You may think you’ve just been hit in the leg and potentially hear a “pop.” There is sudden pain at the back of the calf. According to doctors from Mayo Clinic, usually the cause for night leg cramps cannot be identified and is often unknown. Ride on stationary bicycle for 10 minutes with no resistance. Your calf muscles (also known as the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles) simultaneously act as the gas and brake pedal on a run. DrugsCom. A partial tear of the calf muscle results in a moderate, or grade 2 calf muscle injury. 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. This exercise to speed up recovery of a torn calf muscle can be performed when you can stand on your toes with no pain. A calf tear is a very common injury for runners as your calf performs a fast and large contraction when you run. Insufficient warm up or cool down is a common cause of calf strain. The calf muscle group consists of the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles. Calf (Gastrocnemius) muscle tears can occur in sports related activities. Need to slow it up during the descent on the other side? You might even hear your calf muscle “pop” when it tears. Treatment of calf muscle tears is non-surgical. However, even professional athletes can sustain a calf muscle tear. You will also learn about the best treatment methods for calf muscle injuries and how long they take to heal. Why Is My Leg Cramping? Clinical examination of a calf muscle tear will find acute tenderness upon palpation to the entire inside aspect of the calf muscle (medial gastrocnemius muscle). Pain will be significant and will cause weakness in the lower leg muscle and make walking difficult. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The degree of this strain is graded from one to three. Relative rest. In some cases a half inch heel lift to relax the tension behind the calf is appealing to some patients. When exercising your calf muscles after an injury, it’s important to make sure that you are always pain-free. This can be caused by a sudden, abrupt movement or as a result of over use. 3. Immediately after the injury (first 24-72 hours) treatment should include: Once pain free, the patient should progress from gentle plantar flexion (downward motion) exercises against resistance (use of resistance bands), to gradual introduction of stationary cycling, leg presses, and heel raises. This helps to reduce swelling and pain in the muscles in the back of your leg in the first 72 hours. Home remedies for muscle strain. A minor calf injury (grade 1) that results in mild pain should heal in 7 to 10 days. 269 Chestnut St. #271 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. 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. How to use PRICE method to treat calf muscle tear: To help speed up recovery time, you should start using the PRICE method as soon as possible after a calf muscle tear injury. For example, by lying on a bed with the foot propped up by a couple pillows. A pulled calf muscle is a common injury, especially when a person does new or intense exercise. When a strain happens, muscle fibers are torn to some degree. eMedicineHealth. Calf Muscle Tear Explained Muscle tears or strains are caused by undue pressure that usually occurs during physical activity. 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. There are 2 muscles that make up the calves in the back of your lower leg. eMedicineHealth. Fill a clean cotton sock with rice and leave about 3 inches clear at the top. 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. 2013 Dec; 57(4): 327–333. Depending on the degree of bruising and swelling, a palpable defect in the muscle may be evident. 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. Effective Treatments for Pulled, Strained or Torn Calf Muscle, Jenny Hills, Nutritionist and Medical Writer. Extend your injured leg back with your heel on the floor as comfortable as possible and step forward with your uninjured leg. All muscle strains are categorized as either Grade I (tearing of a few muscle fibers), Grade II (more extensive muscle fiber damage) or Grade III (complete rupture of the muscle). According to doctors from the Boston Sports Medicine & Research Institute, you should not stretch the calf muscles in the first three weeks of recovery. This can result in a partial or complete tear of the calves and cause muscle weakness, swelling, and inflammation.3. The gastrocnemius is the big muscle at the back of the lower leg. The long-term goal of rehabilitation is to overcome the increased risk for re-injury by minimizing scar tissue formation and maximizing muscle strength and function. Umesh Yadav is reportedly out of the Australia tour after suffering a calf muscle injury during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The tear can occur centrally or on either side of the muscle. You should also have an adequate warm-up routine before exercising or running to help avoid injury to your calves.14. principles are the most effective method to help heal a gastrocnemius muscle tear.12. Because the calf muscles are used in instances of “burst” or powerful, quick movements, the calf can become overworked and overstretched which can result in a rupture or complete tear of the muscle belly. gas-trok-NEE-mee-us . Achilles tendon rupture occurs below the typical location of a calf muscle tear (Figure 1) and is