Anyone might be susceptible to bruises or contusions, although some in contact with physical activities might be more prone. Athletes are especially prone to thigh contusions as a result of trauma or injuries during sports. Bruises on this area might be very visible, in that major discoloration and swelling are often present vividly.
How long does a thigh contusion take to heal?
The most vital thing to perform to thigh contusions is an immediate treatment. Proper treatment and care, which can be done at home for mild thigh contusions, or with professional help for the more severe ones are crucial and will determine the length of time your contusions take to heal and how well it will heal.
Superficial contusions or often referred as first degree contusions is resulted from a minor rupture of the capillaries and accompanied by swelling or stiffness. This type of contusions do not usually cause any function loss and might only be visible as minor purplish or bluish patches that are going to disappear completely within 3 to 5 days without any specific treatments.
Second degree contusions, on the other hand, causes more severe swelling accompanied by moderate pain and moderate loss of function on the affected site. This type of contusion may appear as larger bruises with deeper and more vivid purplish color. With proper initial care, the resulted pain should subside completely within weeks, whilst the inflammation might take a little longer period. Cold compresses that is applied within the first 48 hours after the injury will be helpful for bringing down the swelling and decreasing the pain or stiffness more quickly. However, second degree contusion that is not properly treated or ends in bleeding will need longer time to heal.
Third degree contusions, in addition, are the most severe type of contusions. In addition to the massive swelling, vivid and large discoloration, and severe pain it commonly triggers, this type of contusion also causes loss of movement on the injury site. It takes quite long time for third degree contusions to completely heal. Bringing down the massive swelling may take weeks. In addition, bringing back the lost function of the muscles may also take a while with frequent stretching and physiotherapy. Lastly, damaged tissues and ruptured blood vessels repair may also take some time. Commonly, very severe thigh contusions require the patient to wear crutches to help them walk. This injury may take place for months, wherein the affected muscles and blood vessels might completely restore its condition completely after 6 to 8 months, depending on some factors influencing thigh contusion healing.
What affect the healing process?
There are some potential factors that affect thigh contusion healing process, such as:
- How fragile the skin and the skin tissues are.
- How severe the contusion is and what parts of the skin are damaged by the injury.
- The age of the victim.
- Medications taken by the victim during the healing process and before they get the contusions.
- The victim’s general health.
How to speed up healing
Despite its degree of severity, any thigh contusion can be healed faster if you are performing some of these effective methods consistently during the healing time. Some are easy and can be done at home even without any professional helps. However, do not push to do all the treatments too quickly as it may instead, aggravate the ruptured muscles and blood vessels and thus, causes delayed healing.
- Be active. Light activities will promote blood circulation as well as activate the lymphatic system, which is vital for toxins and waste products disposal from the body. The faster your body dispose the toxins, the less possible it will accumulate in the tissues that triggers inflammation and swelling. Light activities and stretching are also essential for speeding up the healing process, as these help you regain your motions and re-align the damaged muscle tissues. Thus, it does not only repair the muscles, but also improves its flexibility.
- Physical therapies done by professional therapists will help promoting sufficient blood circulation into the affected site. This will bring enough oxygen and nutrients to the damaged tissues. Oxygen and nutrients have a significant role in regenerating new skill cells. The most common therapies include either ultrasound or heat.
- Massaging the contusion area is another essential treatment to speed up healing process. This treatment helps improve the bruise and wound site by breaking down the scar tissues. Contusion massaging does not always require a professional, as this can be done at home quite effectively. However, you should pay attention to some points, such as:
- Massage the contusion site gently, as the injured area may be quite tender. Thus, start massaging with light strokes and minimal pressure until you feel the site improved.
- Use your thumb to concentrate your pressure around the contusion area. This is essential for breaking down the tissues.
- You can apply either massaging cream, ointment, or aromatherapy to add some benefits to the skin. Choose one with the most natural ingredients, so that it will not cause any harmful side effects to the wound site.
- Drinking sufficient fluids is also helpful for speeding up contusion healing. Fluids help hydrating the skin cells beneath the skin and thus, promote collagen production that is essential for damage tissue repairing. In addition, avoid drinking alcohol and caffeinated drinks, as it may dry out the skin cells, causing delay to the skin repair.