Arms-Hands-Wrists
Muscle Contusion (Arm)

A contusion is a muscle bruise. This happens when something hits your body hard enough to break the blood vessels in your muscle.

  • Swelling
  • Skin bruising
  • Stiffness
  • Difficulty moving nearby joints
  • Feeling stiff
  • A hard hit to your muscle such as a ball hitting you
  • Falling onto something
  • Does it hurt to bend your elbow or wrist?
  • Do you see any bruising on your skin?
  • Do you see any swelling?

Educational only — not a medical diagnosis.

  1. 1Rest the muscle for several days
  2. 2Ice the area for 15 minutes at a time(put a cloth or towel between the ice and your skin)
  3. 3Take anti-inflammatory drugs/NSAIDs (please talk to a parent/guardian/doctor before taking any medication)
  • Numbness
  • Weakness
  • Feeling a tender mass where the contusion was
  • Avoid activity that uses the affected muscle until pain subsides
  • Take anti-inflammatory drugs/NSAIDs (please talk to a parent/guardian/doctor before taking any medication)
  • Ice the area to reduce inflammation

For educational purposes only. Not a substitute for medical advice.

Tracks symptoms over time (not a diagnosis).