Bruised Heels Fat Pad Contusions

Bruised HeelPain / Bruised Heels / Fat Pad Contusion

Bruised heels or Fat pad contusions can be a painful and debilitating condition.

Bruised heels are not to be confused with other conditions that cause heel pain such as plantar fasciitis, calcaneal stress fractures and plantar calcaneal bursitis.These conditions will all cause pain in the heel area that feels similar to a bruised heel, but they have a different cause.

Bruised heels often occur over the most bony projections of the bottom of the heel bone.See the image below.

A bruised heel or fat pad contusion may develop from either a single traumatic injury (such landing on concrete on the heels in bare feet) or chronically as a result from repetitively hard heel strike with poor heel cushioning (such as running on concrete in bare feet).

When suffering from a bruised heel the patient can usually recall the traumatic incident that has caused the pain.This is very helpful in differentiating bruised heel pain from other heel pains.

Treatment of a bruised heel or fat pad contusion consists of avoiding aggravating activity (such as running on hard surfaces) and adding cushioning and support to the heel.This is best done with a soft insole like the Docpods Ultra Soft innersoles.Soft supportive footwear such as running shoes will also be helpful in cushioning the shoe.

Recovery from a bruised heel will depend on the amount of time that the conditions has been untreated for. In long standing cases cortisone injections may be necessary for a complete reduction in pain.