How to tell the difference between a bruise and a fracture. The doctor said there are four signs

How to tell the difference between a bruise and a fracture. The doctor said there are four signs

With their help, you will be able to properly provide first aid and timely contact a specialist.

Sports activities are necessarily associated with the risk of injury – whether it is jogging or strength training. That is why it is important to know how to give yourself first aid. And with different types of injuries, the order of action will be different. For example, if a bruise will eventually go away on its own, in the case of a fracture it is necessary to consult a doctor. So how do you distinguish between the two conditions?

sports medicine doctor, rehabilitation specialist, expert of UniProf Academy of Physicians

How to distinguish a bruise from a fracture without X-ray?

Pain

With a contusion and with a fracture, the very moment of traumatization of tissues is accompanied by a pronounced pain syndrome. But in the first case, over time, this syndrome subsides and decreases, and in the second, on the contrary, only intensifies and increases.

Swelling

With a contusion, as a rule, swelling occurs immediately after the injury and increases over several hours. After that, a hematoma (i.e. a bruise) appears and the swelling decreases.

In the case of a fracture, however, swelling can build up slowly and gradually increase in size over several hours.

Swelling can appear not only in traumas, but also with improper nutrition. About what products provoke fluid retention, read in the material at the link.

Mobility

With a contusion, the limb retains the function of movement. For example, having bruised your arm, you will be able to move it, although it will be accompanied by pain.

While with a fracture, it is usually difficult to move the affected limb.

Deformity

If we are dealing with a complete fracture with displacement of bone tissue, in this case there is a deformation of the limb. With a contusion, it will not be. Also with a fracture, you can observe a change in the position of the damaged part (unnaturally bent arm or twisted leg).

If the fracture is not pronounced (a crack in the bone), the symptoms will be very similar to those of contusions. Diagnosis in the form of X-rays is usually required to be sure. In addition, if you are over 50 years old, a fracture is more likely than a contusion – this should also be taken into account. In such a case, an X-ray is a must to confirm or rule out a fracture.

Fractures are not the only bane of athletes, both amateur and professional. Read about other diseases and injuries to which athletes are particularly susceptible in the article at the link.