Can your heel bruise

Poor footwear with no cushioning can result in bruised heels. This occurs due to repetitive stress on the heels over a prolonged period. Symptoms of a fat pad contusion can include:. Debilitating or sharp pain on the bottom of the heel during activity or weight bearing. Pain in the heel on deep palpation through the calcaneum.

Associated redness, or bruising, on bottom of heel. The pain will be felt almost directly in the centre of the heel. Unlike planter fasciitis, pain is central to the heel, rather than felt in the arch or centre of the base of the foot.

Whilst plantar fasciitis pain CAN be felt in the heel and arch, fat pad contusion will only be felt in the heel. They usually heal without treatment, but home remedies for bruises may be….

Heel pain is a common problem that can affect the bottom, the side, or the back of the heel. Heel pain is usually caused by continual pressure or…. Bruises happen when an injury causes blood to leak into the skin. Bruises naturally change color over time from red, through purple, to yellow or…. This article takes a look at some foot exercises for strength, flexibility, and pain relief.

It also covers safety tips to prevent discomfort. Bruised heels and how to treat them. Medically reviewed by William Morrison, M. Cold compress Heat Elevation Rest Exercise Massage Support Other tips Seeing a doctor Takeaway A bruised heel happens when an injury crushes blood vessels in the muscles and soft tissue of the heel.

Apply a cold compress. Apply heat. Elevate the heel. Rest the area. Try exercises. Try massage. Take weight off the heel. Other tips. Share on Pinterest Rest and support for the heel can help treat bruises. When to see a doctor. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals.

The pain level was around if my heel pad was squeezed hard from the side. Be aware, fasciitis presents differently.

Standing and remaining in one place caused more discomfort than moving around. Pain killers might dull the discomfort but they are not the answer. However, it does not harm to take an anti-inflammatory tablet at the acute stage. The symptoms include periodic pulsating discomfort. The heel does not like to be positioned with weight on the back of the heel, i. This is helpful for a left foot injury. For a right foot you would need to use a cushioned heel guard see below.

If there had been a bruise around the heel then I would have considered bone or ligament damage. The level of pain can be described as , so more of a discomfort than real pain. To reach level 4 would arise after increased activity such as a walk.

Then after rest this discomfort would ease. The early morning standing on the foot is different to fasciitis and does not appear as sharp or biting. Heel contact and loading response. St Louis, Mosby-Year Book, , p To understand the mechanics of the injury we must appreciate that when contacting the ground, the skin and fat respond differently.

The direction of contact is sideways rather than directly under the heel. This is why shoes wear on the outer edge and not the inner side normally. Several types of directional force are involved. One is called a lateral or sideways force , the other a vertical contact force.

The foot has that peculiar feature in that it twists or rotates as well. Add lateral, vertical and rotationally twisting forces together and you have a group of forces that have collectively increased.

The response to these forces acts differently within the deeper fat pad illustrated above and the skin. The skin is more resistant and responds by thickening or forming a callus. This is normal. The fat pad however compresses, flattening then expanding. Because the skin is thickest on the foot the protection is excellent through its five layers of cells. Vertical forces alone are catered for well by the foot. However, the lateral forces do more damage.

Such damage consists of tearing the connections between fat cells. These just happen to be rich in blood and the pad has inflammation and can swell. The more damage, the more swelling that arises following injury. Scientists have found that some tissues like fat, deal with the stress of forces better in one direction than in another direction. This means the fat is stronger at vertical compression than lateral impact.

The time factor, or length of contact makes a difference. The repetitious nature of stress can increase the damage in the material substance of the heel, the fat pad. The pad is made up of a matrix.

A bruised heel is usually caused by overuse. In particular, with activities such as repetitive jumping, long-distance running, walking or landing heavily on your heels.

If you wear hard, flat shoes with little or no cushioning this increases the chance of overuse injuries. Make sure you have appropriate footwear which is in good condition. If you catch a bruised heel early then it should recover quite quickly, usually within a few days. However, if you ignore the early signs of pain then it can be very difficult to treat.

This is due to the fat pad becoming damaged beyond easy repair. Rest until you have no pain. This is the most important because continuing to walk or run will not allow your foot to heal.

Rest means complete rest. Insoles or heel pads should be worn in both shoes to avoid leg length differences. This is likely to lead to further injury to the hips and lower back.

Tape your heel. A simple heel taping technique will compress the fat pad and provide increased cushioning and protection. Wear soft trainers with lots of cushioning in the midsole. They may not look good in the office but will make a big difference to your healing time.

Prevention is always the best cure so acting early with a fat pad contusion and resting is most important. For example, if you have biomechanical problems such as overpronation or oversupination. Your therapist may do a gait analysis to assess how the foot moves during walking and running. Here we explain the common causes of foot pain including heel, forefoot, arch, top of the foot and toes. Click on headings to expand: Heel….