Bruising is caused by internal bleeding from damaged capillaries inside the skin. This occurs sometime after the actual injury and appears as a blue, purple and sometimes black patch. This is usually caused by some kind of blunt impact to the area which was not enough to break the skin surface, but violent enough to cause bleeding.
Based on the severity of the bruising, medical attention may be required; however, in most cases, this is not required and using an ice pack on the area is more than enough. The point behind using an ice pack is to restrict blood flow into the area by constricting the vessels to area of impact and bleeding. Another way of performing the same procedure is to elevate the site of the bruising above the level of the heart. This causes drainage of the accumulated blood in the area. The swelling that you are experiencing is also related to this very bleeding. That and since there is an injury, the area would be inflamed as part of the body’s normal immune response to wounds and danger. This is another benefit of using the ice pack as it can reduce the inflammation of the area. Severe bruises usually require some kind of medicine to be administered like painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicine. During the period of the bruising, considering that it happened on your foot and that there is a swelling, it would be a good idea not to wear any tight footwear during the healing period. It is also recommended that you not apply too much weight on your foot if there has been any injury to the tendons, bones, or ligaments.
Massaging the area is also quite useful to reduce the swelling but never apply pressure directly to the swollen area as you will aggravate the injury. Massage around the area every time that it starts paining and some of the pain will reduce. This will also helps to stimulate the circulation in the area and allow the body to drain out the blood stuck under the bruise. There are many types of balms that are also sold over the counter that can be topically applied to a bruise. These don’t penetrate under the skin and the main objective is to allow one to massage the area and bring the circulation back to normal. This can be done at home as well by applying petroleum jelly and performing a massage.