- Cold Therapy. Use a cold therapy and compression wrap to minimise any bleeding within the muscle. ...
- Rest. In the early acute stage complete rest is important at least until you can walk pain free. ...
- Compression. Wear a compression bandage or calf support to support the muscle and reduce swelling. Compressing blood vessels in the muscle encourages swelling to drain away from the area.
- Medication. A doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication e.g. ibuprofen. This can be beneficial in the first few days after the injury.
- Wear a heel lift. Wear a heel pad in your shoes. This shortens the muscle, reducing the load on it. ...
- Massage. Sports massage for calf strains can be used after the initial acute phase has finished. Do not massage in the first 5 days post-injury, longer for more severe injuries.
- Electrotherapy. A professional therapist may use Ultrasound to treat your torn calf. It transmits high-frequency sound waves into the tissue.
Full Answer
How do you treat a Grade 2 calf strain?
Rehab Stretching the calf wall (knees bent) Stand with your back to a wall and your hands on the wall at around eye level. Place your injured leg approximately one step behind your other leg. Bend both knees while keeping both heels firmly planted on the floor. For at least 15 to 30 seconds, maintain the stretch. Repeat this process 2 to 4 times.
What is the recovery time for a calf tear?
Nov 17, 2021 · Foam rolling of the calf complex can be beneficial in the early phase to enhance blood flow and start to mobilize the tissue that is irritated from the injury. Be sure to listen to your body and not push into significant symptoms of pain; however, some mild discomfort that is tolerable can be expected in the early phase with this technique.
What is the best treatment for a ruptured calf muscle?
Jul 20, 2016 · Torn Calf Muscle Recovery The best way to recover from a torn calf muscle is by protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation (PRICE). 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.
What are the best exercises for muscle strain?
Feb 28, 2022 · Calf strain treatment. Cold Therapy. Use a cold therapy and compression wrap to minimise any bleeding within the muscle. Rest. In the early acute stage complete rest is important at least until you can walk pain-free. Once the acute phase has passed then active rest may ... Compression. ...
How long does a Grade 2 calf tear take to heal?
Grade 2: A moderate strain where more muscle fibers are torn but there is not a complete rupture. This usually takes 4-8 weeks for recovery and the individual can feel significant pain and loss of normal function of the calf muscle due to pain.
How do you rehab a Grade 2 calf strain?
Put your affected leg about a step behind your other leg. Keeping your back leg straight and your back heel on the floor, bend your front knee and gently bring your hip and chest toward the wall until you feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg. Hold the stretch for at least 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 2 to 4 times.
How do you rehab a torn calf muscle?
Calf Stretch Gentle stretching will help your injured muscle heal at its normal length. Begin sitting with your knee straight and a towel or belt wrapped around the ball of your foot. Gently pull your toes towards your shin and hold this stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.Dec 15, 2019
When should I start rehab after calf tear?
NO stretching or resistive exercise should be done during the first 3 weeks.Rehabilitation Program.Phase one - The first week after injury.Phase two – the second and third week after injury.• NO stretching.Phase three – the 4th, 5th and 6th week after injury.Phase four – 7 to 12 weeks after injury.More items...
Can you walk with a Grade 2 calf strain?
Grade II calf strain: Moderate discomfort with walking. Limited ability to perform activities such as running and jumping. May have swelling and bruising.Dec 29, 2021
What does a Grade 2 calf strain feel like?
Grade II: A second degree or moderate injury is a partial muscle tear halting activity. There is a clear loss of strength and range of motion. with marked pain, swelling and often bruising. Muscle fibre disruption between 10 and 50%.
Why is my calf tear not healing?
0:585:44Why is My Calf Strain not Healing? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhy is my calf strain not healing. And by far the most common reason has been because they've justMoreWhy is my calf strain not healing. And by far the most common reason has been because they've just not strengthened it to a high enough level to be able to do their sports.
Should you walk on a torn calf muscle?
