How long bruised heel to heal

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. Fat is surrounded by a fibrous patch network. The Tuli Heel pad shown below mimics this and is the reason this particular design is better than a piece of foam. Many off the shelf foam pads help a bit but do not help a lot. The short periods of exercise seemed to create more heel pad stress at one minute intervals.

The idea was to test this theory out by lengthening the intervals and develop a different strategy. I also needed to stabilise my left foot in particular and so I added a prescription orthotic to my running shoe. If a foot over pronates, which means it leans in, the excess movement can add to the strain and even cause plantar fasciitis.

The period when the foot is less stable is when the heel strikes the floor and the weight moves onto the front of the foot forefoot and toes. This takes but part of a second to occur, but it is sufficient to make the fat pad tear internally. These tears are small or micro-tears but they do cause inflammation and increases fluid release.

Repair starts rapidly but because the heel is used frequently, any resolution takes time. My last event took 2 weeks to settle and so I would expect a similar recovery period. At three weeks the heel pain had eased.

I had a week off but went walking using my Tuli heel cup. This meant I could keep going as long as the discomfort was contained. Back at the gym now I decided to go for the treadmill at the start of week 4 but would make sure that my heel would mainly be set in the running mode — kph.

Pain is unlikely to radiate forwards into the arch of the foot, unlike plantar fasciitis. A bruised heel often improves with short term rest and gets gradually worse with walking.

What is a bruised heel? A bruised heel is a contusion of the tissues and bone under the heel. Causes A bruised heel is usually caused by overuse. Although overuse is primarily the cause, there are a number of factors which may contribute: Poor footwear. Bruised heel treatment If you catch a bruised heel early then it should recover quite quickly, usually within a few days.

Rest Rest until you have no pain. Switch to cycling, swimming or any non-weight bearing activity. There is no point stopping running for a week if you put up scaffolding for a living. The potential influence of the heel counter on internal stress during static standing: a combined finite element and positional MRI investigation. J Biomech ;40 12 — Related articles Foot Pain. Heel Pain. Do I Have Plantar Fasciitis? First Aid For Heel Pain.

Plantar Fasciitis Heel Pain. Calcaneal Stress Fracture. Heel Spur. About The Author. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Structures surrounding the heel bone are prone to injury as the heel bears a lot of weight during walking, running and jumping activities.

This injury is common amongst long distance runners, soldiers and athletes that take part in jumping activities. There are several causes for fat pad bruising, both acute and chronic, such as:. A fall from a height onto a hard surface can cause bruising of the fat pad and structures surrounding the heel.

Stepping on a rock or hard surface with bare feet. Repetitive jumping activities on hard surfaces can cause acute trauma to the heels, bruising the fat pad. Marching like activities can place excessive pressure on the heels, causing trauma. Poor footwear with no cushioning can result in bruised heels. This occurs due to repetitive stress on the heels over a prolonged period. Place the heel on top of the wrapped ice and leave there, resting it gently, for 20 minutes.

Remove and repeat as needed every 2 to 3 hours. As an alternative, you can soak your heel for up to 20 minutes in ice water. Remove your heel from the water every few minutes to make sure it's not getting too cold. Wear shoes with a 2—3 cm 0. Although it may seem counterintuitive at first, wearing a comfortable pair of low-heeled shoes can help reduce pressure on your heel.

Try a gentle stretch to reduce pain and tightness. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out straight in front of you. Holding a towel at two ends, loop the middle around the balls of your feet. Pull gently backwards to stretch out your foot. Release and repeat as necessary. Use heel pads or cups to reduce pressure from standing. You can purchase heel pads or cups at a pharmacy or online. These devices minimize the amount of contact and pressure your heel experiences while you walk.

The best way to repair a heel bruise is to stay off your feet. However, once you do begin walking on it again these inserts can be worn inside your shoes to cushion your heel. A heel cup works similarly, except that it is designed to curve up the back and sides of your heel slightly, which can provide additional support as you recover. Always wear these on both feet because only wearing support on one side will distribute your weight unevenly. Using 3 in 7. Try self-massage once a day to lessen your heel pain.

Use the pads of your fingers or thumb to gently rub the back of your heel or the bottom of your heel. Stroke back and forth over the area to increase blood flow and help relieve pain.