How to Treat Bone Bruises in Children

Bone bruises occur when the periostium, or outer covering of the bone, becomes injured. While not as severe as a fracture, a bone bruise can be extremely painful and requires weeks or even months to fully heal. Because children are extremely active and prone to boo boo's, bone bruises are particularly common. However, with the right treatment, your little one can be up and running again in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Ice packs
• Towel
• Children's Tylenol or aspirin

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Instructions

• 1

  Keep your little one in bed for at 3 to 5 days after the initial injury, or during the acute phase. During this time, the bone and surrounding tissue is particularly delicate, so activity can aggravate the problem and cause further injury.

• 2

  Elevate the affected area to help treat bone bruises in children. Regardless of the type of injury, the body's response is to send blood, chemicals and fluids to the injured area. While this is a natural mechanism to promote healing, it also promotes swelling and pain. By keeping the area elevated above the heart, fluids can be flushed as much as possible to reduce and treat pain and swelling.

• 3

  Place ice on the bone bruise for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, every 1 or 2 hours. Again, make sure that the area is elevated, particularly when applying ice, as it ice helps to push out accumulated fluids, reduce pain and calm inflammation. Make sure that you cover ice packs with a towel and do not place them directly on the skin.

• 4

  Administer children's Tylenol or aspirin, but only if and when it is necessary for the pain. Make sure that you read the manufacturer's label for dosage information carefully, and do not give medication if the pain is tolerable.

• 5

  Allow children to return to modified or normal activity after the 3 to 5 days of rest is up. While you should postpone physical activities until there is a reduction in swelling and inflammation, allowing the body to return to moderate levels of activity as soon as possible helps to promote healing.