Walking on recovering calf muscles can also increase recovery time. If you have to have surgery for a severe pull in your calf muscle, it may take several weeks or months before you fully recover.
Should you stretch a torn calf?
Stretching a torn calf muscle could do more harm than good Stretching this injured area will only cause more damage to the tissues and increase your recovery time. Your calf muscle needs time to heal before any extra force is applied to it. Never stretch when there is still pain or inflammation in your calf.Nov 25, 2021
Do compression socks help calf strains?
Although compression socks cannot cure your calf strain, they can significantly help reduce and alleviate pain and help further prevent calf injuries. Copper-infused compression socks can reduce calf pain and swelling, prevent damage, and treat the issues that are causing calf pain.Feb 19, 2021
What is the best exercise for calves?
Running, walking, and hiking are excellent calf-strengthening exercises, especially when you go uphill. The steeper the climb, the more your calves have to work. Running sports such as soccer, basketball, and tennis demand that you run, jump, and push off your calf muscles to accelerate or change direction quickly.Jun 22, 2021
How to heal a strained calf muscle?
Reducing pain and symptoms may be achieved by off loading the strained calf musculature through rest, taping techniques, and appropriate soft tissue massage techniques. While somewhat lacking scientific evidence for soft tissue recovery modalities such as dry needling or western acupuncture can be popular amongst runners and may also be useful.
What is calf muscle strain?
Written by Brad Beer. ‘Calf muscle strains’ are a common running injury. They can be debilitating, painful, and require reduced or complete cessation from running. Short and longer lasting episodes of pain can stem from injury to the calf musculature.
Why does my calf hurt when I run?
The runner will typically report an acute onset of pain in the region of the calf brought on by activity, often times jumping or accelerating when running. For runners the injury more frequently arises during faster interval training, racing, or high-speed tempo runs.
Which muscle group is generating high peak forces across all speeds?
Furthermore when looking at peak muscle forces per muscle group across a variety of running speeds it is evident that the soleus muscle is generating high peak forces across all speeds, see image below:
Where does the majority of running force propulsion come from?
Greater than 50% of running force propulsion is generated from ‘below the knee’ plantar flexor musculature. Given the force developed by the calf it is understandable that the calf can be a potential site of muscular injury for a runner.
What muscle is the calf muscle?
Calf muscle anatomy. A calf muscle strain can occur to either of the two primary ‘calf muscles’; the soleus or the gastrocnemius (see anatomy images below): (i) soleus muscle. (ii) Gastrocnemius (medial and lateral heads) The muscles at the back of the leg are comprised of a superficial and a deep group of muscles.
Is high plantar flexor strength protective?
High plantar flexor function seems to be protective against achilles tendinopathy. Willy and Paquette in their review of masters runners state ‘runners with greater eccentric plantarflexor strength and greater propulsive forces during running have a reduced risk of developing achilles tendinopathy (9).
How to treat a torn calf muscle?
In addition, you can also treat your calf injury by: Taking an anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Wearing a brace or use crutches. Doing rehabilitating exercises, such as calf stretches and heel lifts.
How to treat a calf injury?
For most cases, make sure you’re following the PRICE treatment. In addition, you can also treat your calf injury by: 1 Taking an anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen or naproxen 2 Wearing a brace or use crutches 3 Doing rehabilitating exercises, such as calf stretches and heel lifts
Why does my calf tear?
Calf Muscle Tear Explained. Muscle tears or strains are caused by undue pressure that usually occurs during physical activity. This damage results in a partial or full tear of the muscle fibers and attached tendons.
What are the grades of calf strains?
There are three grades of a calf muscle strain: Grade 1 Pull: Damage to a few muscle fibers. Grade 2 Strain: Damage to a larger number of muscle fibers. Grade 3 Tear: Complete tear in the muscle.
How to tell if you pulled a muscle?
