Being kicked usually produces a bruise. This simply means that the impact has torn tissue, and blood is accumulating under the surface of the skin.

These injuries are seldom serious at first. They generally fall in the category of "shake it off." But bruises can carry a serious risk.

To illustrate this, let me tell you about a young girl who played amateur softball in Des Moines, Iowa a few years ago. She was hit in the thigh by a line drive. She refused to come out of the game to treat it, and "shook it off". Unfortunately, the untreated bruise developed into a blood clot, which circulated to her lungs, and two days later, she was dead.

An extreme example?

Certainly. But not as uncommon as you would think. The lesson is to treat small injuries with respect. Because untreated they could turn into serious injuries.

What should you do?

Apply ice -- real ice -- to the bruised area as quickly as possible. Wrap it with compression and keep the area as active as possible.

In the unfortunate case I cited earlier, the young girl should have been taken out of the game and had her thigh wrapped in ice. Then walked with the ice in place for as long as 20-25 minutes.

Just a little knowledge and a little respect would have avoided tragedy.