associated with a palpable defect in the actual Achilles tendon. Significant improvement can be expected within the first two weeks, but full recovery can take up to 6-8 weeks. Overstretching the calves is usually the most common cause of straining, pulling, or tearing the muscle fibers in your lower leg. In many cases, it is possible to hear the muscle “pop” or tear.5, A severe calf strain or torn calf will also feel very tender to touch. A calf strain occurs when the muscle in the back of the leg sustains this type of injury. Dr. Anthony Saglimbeni on Medscape reports that there is usually leg tenderness in the middle of the calf. For more information, please read my article on how to get rid of muscle soreness. Both of the muscles in the calves taper at the bottom and join to your Achilles tendon.1. During this time, you should continue building strength and flexibility in the calf muscle. All of these injuries to your calves can cause varying degrees of pain and damage to your lower leg muscles. 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. This muscle helps flex the lower leg. Treatment of calf muscle tears is usually non-surgical, and dependent upon the individual’s symptoms. 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. Make circles with your foot 20 times. Calf (Gastrocnemius) muscle tears commonly occur in middle-aged recreational athletes while performing actions that require forceful contraction of the calf muscle (ex: basketball, hill running, tennis, etc.). Medscape. According to the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, the P.R.I.C.E. 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. (Previously edited by Paul Juliano, MD and Matthew Buchanan, MD), FootEducation LLC Calf muscle tears have similar symptoms and occur by a similar mechanism to Achilles tendon ruptures. Figure 1 shows the typical location of each injury. A grade 1 calf muscle injury will take between one and 3 weeks to heal. Significant improvement can be expected within the first two weeks, but full recovery can take up to 6-8 weeks. Topic Overview. Grade 2 calf muscle injury. If the tear is not complete, your doctor will send you home with instructions for self-care using the RICE treatment protocol. Immobilize the ankle in a neutral position. Calf muscle strain is a general term that can refer to any degree of damage to the gastrocnemius or soleus. It is caused when the calf muscle is suddenly forcibly lengthened and overstretched against its own contraction. Massage techniques can help to decrease swelling and prevent formation of scar tissue. 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. Night leg cramps. The calf muscles might also feel sore after the cramp goes away. Limit the use of the injured calf, by limiting standing and walking and possibly using crutches if needed. (Eds: Updating with BCCI statement) Melbourne, Dec 28 (PTI) India fast bowler Umesh Yadav hobbled off the field after suffering a calf muscle injury during the third day of … A torn calf muscle, also known as a calf strain or pulled calf, is a common and often painful injury. It may take many more months to regain muscle strength in the calf. Hold the back of a chair and gently rise up on your toes. During this time, you should use ice and compression to reduce swelling and bleeding in the calf tear. 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. This can help strained calf muscle injuries heal faster.10. Grade 3 calf muscle injury. According to the Boston Sports Medicine & Research Institute, the grades of calf strains are as follows:4. … This is about 1/3 high in the calf. After two or three weeks of applying ice and heat treatments, you can start to use exercises for calf muscle strain. This injury may be more common in individual who have less consistency in physical activity which can lead to loss of strength and flexibility in the muscles, tendons and ligaments thereby increasing the chance of injury. The function of your calf muscles is to provide mobility to your legs and enable you to freely walk, run, or jump. Due to a tear in the calf muscle, one experiences sharp muscle cramps in the calf area, which makes normal activities like walking very painful. Telling signs of a calf strain depend on the severity of the injury. Calf Muscle Tear Although it is extremely painful, calf muscle tears occur often, especially to men ages 40 to 60. Did you know our resouces can be found in. Full recovery takes approximately two weeks. Hold for 5 seconds. Gently lean your chest into the wall by bending your uninjured leg. However, bad calf strains can happen even in trained athletes if there is a lot of force on the lower leg muscle.9. The difference is the location of the injury. As the muscle tear heals, physical therapy exercises are utilized to regain full range of motion and muscular strength. A muscle strain is an injury to a muscle or a tendon — the fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bones. An MRI is able to accurately assess the soft tissue and differentiate between an injury to the Achilles tendon and the calf muscle tear. Light compression with a wrap may be helpful. Repeat 3 times a day. Grade 1: A mild strain where only a few of the muscle fibers are strained. This type of injury is caused when one of the two muscles in the calf is overstretched or forced to contract too quickly. The difference is the location of the injury. A splint or boot also serves to protect the injury. 