Symptoms won’t be recognized until the individual stops the activity that caused the pull. Grade 2 symptoms include immediate pain (especially when stretched or contracted). Bruises may also appear where the muscle was strained, causing the area to be sore to the touch. Grade 3 symptoms include an immediate burning sensation and stabbing pain ...
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What are the symptoms of a torn calf muscle?
Notable symptoms for a strained or torn calf muscle are stiffness, swelling, pain, and bruising. However, depending on the severity of the injury, it can result in more specific symptoms based on grade: Grade 1 symptoms include a cramping sensation, tightness, and slight pain when the calf muscles stretch and contract.
How to treat a torn calf?
A professional therapist may use Ultrasound to treat your torn calf. It transmits high-frequency sound waves into the tissue. This encourages blood flow, which facilitates healing of damaged muscle fibres. Ultrasound is particularly useful in the early stages of the injury.
Who designed the Calf Strain Rehabilitation Program?
Our Calf strain rehabilitation program has been designed by England & British Lions Rugby Sports Physiotherapist Phil Pask. It is based on what an elite athlete would do and adapted for people of all ages and abilities.
How to tell if calf muscle is hurting?
Symptoms of a calf strain vary significantly depending on how bad your injury is. A mild strain may feel more like an ache during or after exercise. With a more severe strain, you will feel a sudden sharp pain at the back of the lower leg at the time of injury. Calf muscle strains are graded from 1 to 3, with grade 3 being the most severe.
Why do my calf muscles get tight?
Tight calf muscles – over time your muscles may tighten up and parts of the muscle may go into spasm, either from congenital reasons (genetics), or poor footwear. Wearing high heels. If you regularly wear high-heeled shoes this increases the risk of a number of injuries including calf strains.
What is a calf strain?
A Calf strain is simply a tear of one of the muscles which make up the calf muscle group at the back of the lower leg. The calf muscle group consists of the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles. The gastrocnemius is the big muscle at the back of the lower leg. The soleus is the smaller of the two and is located lower down and lies underneath ...
How to treat a swollen muscle?
Use a cold therapy and compression wrap to minimise any bleeding within the muscle. Cold therapy can be applied for 10 to 15 minutes every hour initially, reducing frequency as symptoms allow. Do not apply ice directly to the skin as it can cause ice burns. A simple reuseable gel pack with an elastic wrap is ideal.
Where is the soleus located?
The soleus is the smaller of the two and is located lower down and lies underneath the gastrocnemius. Both muscles contract to produce ‘plantar flexion’ at the ankle joint. This is the same movement as standing up onto your tip-toes.
What is grade 3 injury?
Severe Grade 3 injuries. Grade 3 injuries are the most severe and involve 90 to 100% of the muscle fibres. A complete tear is often referred to as a rupture. There will be severe and immediate pain at the back of the lower leg. The athlete may complain of a ‘pop’ sensation at the time of injury.
What is a grade 1 strain?
Mild Grade 1 injuries. A Grade 1 strain is a minor tear of the muscle with less than 25% of the muscle fibres affected. You may complain of a twinge in the back of the lower leg, or simply a feeling of tightness. You may be able to carry on playing or competing with minimal pain. However, there is likely to be more tension or aching in ...
Why does my knee swell up?
This is as a result of the torn muscle fibres and associated blood vessels. A gap or deformity in the muscle may be visible as the torn fibres bunch up towards the knee.
How to treat a torn calf muscle?
Once you know that, you'll know how to treat the injury successfully. For minor calf strains, the best approach is rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
How to relieve pain from calf muscle injury?
Wear a heel pad in your shoe for a few days to raise your heel and shorten the injured calf muscle, which will relieve some of the tension / pain. But don't forget about it; if left in place too long can cause a flexion contracture (shortening) of the achilles tendon and permanent stiffness of the ankle.
How to tell between gastrocnemius and soleus strain?
