Aaron Harang was sent to the disabled list by the San Diego Padres today. His 2011 statistics are looking pretty good, but he bruised his right foot. He’s 7-2 this year with a 3.71 era and 55 strikeouts. He doesn’t know how it was bruised, but it’s been bothering him for a couple of weeks now.
The foot plays a pivotal part of a pitcher’s ability to win games as it provides:
- Balance
- Power
- Agility
Let’s look at how to deal with the injury.
What is a bruised foot? Your foot provides the balance necessary to walk and the point to pivot. When you bruise your foot you’re actually causing soft tissue damage, which forms pockets of blood. When this blood congeals in place it causes bruising like you see below. You bruise your foot primarily through trauma such as dropping something on your foot, though you can also cause it by tearing or rupturing ligaments.
What are the symptoms of a bruised foot? Outside of the discoloration, you’re going to notice that any movement of the foot will cause pain. How much pain? It depends on the severity of the bruise, but in most cases it’ll be a pain only caused when you push on it just right. You’re also going to experience a loss of endurance due to the increased pain.
How do you treat a bruised foot? This is where it gets fun. If it is a mild bruise, elevate the foot, treat with ice and then take anti-inflammatory medicine. If your foot doesn’t respond to treatment in a few days, please see a doctor, as you may have more than soft tissue damage.
How long does it take to recover from a bruised foot? Not too long. In the course of mild to medium foot bruises, you’re looking at less than a week. You’ll have to ease up on working out, but it’ll be worth it due to increased return rate.