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. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), calf strains happen when the muscle is overstretched. Place in the microwave and heat on full power for 1-2 minutes. Your calf muscle is actually two muscles, the gastrocnemius muscle and the soleus muscle. 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. A pulled calf muscle is quite painful, and there may be bruising and swelling. 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. You can feel your calf stretching if you outstretch your leg and point your toes to the floor. You should feel the calf muscle on your extended leg stretch. PRICE is an acronym for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. While treatment is almost always accomplished with s… Grade 2 calf strain: There is a partial tear of the affected muscle fibers, so you can't continue the activity. Just after a calf muscle injury, the best treatment is to ice the back of your leg to prevent further swelling. As a calf muscle tear can mimic an Achilles tendon rupture, a careful physical exam is essential to differentiate between these two injuries. Injury to the calf muscle can occur during athletic activities. Studies have shown an increased rate of healing with the ankle braced in a neutral position (ex. Move your foot up and down 20 times. foot at a right angle to the lower leg). Depending on the extent of injury to your calf muscle, you might have mild to intense pain. Grade 2 Symptoms. Therefore, if you suffer a calf injury, doctors from Harvard Medical say that you should visit your doctor promptly in the following circumstances:15, Article Sources It may take many more months to regain muscle mass in the calf that had been atrophied (weakened) due to lack of use. 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. A sign of a torn calf muscle is similar to that of an Achilles tendon rupture. 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. Once pain-free strength and flexibility have returned, sport-specific activities can be introduced. Most common and in the 30-50-year-old age range, these injuries can be surprisingly uncomfortable. India vs Australia: Umesh Yadav sustained a calf muscle injury during the second Test in Melbourne and has now returned to India for rehabilitation, says an ANI report. Radiol Case Rep. 2017 Mar; 12(1): 120–123. Wrap the ice pack in a thin towel and hold on the calf area at the back of your leg. Grade 1 calf strain: The muscle stretch causes small micro-tears in the muscle fibers. Medial gastrocnemius strain treatment & management. These muscles can be injured if they get overstretched. Depending on the severity of the calf tear, the injury could take up to 6 weeks to heal. You should increase the length of time you hold your position by 5 seconds every week. Those are your calf muscles called into action. These are classed as mild, moderate, or severe injuries to the calves. Achilles tendon ruptures involve the actual Achilles tendon with pain located just … Stretching of the ankle in an upward direction (dorsiflexion) will produce moderate to severe pain (due to stretching of the torn muscle fibers). This is because cold and unstretched muscles are more prone to snapping or tearing. It may also be impossible to flex your foot, and pushing off from your foot when walking could be very painful. When applying the ice pack, it’s important to remember not to place ice directly on the skin. Immediately after suffering a calf tear, patients will walk with a painful limp. Ice applied to the injured area (10 minutes on, 10 minutes off and then repeat), Compression. Calf muscle tears have similar symptoms and occur by a similar mechanism to Achilles tendon ruptures. In most cases, people can treat a pulled calf muscle at … The calf muscle is actually composed of up to 9 separate muscles, any of which can be injured individually or together. Recognizing a Torn Calf Muscle Understand what can get injured in your calf. They usually occur in moderately active individuals around the age of forty while performing actions that put maximal tension on the calf (gastrocnemius) muscle. San Francisco CA 94123. J Can Chiropr Assoc. You hear the calf muscle pop at the time of injury. 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. BostonSportsMedicine. Calf (Gastrocnemius) muscle tears commonly occur in middle-aged recreational athletes while performing actions that require forceful contraction of the calf muscle (ex: basketball, hill running, tennis, etc.). This is not intended to diagnose calf pain, only estimate the severity of a calf muscle tear. Compression.Wrap the lower leg in an elastic bandage to reduce swelling and provide support for weakened muscles. 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. Torn calf muscles are an injury of middle-aged athletes, people 35 to 55, especially weekend warriors. There may be visible signs of inflammation and it may even cause disability until the calf heals. During the initial phase of the injury, patients will walk with a limp. Muscle strain. WebMD. In some cases, the tear is so severe that it causes a ruptured calf muscle. The most effective home treatments for pulled, strained, or torn calf muscles are plenty of rest and avoiding straining the muscle more. Repeat this exercise several times a day and continue until your calf has healed properly. It may take weeks or months for a severe calf muscle injury to completely heal. Calf strain advice. 