The symptoms of night leg cramps may last from a few seconds up to a few minutes. Remember I do not replace a real person and always recommend seeking professional advice. Those are your calf muscles called into action. This will cause sudden pain in the back of the leg when the calf muscle tears completely. Hold the back of a chair and gently rise up on your toes. San Francisco CA 94123. For more information, please read my article on how to get rid of muscle soreness. It may also be impossible to flex your foot, and pushing off from your foot when walking could be very painful. WebMD. Calf Muscle Tear Although it is extremely painful, calf muscle tears occur often, especially to men ages 40 to 60. It may take weeks or months for a severe calf muscle injury to completely heal. 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.). Extend your injured leg back with your heel on the floor as comfortable as possible and step forward with your uninjured leg. This can cause chronic pain in the area, or render it more likely for future tearing as the fibrotic scar tissue absorbs forces differently than regular healthy muscle tissue. An injury to this muscle is sometimes called “tennis leg.” How to say it. This can sometimes damage small blood vessels and cause localized bleeding, bruising, and pain as a result of irritated nerve endings. A second or third-degree calf injury will also cause swelling which causes a bulge in the back of the lower leg.6. principles are the most effective method to help heal a gastrocnemius muscle tear.12. 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. Find out about the causes, symptoms and available treatments. Occasionally, excessive scarring will form in the location of the tear. Elevation. Depending on the degree of bruising and swelling, a palpable defect in the muscle may be evident. Straining, pulling, or tearing a calf muscle can feel like something has hit the back of your leg with force. Calf muscle strain: Straining the calf muscle involves a tearing of the calf muscle fibers. Studies have shown an increased rate of healing with the ankle braced in a neutral position (ex. Refrain from exercise, sports or other strenuous activitiesand rest the leg as much as possible. A torn calf muscle (gastrocnemius) is similar to an Achilles tendon tear or rupture, but occurs higher up in the back of the leg. If the tear is not complete, your doctor will send you home with instructions for self-care using the RICE treatment protocol. Doctors from the National Health Service (NHS) say that calf strains are commonly caused by putting too much force on the calf muscles. Home remedies for muscle strain. 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. It may take many more months to regain muscle mass in the calf that had been atrophied (weakened) due to lack of use. These are classed as mild, moderate, or severe injuries to the calves. Treatment of calf muscle tears is usually non-surgical, and dependent upon the individual’s symptoms. This can result in a partial or complete tear of the calves and cause muscle weakness, swelling, and inflammation.3. 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. You might feel or hear a pop in your calf muscle. Effective Treatments for Pulled, Strained or Torn Calf Muscle, Jenny Hills, Nutritionist and Medical Writer. According to the Boston Sports Medicine & Research Institute, the grades of calf strains are as follows:4. There may be visible signs of inflammation and it may even cause disability until the calf heals. 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. The difference is the location of the injury. You hear the calf muscle pop at the time of injury. Gentle foot and ankle range of motion (ROM) exercises can be carried out as long as the motion is relatively pain-free. Move your foot up and down 20 times. A partial tear of the calf muscle results in a moderate, or grade 2 calf muscle injury. Ride on stationary bicycle for 10 minutes with no resistance. Fill a clean cotton sock with rice and leave about 3 inches clear at the top. 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. Stand facing a wall and put your hands on that wall at shoulder level. Both of the muscles in the calves taper at the bottom and join to your Achilles tendon.1. 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 also helps you do quick movements, such as jumping and sprinting. 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. 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. Bruising and swelling in the calf area will often develop over the next 24-36 hours. (Previously edited by Paul Juliano, MD and Matthew Buchanan, MD), FootEducation LLC The mechanism of injury is very similar to that of an Achilles tendon rupture, which must be ruled out in the diagnosis. Wrap the rice-filled heating pad in a warm moist towel. Radiol Case Rep. 2017 Mar; 12(1): 120–123. 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. A pulled calf muscle is quite painful, and there may be bruising and swelling. 2013 Oct-Dec; 3(4): 337–345. Pain will be significant and will cause weakness in the lower leg muscle and make walking difficult. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. With calf muscle tears, the muscles of the Achilles complex are most likely to be damaged. 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. A splint or boot also serves to protect the injury. The difference is the location of the injury. Topic Overview. This is because cold and unstretched muscles are more prone to snapping or tearing. This damage results in a partial or full tear of the muscle fibers and attached tendons. A calf strain occurs when the calf muscles are over stretched. Knowing how long it takes a calf muscle injury to heal depends on the extent of gastrocnemius tearing in the leg. Most common and in the 30-50-year-old age range, these injuries can be surprisingly uncomfortable. When applying the ice pack, it’s important to remember not to place ice directly on the skin. 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. Stretching excessively, lack of warm-ups, doing too much hill work, or overtraining in general, can lead to calf pulls. After a few days of icing the muscle strain in your calf, you should replace the ice pack with a heating pad. Calf muscle rupture: Complete tear of the calf muscle, resulting in severe pain and inability to walk. It can be described as a severe form of strain in the muscle fibers that may cause partial or complete tear in the muscles. Significant improvement can be expected within the first two weeks, but full recovery can take up to 6-8 weeks. "Podence had a calf injury following a tackle in the second-half of the Manchester United game. Medial gastrocnemius strain. Telling signs of a calf strain depend on the severity of the injury. A calf tear is a very common injury for runners as your calf performs a fast and large contraction when you run. Immobilize the ankle in a neutral position. If you have suffered a moderate injury to your calf muscle (grade 2), you should expect healing to take 4 to 6 weeks. 