In this lesson, you will learn about heel bruises, also known as heel contusions. A heel bruise is a painful condition where the protective fat pad under the heel bone is injured or inflamed. Other causes of heel pain include traumatic injuries, plantar fasciitis, and heel bone fractures. Heel bruises can be very painful, especially when walking downhill or participating in sports that involve frequent changes of direction. Find information about other sports injuries at Injuries Main.
Description: Heel Bruise – Contusion
The heel bone (calcaneus) is protected by a fat pad. Repeated impact on the heel can push parts of this fat pad to the sides of the heel bone, weakening the protective layer and causing heel pain and/or inflammation.
Symptoms: Heel Bruise – Contusion
- Heel pain
- Sometimes warmth and redness over the area
- Pain in the heel when walking downhill
Who Is Susceptible: Heel Bruise – Contusion
- People participating in sports with frequent changes of direction, such as street soccer, badminton, and martial arts
- People practicing acrobatic jumps on hard surfaces
- Wushu practitioners, especially Wushu Di Tang
- People working out in cold environments
- Dancers
Treatment: Heel Bruise – Contusion
- Consult a sports injury specialist
- Apply ice
- Rest
- Tape your heel for compression
- Use a heel pad to dampen impacts (for example, silicone heel pads or heel cups from "Bauerfeind")
Trainer Advice: Heel Bruise – Contusion
- Warm up and stretch before every workout
- Check the landing area before performing acrobatic jumps
- Use proper shock-absorbing footwear
- Follow R.I.C.E. in the first 72 hours: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Apply ice as soon as possible—the earlier, the better
- Three days after the initial injury, you can apply heat and massage techniques
- Heel bruises can become very difficult to heal if you do not rest
- If heel pain persists, consider an X-ray. Sometimes irritation in the arch tendon of the foot occurs due to a bone spur
- Important distinction: Heel contusions (heel bruises) are not the same as regular bruises. A normal bruise can occur anywhere. A heel contusion specifically refers to injury of the fat pad under the heel bone
Related Topics: Heel Bruise – Contusion
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Muscle Contusions
- Arch Tendon Stretch
- Shin Splints
- Osgood-Schlatter Syndrome
- Massage Techniques
Videos
None
