# Bruise/Haematoma Treatment



## buddha (21 Jul 2010)

I came off on Saturday. My left hip taking the brunt of it (as well as a few sq inches of skin on my arm)
Anyway, the resulting bruise has been growing and is now over 2 sq ft! and spreading to the groin - and associated private bits




. Doesn't hurt so much, just feels weird, although the hip itself is still sore. 
Just come back from the GP who said it's one of the worst haematoma's he's seen, even from when he worked in A&E - which really put my mind at ease



. Although he said there are no fractures or artery damage and it should start to reduce in about a week. Although he wants a second opinion, and I will see the A&E doctor this afternoon.

He prescribed hot baths.

Anything else I should be doing? And what timescale am I look for until I can start scalping grannies on shopping bikes again


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## shrew (21 Jul 2010)

sounds to me like youll want to give it a good couple of weeks and go from there, bruises dont take so long to heal but yours being so big may take a little longer, really you should be a good sport a post a pic of it if its so pretty  

as for treatment, leave it alone, Eat good food, Fruit and veg can help as your body has alot of repair work to do, there isnt alot else you can do to speed up the healing but try and keep moving, warm baths and very gentle excercise just to stop your muscles stiffening up is the best bet, basically just move regularly.


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## Renard (21 Jul 2010)

I had a similar thing a few years ago. I don't think there's anything you can do now. On victorian pharmacy last week they tried an ointment made with earth worms. Maybe that's worth trying?


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## buddha (21 Jul 2010)

A bit of google-ing gave doctors using leeches to drain of the old blood - I think there are some in my pond.
I don't think I'll survive a few weeks off the bike - it's been a few days now and I'm already irritable (need to MTFU)






Off to A&E now. Hopefully it'll be a nice young lady doctor feeling my bits, and not a crusty bald bloke as it was this morning - LOL


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## Baggy (21 Jul 2010)

Arnica cream and tablets can be very helpful, I used to use Nelson's variety but only have experience of much smaller bruises! Hope it's ok.


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## buddha (21 Jul 2010)

A&E doctor, nurse : "Oh my Gawd, that's huge!" - I think they were talking about the haematoma




Thankfully, nothing is broken or fractured and I should see an improvement in a few weeks. Though they advise to just keep mobile for the time being. And cold showers, as opposed to the hot baths prescribed by my GP 



.


I've been using arnica gel since day one. But the nurse said it probably will have little to no effect on a haematoma of this size. Although it smells nice.


So I'm sat here now with a bag of ice over my hip and dangly bits!


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## Fiona N (22 Jul 2010)

There's a nice cooling gel containing bromelian (extract of pineapples) which is routinely handed out at A&Es in Switzerland (where it's called HEPAGEL) for use with serious bruises/hematomas. I've used it - I bruise easily so even after a climbing or snowboarding weekend I tend to look scarily beaten up - but no idea whether it has any effect as it's difficult to do a controlled experiment on a single body. The fact that medics prescribe it gives me somewhat more faith in it than in the infinitely dilute arnica pills from the homeopaths.


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## jimboalee (23 Jul 2010)

Recovering from bruising is proportional to fitness.

Better circulation = quicker tissue repair.

Of course you could go for Electromagnetic Pulsed wave therapy. You'll be back on your bike within the week.

Better still, find someone who has a 'cell regenerator'. You'll be back on your bike this afternoon.


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## ventoux50 (23 Jul 2010)

jimboalee said:


> Recovering from bruising is proportional to fitness.
> 
> Better circulation = quicker tissue repair.
> 
> ...




However, bruising occurs as a result of microtrauma to blood vessels - capillaries primarily - introducing any sort of heat opens the capillaries ( think about how you have a 'hot flush' - your cheeks go red when you're hot) 
so if you try to treat bruising / haematoma with a HOT BATH (bad GP  ) or with any kind of electrotherapy which has a tissue warming effect (Electromagnetic pulsed wave)	then you run the risk of dilating the capillaries and encouraging additional interstitial bleeding.........

The advice offered elsewhere - Arnica cream liberally applied, and cold showers/baths, and the application of ice packs is the best course of action. Gentle stretching and preserving normal movement patterns should be the aim until the bruising starts to subside.


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## jimboalee (23 Jul 2010)

ventoux50 said:


> However, bruising occurs as a result of microtrauma to blood vessels - capillaries primarily - introducing any sort of heat opens the capillaries ( think about how you have a 'hot flush' - your cheeks go red when you're hot)
> so if you try to treat bruising / haematoma with a HOT BATH (bad GP  ) or with any kind of electrotherapy which has a tissue warming effect (Electromagnetic pulsed wave)	then you run the risk of dilating the capillaries and encouraging additional interstitial bleeding.........
> 
> The advice offered elsewhere - Arnica cream liberally applied, and cold showers/baths, and the application of ice packs is the best course of action. Gentle stretching and preserving normal movement patterns should be the aim until the bruising starts to subside.




Believe what you will. Bruising heals itself. Unless you are a complete degenerate.


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## jimboalee (23 Jul 2010)

J.R. Ewing in Dallas have some good stuff. It made Sue-Ellen go down.


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## ventoux50 (23 Jul 2010)

jimboalee said:


> Believe what you will. Bruising heals itself. Unless you are a complete degenerate.




I trust, not necessarily 'believe' science and evidence based practice.


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## ventoux50 (23 Jul 2010)

jimboalee said:


> J.R. Ewing in Dallas have some good stuff. It made Sue-Ellen go down.


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