Calf Muscle Injury
A Calf muscle injury is common in sports. Calf injuries are sometimes known as a ‘pulled Calf'. The term 'pulled muscle' comes from the description of how the injury takes place. Usually the Calf muscle is forcibly stretched beyond its limits and the muscle tissue becomes torn. A tear in the Calf muscle is referred to as a Calf strain and depending on its severity it is classified as a first, second or third degree strain.
Dependent on the severity of the strain, the following symptoms may be prevalent:
- With a grade one Calf strain the signs may not be present until after the activity is over. There may be a sensation of cramp or tightness and a slight feeling of pain when the muscles are stretched or contracted.
- With a grade two Calf strain there is immediate pain which is more severe than the pain of a grade one injury. It is confirmed by pain on stretch and contraction of the muscle. A grade two Calf strain is usually sore to touch.
- A grade three Calf strain is a very serious injury. There is an immediate burning or stabbing pain and the athlete is unable to walk without pain. The muscle is completely torn and there may be a large lump of muscle tissue above a depression where the tear is. After a few days with grade two and three injuries a large bruise will appear below the injury site caused by the bleeding within the tissues. Unfortunately, surgery may be needed to repair this injury. Our Physios can test if this is the case.
The immediate treatment of a Calf muscle injury consists of the RICE protocol - rest, ice, compression and elevation. It is important that this is done correctly and our Physios can advise you on this. This is aimed at reducing the bleeding and secondary tissue damage within the Calf muscle. After the early stages have been spent resting, more active rehabilitation can be started.
Gentle resistance exercises using resistance bands and stretching are important as they help to align the scar tissue which forms during the healing process. By aligning the scar tissue along the normal lines of stress the tensile strength of the healing Calf muscle is enhanced. At first gentle resistance is provided by our Physios, but as the muscle gets stronger then resistance bands can provide more of a challenge. The sets and repetitions are gradually increased and eventually Core strengthening can be started. We can guide you through this.
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