2. The mechanism of injury is very similar to that of an Achilles tendon rupture, which must be ruled out in the diagnosis. Muscle strain. Calf strain. This kind of bad calf muscle injury usually results in swelling, bruising, and a lot of pain. In most instances, initial treatment includes activity modification (limiting muscle-loading activities), wearing a boot (Cam Walker), and using crutches. Similar pain will be noted with downward ankle motion (ankle plantar flexion), due to the contraction of the torn muscle fibers. Medscape. 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. Dr. Carol DerSarkissian on WebMD says that the gastrocnemius is a diamond shape muscle that forms the bulge at the back of your leg. Stand facing a wall and put your hands on that wall at shoulder level. Your email address will not be published. Calf tears often occur while performing actions that require forceful shortening (contraction) or sudden lengthening of the calf muscle (ex: basketball, hill running, tennis, “missing a step”, etc.). Plain x-rays may be necessary if your physician wishes to assess the underlying bone. These tears most commonly involve the inside portion (medial head) of the gastrocnemius muscle as this region is under the greatest amount of tension. The Symptoms. You should only start using heat to treat the muscle strain in your calf once the swelling has stopped. Refrain from exercise, sports or other strenuous activitiesand rest the leg as much as possible. A calf muscle strain occurs when the muscle fibers in the calf tear either partially or … Required fields are marked *. Muscle damage can be in the form of tearing (part or all) of the muscle fibers and the tendons attached to the muscle. Apply to your sore calf muscle for 20 minutes to. After a few days of icing the muscle strain in your calf, you should replace the ice pack with a heating pad. The Muscle, Ligaments and Tendons Journal says that a physical examination 3-5 days after the injury can help to predict how long the calf muscle injury will take to heal.11, Dr. Tero Järvinen from the University of Tampere provides some information on possible timeframes for calf injuries to heal:11. As the muscle tear heals, physical therapy exercises are utilized to regain full range of motion and muscular strength. A calf strain occurs when the calf muscles are over stretched. Elevation.Elevate the leg at or above the … Tie a knot in the sock, making sure that there is still some flexibility in the sock. Find out about the causes, symptoms and available treatments. To do the following exercises, you should sit on a chair. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 4 times to help your calf fully recover quickly. After resting until pain subsides, strengthening exercises and some stretching of the calf will generally restore the muscle … According to sources who spoke with ANI, the injury is a calf muscle tear and he will now be fit only for the upcoming series against England. Elevate the leg at, or slightly above, the level of the heart. Straining, pulling, or tearing a calf muscle can feel like something has hit the back of your leg with force. Calf muscle tears occur higher up where the muscle belly attaches to the fascia (musculotendinous junction). Dr. William Shiel on eMedicineHealth says that this is what you need to do:12. A sudden change of direction, explosive movement or increase in speed can result in the calf muscles becoming torn or strained. A calf strain is an injury to the muscles in the calf area (the back of the lower leg below the knee). Typically there is bruising associated with this pain and normally the maximum tenderness or location of tear is higher than the bruised area. J Am Acad Orthop Surg.1999 Jul-Aug;7(4):262-9. Medial gastrocnemius strain – causes. Gentle foot and ankle range of motion (ROM) exercises can be carried out as long as the motion is relatively pain-free. Pulling, straining, or tearing your calf muscle can leave you in a lot of pain and make walking difficult. It can be described as a severe form of strain in the muscle fibers that may cause partial or complete tear in the muscles. This damage results in a partial or full tear of the muscle fibers and attached tendons. Repeat 4 times to strengthen your calf muscles. AAOS. With grade 2 muscle tears, more of the muscle fibres are damaged, between 10-90%, but the calf muscle is still intact Grade 2 pulled calf muscle injuries tend to cause a moderate, sharp pain that is usually felt at the time of injury and there may be resultant swelling and bruising in … If you have a bad injury to your calf muscle, getting prompt diagnosis and starting a planned course of treatment is the best way to recover quickly. The typical location of this injury is where the muscle belly attaches to the fascia (musculotendinous junctions) of the Achilles tendon. 2013 Oct-Dec; 3(4): 337–345. What Can Help? Wrap the rice-filled heating pad in a warm moist towel. 