About Calf Strain

I have calf strain injury for the past two weeks and I read alot about it.  I think it will be nice to put some information in my blog so that I can refer to in future if I get calf strain again.


Basically, I substained my injury on Friday (4 Sep 09) evening while doing my 22km long run.  I tried to run on Monday (7 Sep 09) night but simply cannot do more than 4km after 2 days rest.  I decided to give it another day rest before doing a easy jog with a friend on Wednesday (9 Sep 09) but I can only do 5.4km with pain in the left calf.  I finally decided to give myself a longer rest until Monday (14 Sep 09) with RICE treatment on the rest days.  The calf seems alright to do 8.4km with a easy run on Monday (14 Sep 09).  I decided to do a faster run on Wednesday (16 Sep 09) and the calf seems really fine to continue my marathon training.  I will go easy on the calf by doing more easy runs before going for speed.


In total, it took me about 10 days to recovery from a calf strain with RICE treatment.

Calf Strain

What is a calf strain?
A strain is an injury in which muscle fibers or tendons are stretched or torn. People commonly call such an injury a "pulled" muscle. A calf strain is an injury to the muscles and tendons in the back of your leg below your knee.

How does it occur?
A strain of your calf muscles can occur during a physical activity where you push off forcefully from your toes. It may occur in running, jumping, or lunging.

What are the symptoms?
A calf muscle strain may cause immediate pain in the back of your lower leg. You may hear or feel a pop or a snap.

You may get the feeling that someone has hit you in the back of the leg. It is hard to rise up on your toes. Your calf may be swollen and bruised.

How is it diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will examine your lower leg. Your calf muscles will be tender.

How is it treated?

Treatment may include:
· Applying ice packs to your calf for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 or 3 days or until the pain goes away.
· Elevating your leg on a pillow while you are lying down.
· Wrapping an elastic bandage around your calf to keep the swelling from getting worse.
· Using crutches, if it is too painful to walk.
· Taking anti-inflammatory medicine. Adults aged 65 years and older should not take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine for more than 7 days without their healthcare provider's approval.
· Getting physical therapy, which may include treatment of the muscle tissue by a therapist using ultrasound or muscle stimulation.
· Having your healthcare provider or therapist tape the injured muscles while they are healing to help you to return to athletic activities.
· Doing rehabilitation exercises.

While you are recovering from your injury, you will need to change your sport or activity to one that does not make your condition worse. For example, you may need to swim instead of run.

How long will the effects last?

The length of recovery depends on many factors such as your age, health, and if you have had a previous calf injury. Recovery time also depends on the severity of the injury. A mild calf strain may recover within a few weeks, whereas a severe injury may take 6 weeks or longer to recover. You need to stop doing the activities that cause pain until the muscle has healed. If you continue doing activities that cause pain, your symptoms will return and it will take longer to recover.

When can I return to my normal activities?

Everyone recovers from an injury at a different rate. Return to your activities will be determined by how soon your calf recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since your injury has occurred. In general, the longer you have symptoms before you start treatment, the longer it will take to get better. The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your normal activities as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury.

You may safely return to your activities when, starting from the top of the list and progressing to the end, each of the following is true:

· You have full range of motion in the injured leg compared to the uninjured leg.
· You have full strength of the injured leg compared to the uninjured leg.
· You can walk straight ahead without pain or limping.

How can calf strains be prevented?

Calf strains are best prevented by warming up properly and doing calf-stretching exercises before your activity. This is especially important if you are doing jumping or sprinting sports.
 
Another article - http://www.physioroom.com/injuries/calf_and_shin/calf_strain_full.php
 
Calf Muscle Strain Explained

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:

· A first degree strain is damage to a few muscle fibres.
· A second degree strain is damage to a more extensive number of muscle fibres.
· A third degree strain is a complete rupture of the muscle itself.

The Calf muscle group consists of the Gastrocnemius, Soleus and Plantaris muscles, situated at the back of the lower leg. The function of the Calf muscles is to pull up on the heel bone during the ‘push-off' phase of walking and running.

Calf Muscle Strain Signs & Symptoms

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.

Calf Muscle Strain Treatment

What you can do

Resting may be the common sense approach, but it is one that is often ignored by competitive athletes. This is unwise, since it does not take much to turn a grade one Calf muscle strain into a grade two, or a grade two Calf strain into a grade three. As a general rule, grade one Calf strains should be rested from sporting activity for about 3 weeks and grade two injuries for about 4 to 6 weeks. In the case of a complete rupture, the Calf muscle will have to be repaired surgically and the rehabilitation afterwards will take about 3 months.
The immediate treatment of a Calf muscle injury consists of the RICE protocol - rest, ice, compression and elevation (never apply ice directly to the skin). This is aimed at reducing the bleeding and secondary tissue damage within the Calf muscle. The Calf should be rested in an elevated position with an Ice Pack applied for twenty minutes every two hours, if practical. A Compression Bandage should be applied to limit bleeding and swelling in the tissues. Anti inflammatory medication prescribed by a doctor or Topical Anti Inflammatory Gel can be effective in relieving pain.

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 a therapist, 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.

Core Strength and Core Stability exercises can improve muscle function across the trunk and pelvis and this can reduce the risk of Calf muscle injury. Core strength exercises on a Gym Mat using a Swiss Ball and Resistance Bands are ideal. Once Core Strength and Calf strength are improved, then a return to functional activity is possible. With a grade one Calf strain gentle jogging can usually be initiated between seven and nine days after injury and straight line sprinting is usually started after 3 weeks. Many people find that a Calf Support provides reassurance during this active rehabilitation.

Calf Muscle Strain Prevention

What you can do

The following measures may have the effect of reducing the chances of sustaining a muscle strain.
Warm up prior to matches and training is thought to decrease muscle stretch injuries because the muscle is more extensible when the tissue temperature has been increased by one or two degrees. A good warm up should last at least 20 minutes - starting gently and finishing at full pace activity. Practising sport specific activities helps tune coordination and prepare mentally for competition.

Warm Up Exercises

Recovery after training sessions and matches can be enhanced by performing a cool down. This is thought to help muscles get rid of waste products. This is also the ideal time to do stretching exercises.
 
Cool Down Exercises

Maintaining good muscle strength and flexibility may help prevent muscle strains. Muscle strength allows a player to carry out match activities in a controlled manner and decreases the uncoordinated movements which can lead to injury. Tight muscles are associated with strains. Stretching is therefore practised to maintain muscle length and prevent injury.
 
Stretching Exercises

Diet can have an affect on muscle injuries. If a player's diet is high in carbohydrate in the 48 hours before a match there will be an adequate supply of the energy that is necessary for muscle contractions. However, if the muscles become short of fuel, fatigue can set in during training or matches. This fatigue can predispose a player to injury. Carbohydrate and fluids can be replenished during training and matches by taking regular sips of a sports drink . Shock absorbing insoles can reduce stress on the Calf muscles and help to prevent Calf muscle injuries.