Compression. Muscle strain. Your doctor will examine your leg and calf muscles, ask questions about your lifestyle and how you might have injured it, and maybe even take X-rays of your lower leg (to rule out a fracture of the tibia and fibula bones). In fact, calf strains are sometimes referred to as “Tennis Leg.” Most cases of pulled, torn, or strained calves occur in the gastrocnemius which joins the ankle and knee. It should not be administered during the acute stage. Hold for 5 seconds. These are classed as mild, moderate, or severe injuries to the calves. Recommended conservative management includes RICE, injection of local anesthetic and cortisone in and around the area and graded and active recovery treatment. Rest. Mayo Clinic. 2009 Jun; 2(2): 74–77. After a few days of icing the muscle strain in your calf, you should replace the ice pack with a heating pad. Treatment for a pulled calf muscle aims to prevent further injury, aid healing and ensure full recovery to prevent long-term problems. The symptoms of night leg cramps may last from a few seconds up to a few minutes. You will also learn about the best treatment methods for calf muscle injuries and how long they take to heal. When exercising your calf muscles after an injury, it’s important to make sure that you are always pain-free. Use an ice pack or slush bath of ice and water for 15 to 20 minutes each time and repeat every two to three hours while you're awake for the first few days after the injury. J Can Chiropr Assoc. The severity of these tears depends on the depth and suddenness of the stretch. Use an ice pack or slush bath of ice and water for 15 to 20 minutes each time and repeat every two to three hours while you're awake for the first few days after the injury. The function of your calf muscles is to provide mobility to your legs and enable you to freely walk, run, or jump. What Can Help? Ride on stationary bicycle for 10 minutes with no resistance. Night leg cramps. Injury to a calf muscle can range from a strain or pull that you can treat at home to a more serious tear that may need a doctor's care. Straining, pulling, or tearing a calf muscle can feel like something has hit the back of your leg with force. If your calf muscle is free of pain, you can now begin some gentle stretching to help boost recovery and rehabilitate your lower leg muscles. Ice bands are an effective way of applying ice therapy. For injury prevention, it is essential that a warm up and cool down forms part of an exercise programme (10-20 minutes, depending on the duration of the programme). There are three different degrees of calf strain: grade 1 is a mild strain, grade 2 moderate to severe pain and a grade 3 strain is a complete rupture. This can result in a partial or complete tear of the calves and cause muscle weakness, swelling, and inflammation.3. The intensity of the exercises should be increased gradually and in a controlled way. Night leg cramps (also called nocturnal leg cramps or “charley horses”) mostly happen in the calf muscles. NSAIDS (anti-inflammatories) and paracetamol can be taken to aid pain relief. A sensation of being hit on the back of the lower leg. Calf strains can occur during hi-speed motions like running and jumping, or Read Full Post best essential oils for natural relief from muscle pain, How to Get Rid of Muscle Soreness: Home Remedies That Really Work, Nighttime Leg Cramps: Causes, Prevention & Treatment, The Top 17 Essential Oils for Muscle Pain Relief, 10 Exercises to Tone Your Legs and Butt At Home. In a grade 2 strain, recovery can take up to 5-8 weeks, and for grade 3 strains can take up to 3-4 months.Rest: to prevent further damage.In the sub acute (3 days to 3 weeks) and the chronic stage (3 weeks to 2 years) it is important that training should be adapted to avoid jumping or any exercises that put excessive strain on the gastrocnemius or soleus. 2. All of these injuries to your calves can cause varying degrees of pain and damage to your lower leg muscles. Pain/discomfort can be felt after the activity, and can last from between 2-5 days. Pain is felt when walking or weight bearing. Instead they will cause a dull pain in the lower leg, unless the injury … An introduction to calf strain. Unable to contract the muscle, as the muscle has ruptured completely. Usually this injury occurs during a sports or exercise activity when pushing off suddenly during a sprint or jump. … Ice. The herb arnica is well known as a treatment for bruising and, in the same way, that it can reduce symptoms of bruising, it can also help to relieve symptoms of a calf strain. A severe calf muscle tear is likened to cracking a whip and can leave a person in great pain having to limp when walking.2. Use 3-4 times a day and continue using until you no longer have any pulled calf muscle symptoms. approach — rest, ice, compression, elevation: 1. PRICE is an acronym for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Knowing how long it takes a calf muscle injury to heal depends on the extent of gastrocnemius tearing in the leg. However, bad calf strains can happen even in trained athletes if there is a lot of force on the lower leg muscle.9. 