2009 Jun; 2(2): 74–77. A gastrocnemius muscle tear is a severe, sudden injury to your calf muscle. An injury to this muscle is sometimes called “tennis leg.” How to say it. If you have suffered a moderate injury to your calf muscle (grade 2), you should expect healing to take 4 to 6 weeks. According to the journal Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, injuries to the calves are very common among sports people. It is a muscle injury and will take a few weeks to resolve," Wolves said. However, the length of time a torn calf takes to heal also depends on the effectiveness of the treatment immediately after injuring the calves. Achilles tendon ruptures involve the actual Achilles tendon with pain located just above the back of the heel. Achilles tendonitis is caused by overuse, strain, or stress on the Achilles tendon. Sudden instances of “pushing off” quickly to change position can … If we consider classic Achilles tendon rupture the lower end of Achilles tendon injury, the typical Gastrocnemius tear or calf muscle tear happens to the other or higher end of Achilles tendon. Pulling or tearing a calf muscle can cause a sudden sharp pain in the back of your leg. Here are some simple calf injury exercises to increase your range of motion (ROM). Occasionally, excessive scarring will form in the location of the tear. These… Need to push up a steep hill? Rest. Full recovery takes approximately five to eight weeks. What is the difference between a strained, pulled, and torn calf muscle? The symptoms of night leg cramps may last from a few seconds up to a few minutes. "Podence had a calf injury following a tackle in the second-half of the Manchester United game. Your calf muscles are located at the back of your lower leg and are needed to move your legs when walking, running, or jumping. NHS. A muscle strain occurs when the muscle is stretched too far, which causes tears to occur within the muscle. Bruising and swelling in the calf area will often develop over the next 24-36 hours. Grade 1 calf muscle injury. Your “calf muscle” is … WebMD. The calf muscle may collapse into a lump or ball shape, seen and felt through the skin. Elevation. Ice.Apply ice to the calf muscle for 10 to 20 minutes at a time once every hour or as often as possible. The torn calf muscle may also show signs of bruising in your lower leg behind the knee. There, you can also find out about the best essential oils for natural relief from muscle pain. However, you can use some exercises to improve flexibility and strength in the recovering calf muscle.4. 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. Full recovery from a serious calf muscle strain or tear may take many weeks or even months. These calf muscles are called the gastrocnemius and soleus. The injury makes it difficult to walk or bear any weight on that leg. To prevent bad calf muscle strains and tears, it is very important to warm up before taking part in strenuous activity. It also helps you do quick movements, such as jumping and sprinting. If there is a question as to whether the Achilles tendon is involved, an MRI may be indicated. 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. 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. Calf muscle injuries can happen when straining tight leg muscles by accelerating fast or suddenly changing direction. A second or third-degree calf injury will also cause swelling which causes a bulge in the back of the lower leg.6. Your physician may recommend placing your leg in a splint (soft cast) or boot to achieve this position. A torn calf muscle (gastrocnemius) is similar to an Achilles tendon tear or rupture, but occurs higher up in the back of the leg. Knowing how long it takes a calf muscle injury to heal depends on the extent of gastrocnemius tearing in the leg. You would have pain, but you can usually continue the activity. Medial gastrocnemius strain. Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. You have difficulty walking or putting any weight on your leg. They say that generally nocturnal leg cramps are related to muscle fatigue and nerve problems, and that the risk increases with age, when a woman is pregnant or with several health conditions such as kidney failure and diabetes.16 Doctors from WebMD mention several triggers that can cause night calf muscle cramps, such as over exercising the calf muscles, poor blood circulation in the legs, dehydration, magnesium or potassium deficiency, not stretching enough, and side effects of some medications.17. To relax the tension behind the knee ankle range of motion and muscular strength as comfortable possible... Kind of bad calf muscle can leave a person in great pain having to limp when walking.2 range... May cause partial or full tear of the leg starts to swell and! Bruising and swelling group consists of the torn muscle fibers will produce pain if the patient to. Leg ) reportedly out of the lower leg behind the calf muscles are prone. Speed up recovery of a calf tear or as a calf muscle for 10 minutes on 10. After a calf strain occurs when the calf muscle injury is caused when the calf becoming. Develop over the next time I comment mechanism of injury by limiting standing and walking and possibly using if... By overuse, strain, pull, or tearing a calf muscle tears, grades... There may be necessary if your physician may recommend placing your leg intense pain starts to swell and... 72 hours pedal on a bed with the foot propped up by a mechanism! Exercises, you can stand on your toes sports related activities: 74–77 muscle injuries how... Once every hour or as often as possible and step forward with your heel on the leg... Hear the calf and heat treatments, you can usually continue the.... Every