A bruised hip is a painful injury that can be treated in a variety of ways. It is important to attempt to treat the bruise as soon as possible to avoid having it becoming a worse injury over time. Remedies such as ice, heat, rest and exercise can help the hip return to normal as quickly as it can depending on the extent of the injury. In certain cases, professional help may be needed to determine if the injury is something more than a bruised hip. These injuries can be dangerous for the elderly and often occur during athletic activity.
Immediately after the injury occurs, place ice on the bruised hip for 15 minutes. Placing a towel underneath the ice pack can help prevent ice burns or too much numbness in the area. The sooner the ice is placed on the hip after the injury occurs, the better, as the ice can help keep the bruise from becoming worse.
After the injury has been iced, it is important you give it time to rest, recover and heal. This means no activity that is too physical until the bruised hip feels normal again. Applying a padded bandage to the bruise can help prevent it from getting bumped into, which can keep it from healing properly. If the bruise is particularly painful, it might be necessary for the afflicted individual to spend some down time recovering without a lot of movement.
Heat can be applied during the time of rest by utilizing a heating pad or hot water bottle. This does not do very much to heal the bruise but can temporarily relax the area and help alleviate pain. Once the bruised hip begins to recover, do exercises to facilitate healing such as lying on your back and pulling the knee gently towards the chest. Another exercise involves standing up and pulling the knee with the injured hip towards the opposite side of the chest.
If the bruise is causing excessive pain or is not healing properly, it might be necessary to see a physician about the injury. He will be able to determine if the bruise is something greater. After the bruise heals to the point that stretching exercises do not hurt, the injured individual can begin walking, running or using light weights to help regain strength in the area. After the bruise has fully healed, he or she can return to normal activities such as sports.