Muscle contusion

muscle contusion

A muscle contusion is a bruise of the muscle. It is often caused by a collision with someone else or an object. A well-known muscle contusion in sport is the so-called "dead leg" as a result of a hard blow to the quadriceps muscle.

A muscle contusion is accompanied by local muscle injury and a bruise. The latter is visible as a blue/purple mark. The place where the muscle is bruised is often painful when pressed upon.

Treatment of a muscle contusion

The treatment of a muscle contusion mainly consists of limiting bleeding and swelling as much as possible. This is done by means of ice, rest, and possibly compression. When the pain has subsided somewhat, stretching and strengthening exercises may be performed.

Heat, alcohol, and vigorous massage stimulate blood flow and are therefore not allowed in the first hours and days after the trauma.

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