, preventing sports injury and properly rehabilitating sprain and strain injury. Don't make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won't be effective.

Once your range of motion has returned to normal and movement of the injured area is pain free, you can start to implement some more active rehabilitation techniques like strength work, balance drills and sport specific training.

*Avoid activities that might increase swelling such as taking hot showers, using hot tubs, hot packs, and drinking alcohol. During the first 48 hours, these things may actually increase bruising and swelling*

*Have a bath every 4 hours with luke warm water and a drop of cider vinegar for relief of discomfort for bruised eyes.

*Immediately after a bump put vanilla extract (imitation will do) on a cotton ball and rub on the area...no bruise and no soreness!!!!

*Immediately after a bump, apply a banana peel to the area for a few minutes- no bruise! Place the inside of the peel against the skin.

*Elevating the bruise above heart level will reduce swelling as well.

*Experts say the popular muscle soreness remedy Arnica is also your best bet for minimizing bruises and healing them fast. As soon as you bump your knee or other body part or notice a swelling or discoloration, gently rub a dollop of this homeopathic cream on it. Arnica shrinks inflammation and increases circulation to flush away the stagnant blood that turns your skin black and blue.

*Apply melted chocolate directly to the bruise and wrap it in gauze overnight. Clean it off the next morning.

*Apply vitamin E and/or K cream directly to your bruise.

*Chinese people use a mixture of 1 part cayenne pepper and 5 parts melted Vaseline, mix and cool, apply once a day.

*Make a tea with confrey root or buchu soak a rag in the tea and apply to bruised area, this has been shown to reduce pain and discoloration of the skin.

*An ice pack applied directly to the bruise will help with the pain and minimize swelling. Placing some Play-Doh in a zip-lock and then into the freezer makes a handy form-fitting cold compress.

*Tooth Paste

A black eye or Ecchymosis is seen when blood and fluids get collected in the space around the eye. Try these remedies:

- Cold compresses to the eye for the first 24 hours is beneficial.
- Sleep with your head raised, as this helps in decreasing inflammation and pain.
- Warm compresses with a cloth dipped in warm water to the eye after the first 24 hours is helpful.
- Avoid heavy exercise for 2 days to prevent bleeding.

WITH ANY BRUISE IF YOUR SKILLED ENOUGH, YOU CAN HIDE WITH SOME FOUNDATION MAKE-UP. SOME BRUISING MAYBE SO DARK IT WOULD LOOK WORSE TO APPLY ANY.

IF YOU CAN STAND IT MASSAGE THE AREA AND SEEK OUT A HOME REMEDY.

If there is a would, wash with warm water and tea tree oil to disinfect. For the bruise, initial treatment should be an ice pack. After that, you can rub Arnica oil into the bruise to ease the pain and help it heal faster. If there is additional pain, you can give your child white willow bark in a capsule as a natural alternative to tylenol or something like that. It is much better for them and there are no side effects. Arnica treatment should be several times daily and should be continued until the bruise is gone.

After the initial cold treatment, you can do daily hot/cold therapy which involves the use of hot and cold compresses alternating 5 minutes each between the two. After this phase, you can go directly to a warm, wet cloth placed on the bruise for 15 or 20 minutes daily. A warm cloth is sure to avoid the pouting that will most likely accompany the cold compress! Bruises are no fun for anyone, especially not a child. A hug and kiss from Mom or Dad helps a lot in making things all better and making them forget about the pain.