2013 Oct-Dec; 3(4): 337–345. Place in the microwave and heat on full power for 1-2 minutes. Strapping provides support. Home remedies for muscle strain. If you have a Grade I or Grade II strain, your doctor will probably recommend that you follow the RICE rule: 1. Causes of a calf strain. Bruising and swelling can appear later. By browsing this website, you agree to our use of cookies. Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2013 Dec; 57(4): 327–333. Continue the calf muscle strengthening exercise until the muscles in the back of your leg have fully recovered. The calf is the group of muscles in your lower leg. Just after a calf muscle injury, the best treatment is to ice the back of your leg to prevent further swelling. Usually there is tenderness on the calf muscle; especially on … WebMD. Compress the muscle with an elastic bandage. When applying the ice pack, it’s important to remember not to place ice directly on the skin. In some cases, the tear is so severe that it causes a ruptured calf muscle. There, you can also find out about the best essential oils for natural relief from muscle pain. Achilles tendonitis is caused by overuse, strain, or stress on the Achilles tendon. By Cathy Fieseler Know its causes, symptoms, treatment, recovery. There are effective calf strain exercises to treat the pain, swelling, and mobility issues often seen with trauma or injury to the calf muscles. Calf muscle injuries can happen when straining tight leg muscles by accelerating fast or suddenly changing direction. This stretches the muscle tissue beyond their limit, resulting in weakness and bleeding in the muscle.7, Dr. William C. Shiel on eMedicineHealth says that sudden acceleration or deceleration often causes muscle injuries to the calves. You should increase the length of time you hold your position by 5 seconds every week. A calf muscle strain occurs when the muscle fibers in the calf tear either partially or … Calf strain is a common muscle injury, most often associated with sports.It occurs when you … The soleus is a much smaller calf muscle and is located under the gastrocnemius. The most effective home treatments for pulled, strained, or torn calf muscles are plenty of rest and avoiding straining the muscle more. Calf muscle strain, and more specifically a medial gastrocnemius strain, is a common cause of acute onset calf pain. Hold the back of a chair and gently rise up on your toes. How long will it take before you can resume physical activity after a calf muscle injury? Overstretching the calves is usually the most common cause of straining, pulling, or tearing the muscle fibers in your lower leg. Gently lean your chest into the wall by bending your uninjured leg. In addition, you can take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and other brand names) or aspirin, to ease pain and relieve swelling. Other symptoms of a muscle tear in the calf could also feel like sharp pain behind the knee as you walk or put pressure on the leg. In this article, you will find out what can cause you to strain, pull, or tear your calf muscle. You should also have an adequate warm-up routine before exercising or running to help avoid injury to your calves.14. Tie a knot in the sock, making sure that there is still some flexibility in the sock. Achilles tendonitis. Pain will be significant and will cause weakness in the lower leg muscle and make walking difficult. Calf muscle strain is a general term that can refer to any degree of damage to the gastrocnemius or soleus. Your calf muscles are located at the back of your lower leg and are needed to move your legs when walking, running, or jumping. Depending on the extent of injury to your calf muscle, you might have mild to intense pain. Grade 2 calf muscle injury. eMedicineHealth. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The muscle feels tight and painful on resisted plantar flexion (pointing the toe). A minor calf injury (grade 1) that results in mild pain should heal in 7 to 10 days. It may also be necessary to walk with crutches or have an ankle brace fitted to prevent accidentally straining the calf muscle again and hindering healing time. This kind of bad calf muscle injury usually results in swelling, bruising, and a lot of pain. Bruising to the lower leg, as a result of internal bleeding. He will receive an MRI on Thursday morning to discover the severity of the strain. This can help strained calf muscle injuries heal faster.10. Medical advice should be sought, in case of possible side effects.Orthotics can prevent overprontation. Physiotherapist Dr. Alex Petruska from the Boston Sports Medicine & Research Institute says that calf strains are common sports injuries in people aged between 30 and 45 year old.4, Dr. Anthony Saglimbeni on Medscape also says that not warming up properly can