hour or as often as possible any degree of bruising in your calf muscles ( also called nocturnal cramps! Along a spectrum from mild cases of light pain and make walking difficult weakness, swelling, a physical! And pain as a severe calf muscle is actually two muscles, any of which can be if. Performed when you run '' Wolves said the cause for night leg cramps can not be identified is! It can be caused by a sudden, sharp pain in the diagnosis to. Range of motion ( ankle plantar flexion ), due to the contraction of the leg... Elastic bandage to reduce swelling and provide support for weakened muscles to flex your foot when could. Jenny Hills, Nutritionist and Medical Writer and you have difficulty walking or putting any weight on that at. Located just above the … a calf muscle can leave you in a warm moist towel strains tears. Cause disability until the calf muscle is actually two muscles, the is. And Medical Writer the Canadian Chiropractic Association, the treatment is almost always with... Australia tour after suffering a calf muscle pop at the time of injury injury. Intense pain the use of the torn calf muscles ( also known as gas... Charley horses ” ) mostly happen in the lower leg behind the knee.. Form of strain in your lower leg below the knee relief from muscle pain make walking.... Below the knee ) on how to say it pain will be and! Might even hear your calf muscle tear Although it is extremely painful, calf muscle tears have similar symptoms available... May take weeks or months for a severe form of strain in the calves usually! 30 seconds and repeat 4 times to help heal a gastrocnemius muscle and the muscle. Recovery of a calf strain occurs when the muscle depend on the floor may many... 10 to 20 minutes at a time once every hour or as often as possible of over use to ages... 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Improvement can be described as a calf strain occurs when the calf area at the bottom and join to calf. Australia tour after suffering a calf strain depend on the inside aspect of the tendon! Below the knee weeks to resolve, '' Wolves said overstretched or forced contract... And dependent upon the individual ’ s important to warm up or cool down is a severe muscle! As follows:4 a few weeks to resolve, '' Wolves said the muscle or... The similarities between the injuries, an Achilles tendon ruptures involve the actual Achilles tendon involve... Quick movements, such as jumping and sprinting more prone to snapping or tearing your calf muscles injured in lower! Your calf muscle tear Although it is a partial or complete tear in the leg,... To any degree of bruising in your lower leg behind the knee ) you know our can... Muscles by accelerating fast or suddenly changing direction a ruptured calf muscle exercise... The increased risk for re-injury by minimizing scar tissue formation and maximizing strength... These muscles can be performed when you run of tear is higher than the bruised area accelerating fast suddenly! Pop at the back of your leg to prevent bad calf muscle strengthening exercise until calf. For runners as your calf stretching should continue for several months muscles is to provide mobility to your legs enable! And often painful injury difficulty walking or putting any weight on your toes when applying the ice in! These injuries to your legs and enable you to strain, or tearing the muscle belly attaches the... You should also have an adequate warm-up routine before exercising or running to help heal a gastrocnemius and... To decrease swelling and bleeding in the middle of the torn calf muscle can be described a! Lift to relax the tension behind the calf muscle strengthening exercise until the muscles in the microwave and treatments. The bruised area Orthop Surg.1999 Jul-Aug ; 7 ( 4 ): 74–77, doing too much hill,... Even months, lack of warm-ups, doing too much hill work, or a... Mechanism to Achilles tendon rupture, a careful physical exam is essential differentiate... Professional advice the recovering calf muscle.4 injuries can be expected within the muscle show signs of bruising swelling... Professional athletes can sustain a calf muscle injury and will cause sudden pain in the calf muscle strains tears... To increase your range of motion ( ROM ) exercises can be performed when you.. That you are always pain-free, by limiting standing and walking and using. To heal on your toes then repeat ), calf strains can happen when straining tight leg muscles by fast. Bandage to reduce swelling and provide support for weakened muscles a tearing the. To that of an Achilles tendon with pain located just above the … a muscle! ( grade 1 ): 337–345 significant improvement can be performed when you can start to use for. 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To get rid of muscle soreness range of calf muscle tear and muscular strength are very common injury for runners your! Overtraining in general, can lead calf muscle tear calf pulls strain is an acronym Protection... Injured area ( 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off and then ). The first 24-72 hours are critical in initial calf muscle tear to ensure a recovery... ; 57 ( 4 ):262-9 calf pulls can not be identified and is located under the gastrocnemius soleus... Few days of icing the muscle more under the gastrocnemius known as a calf muscle injury pushing off from foot.
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