With a more serious strain, it's important to distinguish which muscle is involved to the greater extent: the deeper soleus or the more superficial "heads" of the gastrocnemius. MRI or diagnostic ultrasound may be needed to best diagnose the location and degree of the injury. Grade II strains involve more extensive damage, up to 90% of the muscle fibers may be torn. These injuries present with more pain (described as sharp in nature), significant loss of muscle strength and range of motion. Swelling is more severe and bruising quickly develops because of the internal bleeding from the torn muscle fibers.
Why does my calf hurt?
Furthermore, some serious medical conditions can cause calf pain or refer pain to that region, such as a bone fracture, bone cancer, bone infection (osteomyelitis), venous insufficiency, sciatica from a lumbar disc herniation or complications related to diabetes. [2]
What doctor can help with calf pain?
As such, medical specialists such as an orthopedist (bone and joint specialist), neurologist (nerve specialist) or physiatrist (muscle and bone specialist) may be needed to rule out the most serious causes of your calf pain.
How long does it take for a calf strain to heal?
Most calf strains are minor injuries and self-heal within a week -- the degree of pain, disability and bruising are good indicators of seriousness. Grade I muscle strains involve micro-tears of up to 10% of the muscle fibers.
Why do calf stretches help?
Practice calf stretches. Mild muscle strains respond well to some light stretching because it relieves muscle tension and promotes blood flow. Following the inflammatory phase of a muscle strain injury, some scar tissue forms, which is not as flexible as muscle fiber.
Where do calf tears occur?
Calf tears most commonly occur in the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle - the lumpy bit near the bottom inside part of the muscle. There will be swelling and tenderness the severity of which depends on the grade of the tear. In a grade 2 or grade 3 tear, there will be bruising which appears mostly around the inside ...
Why does my calf tear?
A calf tear happens suddenly. It is usually, but not always, due to a change in force or stress on your leg. For example leaping up a step, a sudden change in direction or a sudden acceleration (sprint training)
What does it mean when your calf is strained?
Definition: A "calf strain" is a nerve-related muscle dysfunction. A calf strain is felt as a strong cramping sensation that is usually felt down the length of the muscle, rather than across it. It can come on suddenly over the course of 2 - 3 steps and can feel like quite a sharp pain rather than just a cramp.
What is a grade 2 injury?
Grade 2: More extensive damage with more muscle fibers involved. However, the muscle is not completely ruptured. These injuries present with significant loss of strength and motion. These injuries may require 2-3 months before a complete return to sport. Grade 3: Complete rupture of a muscle or tendon.
Can a calf muscle tear be seen on an MRI?
I have treated literally thousands of runners who have been told they have torn their calf muscle, yet they can walk without pain in 2 days or less, and an MRI scan or Ultrasound Scan shows no physical tears in the muscle fibres.
Which muscle is the calf muscle?
The calf muscles consist of the Gastrocnemius, which is the big muscle at the back of the lower leg, and the Soleus muscle, which is a smaller muscle lower down in the leg and under the Gastrocnemius. Either of these two muscles can be strained (torn).
What causes calf muscle pain?
calf strain is caused by a tearing of part of the gastrocnemius or soleus muscle from the top of the Achilles tendon. A sudden sharp pain at the back of the leg when running, sprinting or lunging is how the injury presents and occurs. Usually there is tenderness on the calf muscle; especially on the inner side. You may think you've just been hit in the leg. Often, there is an audible "pop," and you may turn around to see what has just hit you. There is a sudden pain at the back of the leg, you may have difficulty in contracting the muscle or standing on tiptoe, and there may be pain, swelling or bruising in the calf muscle. This injury is common in running sports that require quick acceleration of changes in direction. Calf strain is also referred to as "Tennis Leg," because it is so common among tennis players. It usually occurs in people between the ages of 30 – 45.
What is the time line for rehabilitation?
The ‘time line’ that is illustrated in the following rehabilitation program is typical after grade 2 and 3 injuries. After a grade 1 injury, rehabilitation can usually begin at phase three.