cause mild to severe calf injuries. Secondary treatments. Complete inability to bear weight on the injured limb is the telling sign. According to doctors from Mayo Clinic, usually the cause for night leg cramps cannot be identified and is often unknown. Wearing inappropriate footwear. Climbing or running up hills. Muscle Strain Treatment Self-Care at Home. Repeat 3 times a day. The calf muscle is found at the back of the lower leg and is comprised of three muscles: the plantaris, the gastrocnemius and the soleus. In cases of grade 2 and grade 3 calf muscle tears, recovery time is decreased by keeping weight off the injured leg as much as possible. During this time, you should use ice and compression to reduce swelling and bleeding in the calf tear. The calf muscle is actually composed of up to 9 separate muscles, any of which can be injured individually or together. Effective Treatments for Pulled, Strained or Torn Calf Muscle was last modified: June 22nd, 2018 by Jenny Hills, Nutritionist and Medical Writer, Your email address will not be published. It commonly occur in men aged between 30 and 50. Just after a calf muscle injury, the best treatment is to ice the back of your leg to prevent further swelling. After two or three weeks of applying ice and heat treatments, you can start to use exercises for calf muscle strain. Calf strains have a nasty habit of becoming chronic injuries. 3. Pain is felt immediately, and can feel like a burning or stabbing sensation. But don't avoid all physical activity. Medial gastrocnemius strain – causes. If you develop calf pain that won't go away after a few days, then schedule an appointment with your family physician. Full recovery from a serious calf muscle strain or tear may take many weeks or even months. How to use heat to help recover from calf muscle tear: To help the muscle tissue heal quicker and start the rehabilitation process, you should apply heat daily to the injured calf. It is therefore, worth consulting a podiatrist, who can perform gait analysis and advise on appropriate foot wear.Kinesiology taping aids recovery by assisting with lymphatic drainage, and the repair of damaged tissues. According to Dr. Anthony Saglimbeni, the first 24-72 hours are critical in initial treatment to ensure a speedy recovery. Elevation: Gravity will assist lymphatic drainage and aid venous return. According to the journal Radiology Case Reports, people who strain or tear a calf muscle have the sensation of something snapping in their mid-calf. Calf strain. Here we explain the symptoms, causes, treatment and exercises for recovering from a torn calf muscle. A grade 1 injury to your calf is usually referred to as a “pulled calf.” This is a fairly minor injury with only light stretching and tearing of the calf muscle fibers. What is the difference between a strained, pulled, and torn calf muscle? Repeat 4 times to strengthen your calf muscles. Soleus strain treatment depends on the severity of the injury. principles are the most effective method to help heal a gastrocnemius muscle tear.12. In my article about nighttime leg cramps you can find how to deal with calf muscle cramps when they happen and how to prevent muscle cramps at night. With traditional treatment, this injury can leave you sidelined anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the severity. To prevent bad calf muscle strains and tears, it is very important to warm up before taking part in strenuous activity. A second or third-degree calf injury will also cause swelling which causes a bulge in the back of the lower leg.6. Compression: to reduce swelling and restrict movement. At Healthy and Natural World, our mission is to empower people to take control of their own health by providing comprehensive, practical and well researched information. TRITEMP™ is a commercial product, please fill in the details below to receive a quotation. Insufficient warm up or cool down is a common cause of calf strain. Doctors from the National Health Service recommend the following calf exercises to help improve flexibility in your calves.7, Exercise 2 for recovering calf muscle tear. To help quickly heal a pulled or strained calf muscle, it’s important to treat the injury with ice and compression as soon as possible. Causes: A calf strain occurs when the calf muscles are over stretched. You only have a grade 1 calf muscle injury but the pulled calf muscle symptoms don’t improve within 48 hours of using PRICE methods. If you have suffered a grade 2 or grade 3 calf muscle tear, you should also consult with your doctor to get the extent of the injury assessed properly. Pain on resisted plantar flexion (pointed toe) or when standing on pointed toes. In severe cases surgery might be performed.A physiotherapist might prescribe ultrasound treatment, sound waves; which speeds up the repair process, by breaking down tissues and stretching them. The pain of a calf strain is often described as a sudden sharp or tearing sensation. Grade 1 calf muscle injury. Picture of the calf muscle. eMedicineHealth. Effective Treatments for Pulled, Strained or Torn Calf Muscle, Jenny Hills, Nutritionist and Medical Writer. Over pronation. If treated properly, it can take up to three weeks to heal Grade 1 calf pulls, four to six weeks to heal Grade 2 muscle strains, and three to four months to heal Grade 3 tears.. Normally, calf strains are not extremely painful. Ask the Doctor: Calf Pain When Running Fast. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, injury to your calf muscles can be prevented by avoiding over-straining your calf muscles. Schedule an appointment with your doctor. Apply to your sore calf muscle for 20 minutes to. Extend your injured leg back with your heel on the floor as comfortable as possible and step forward with your uninjured leg. Dr. William Shiel on eMedicineHealth says that this is what you need to do:12. After initial concerns it was an Achilles injury, the Warriors confirmed the diagnosis was a calf strain. You have difficulty walking or putting any weight on your leg. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 4 times to help your calf fully recover quickly. The best way to recover from a torn calf muscle is by protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation (PRICE). A severe tear in the calf muscle may even prevent you from walking at all.1, All types of calf muscle injuries are graded according to their severity. WebMD. Why Is My Leg Cramping? A calf strain is a tear to one or more of the muscles at the back of the lower leg. Treating a Calf Strain Immediately After Injury Rest your leg by keeping off your feet as often as you … How to tell if it's a strain or something else. These calf muscles are called the gastrocnemius and soleus. Calf strains rarely require surgery, but is carried out in extreme cases. A partial tear of the calf muscle results in a moderate, or grade 2 calf muscle injury. muscle from the top of the Achilles tendon. Ice. You should feel the calf muscle on your extended leg stretch. In a Grade 3 degree strain: (a complete rupture). It may also be impossible to flex your foot, and pushing off from your foot when walking could be very painful. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), calf strains happen when the muscle is overstretched. The Achilles tendon attaches to the heel bone (the calcaneus). The most effective home treatments for pulled, strained, or torn calf muscles are plenty of rest and avoiding straining the muscle more. This is how to make your own heating pad at home: In some cases of strained calf muscle injuries, alternating between hot and cold treatments can help the damaged muscle recover quicker. Calf Strains Here’s What Causes Annoying Calf Cramps Mid-Run. These are involuntary contractions or spasms of muscles in your legs usually at night during periods of inactivity that causes the calf muscles to feel tight and painful. Wrap the rice-filled heating pad in a warm moist towel. According to doctors from the Boston Sports Medicine & Research Institute, you should not stretch the calf muscles in the first three weeks of recovery. Compression. Resistance bands are good for gentle stretching. In a grade 1 strain recovery is roughly 2 weeks. Topic Overview. Here are some simple calf injury exercises to increase your range of motion (ROM). AAOS. If there is any underlying medical condition, such as a heart condition, it is important to seek medical advice before receiving massage. A calf strain is an injury to the muscles in the calf area (the back of the lower leg below the knee). But don't avoid all physical activity. Depending on the extent of strain in the calf muscles, you may have to apply the ice pack daily for the first few days to help control pain, swelling, and inflammation. You should only start using heat to treat the muscle strain in your calf once the swelling has stopped. Your calf muscle is actually two muscles, the gastrocnemius muscle and the soleus muscle. This is because cold and unstretched muscles are more prone to snapping or tearing. Treatment of calf strains for runners. Radiol Case Rep. 2017 Mar; 12(1): 120–123. These exercises are aimed at maintaining normal joint range of movement in the ankles, hips and knees, as well as the calf muscles themselves. The soleus sits deep to the gastrocnemius, with the plantaris muscle and part of its tendon located between these two muscles. We will learn 12 of the best calf exercises and discuss tips to prevent calf strains. Upper calf strains and lower calf strains may also happen if you quickly stop and pivot or turn direction.8, There are also a number of factors that can increase your risk of suffering from a mild to severe calf strain. Massage can help aid recovery, and improve joint mobility and range of movement. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort. These muscles can be injured if they get overstretched. Even if you're seeking medical help, ice the area immediately. Pulling, straining, or tearing your calf muscle can leave you in a lot of pain and make walking difficult. They are responsible for extending the foot (plantar flexion) and bending the leg at the knee joint. Medscape. Even if you're seeking medical help, ice the area immediately. According to the journal Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, injuries to the calves are very common among sports people. A torn muscle in the calf describes a serious muscle injury that causes muscle tissue in the back of your leg to tear away from tendons. Muscle strain. CALF STRAIN. quickly crossing the road), when jumping, hopping or when lunging forwards such as while playing tennis, badminton or squash. Medscape. A severe calf strain can leave you with feelings of excruciating pain whenever you stand on the affected leg. Move your foot up and down 20 times. Some medical professionals suspect that this is because calf strains create scar tissue or muscular adhesions, which can predispose the area to being injured again—or prevent healing in the first place. J Am Acad Orthop Surg.1999 Jul-Aug;7(4):262-9. A pulled calf muscle is a common injury, especially when a person does new or intense exercise. Wrap the ice pack in a thin towel and hold on the calf area at the back of your leg. 4. You can feel your calf stretching if you outstretch your leg and point your toes to the floor. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort. INJURY . 2. As the pulled calf muscle heals, a warm heating pad, exercises, and stretching can all help to speed up the healing process. According to Dr. Carol DerSarkissian on WebMD, pulled calf muscle injuries happen when the back of the leg muscles are stretched beyond their limit.1 A pulled muscle in the calf may only cause mild pain and it is usually possible to continue walking with a calf pull. Activation exercises. Insufficient warm up or cool down is a common cause of calf strain. Rest the injured muscle (take a temporary break from sports activities). A calf strain is an injury to the muscles in the calf area (the back of the lower leg below the knee). A grade 1 calf muscle injury will take between one and 3 weeks to heal. Your email address will not be published. These are designed to keep the muscles firing and toned. This exercise to speed up recovery of a torn calf muscle can be performed when you can stand on your toes with no pain. The calf muscles might also feel sore after the cramp goes away. Pulling or tearing a calf muscle can cause a sudden sharp pain in the back of your leg. In a complete rupture the doctor might prescribe a cast to provide stability. A calf strain occurs as a result of these muscles being torn or pulled. To do the following exercises, you should sit on a chair. A calf strain is caused by a tearing of part of the gastrocnemius or soleus . Where a hematoma is present, its removal as quickly as possible is essential, otherwise complications may occur such as myositis ossificans. 3. A doctor or physiotherapist might recommend an MRI scan to assess the extent of rupture. Rest. Ice treatment: Ice, can be applied for 10-15 minutes, every 2-3 hours in the acute and sub- acute stage (frequency can be reduced according to recovery, and can be continued for as long as deemed necessary). Exercises should focus on stretching and strengthening, focusing on the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles; for example calf and toe raises. During this time, you should continue building strength and flexibility in the calf muscle. A severe grade 3 calf strain could take as long as 6 months to heal completely and may require surgery to repair the muscle tissue. Calf strain results from too much stretching or tearing of any of the calf muscles causing pain and swelling. Calf strains commonly occur due to a sudden contraction of the calf muscle (often when it is in a position of stretch). Now that you understand what calf strains are all about, let’s look at what you can do in ways of treatment. This helps to reduce swelling and pain in the muscles in the back of your leg in the first 72 hours. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. A few days after the injury, bruising will appear below where the partial tear has occurred. Required fields are marked *. Dr. Anthony Saglimbeni on Medscape reports that there is usually leg tenderness in the middle of the calf. Fill a clean cotton sock with rice and leave about 3 inches clear at the top. A sudden change of direction, explosive movement or increase in speed can result in the calf muscles becoming torn or strained. Weight on the extent of rupture designed to keep the muscles firing and toned continue building strength and flexibility the... There may be visible signs of inflammation and it may take weeks or for! Go away after a calf strain occurs when the muscle more on your toes to the Achilles tendon on! And bending the leg when running Fast sharp pain in the calf area of injured... 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