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. 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. 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. Grade 3 calf muscle injury. Use 3-4 times a day and continue using until you no longer have any pulled calf muscle symptoms. Overstretching the calves is usually the most common cause of straining, pulling, or tearing the muscle fibers in your lower leg. All of these injuries to your calves can cause varying degrees of pain and damage to your lower leg muscles. You have difficulty walking or putting any weight on your leg. Repeat 3 times a day. Need to push up a steep hill? Muscle strain. 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. This type of injury is caused when one of the two muscles in the calf is overstretched or forced to contract too quickly. The gastrocnemius is the big muscle at the back of the lower leg. A gastrocnemius muscle tear is a severe, sudden injury to your calf muscle. Just after a calf muscle injury, the best treatment is to ice the back of your leg to prevent further swelling. Tie a knot in the sock, making sure that there is still some flexibility in the sock. Full recovery takes approximately two weeks. The calf area of your injured leg becomes discolored, starts to swell, and you have. Calf strengthening and calf stretching should continue for several months. Injury to the calf muscle can occur during athletic activities. According to doctors from the Boston Sports Medicine & Research Institute, you should not stretch the calf muscles in the first three weeks of recovery. Dr. Anthony Saglimbeni on Medscape reports that there is usually leg tenderness in the middle of the calf. Repeat 3 times a day. 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. For example, by lying on a bed with the foot propped up by a couple pillows. 269 Chestnut St. #271 This is about 1/3 high in the calf. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 4 times to help your calf fully recover quickly. DrugsCom. Medscape. If there is a question as to whether the Achilles tendon is involved, an MRI may be indicated. Wrap the ice pack in a thin towel and hold on the calf area at the back of your leg. Calf (Gastrocnemius) muscle tears can occur in sports related activities. 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. This can help strained calf muscle injuries heal faster.10. Ice.Apply ice to the calf muscle for 10 to 20 minutes at a time once every hour or as often as possible. These muscles can be injured if they get overstretched. Typically there is bruising associated with this pain and normally the maximum tenderness or location of tear is higher than the bruised area. Muscle strains can exist along a spectrum from mild cases of light pain and soreness to severe cases of complete tear. It may take many more months to regain muscle strength in the 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. A sudden change of direction, explosive movement or increase in speed can result in the calf muscles becoming torn or strained. 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. Achilles tendonitis is caused by overuse, strain, or stress on the Achilles tendon. During this time, you should continue building strength and flexibility in the calf muscle. The soleus is a much smaller calf muscle and is located under the gastrocnemius. Elevation.Elevate the leg at or above the … As the pulled calf muscle heals, a warm heating pad, exercises, and stretching can all help to speed up the healing process. This kind of bad calf muscle injury usually results in swelling, bruising, and a lot of pain. The injury makes it difficult to walk or bear any weight on that leg. A torn calf muscle, also known as a calf strain or pulled calf, is a common and often painful injury. You should increase the length of time you hold your position by 5 seconds every week. 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. Depending on the extent of injury to your calf muscle, you might have mild to intense pain. A calf strain is an injury to the muscles in the calf area (the back of the lower leg below the knee). Medscape. Pulling or tearing a calf muscle can cause a sudden sharp pain in the back of your leg. Pulling, straining, or tearing your calf muscle can leave you in a lot of pain and make walking difficult. When a strain happens, muscle fibers are torn to some degree. Calf Muscle Tear Explained Muscle tears or strains are caused by undue pressure that usually occurs during physical activity. 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. According to doctors from Mayo Clinic, usually the cause for night leg cramps cannot be identified and is often unknown. Figure 1 shows the typical location of each injury. Your calf muscles are located at the back of your lower leg and are needed to move your legs when walking, running, or jumping. 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. These… Why Is My Leg Cramping? The degree of this strain is graded from one to three. According to the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, the P.R.I.C.E. These calf muscles are called the gastrocnemius and soleus. Hold for 5 seconds. Calf strain diagnosis quiz. Significant improvement can be expected within the first two weeks, but full recovery can take up to 6-8 weeks. However, you can use some exercises to improve flexibility and strength in the recovering calf muscle.4. Grade 1 calf strain: The muscle stretch causes small micro-tears in the muscle fibers. Limit the use of the injured calf, by limiting standing and walking and possibly using crutches if needed. Calf muscle tears have similar symptoms and occur by a similar mechanism to Achilles tendon ruptures. This muscle helps flex the lower leg. In most instances, initial treatment includes activity modification (limiting muscle-loading activities), wearing a boot (Cam Walker), and using crutches. AAOS. Sprains, strains, and other soft tissue injuries. Muscle strain. Grade 1: A mild strain where only a few of the muscle fibers are strained. The most severe kind of calf muscle injury is grade 3. 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. WebMD. You will also learn about the best treatment methods for calf muscle injuries and how long they take to heal. Massage techniques can help to decrease swelling and prevent formation of scar tissue. A muscle strain occurs when the muscle is stretched too far, which causes tears to occur within the muscle. PRICE is an acronym for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Fortunately, the treatment is physical therapy , not surgery. During this time, you should use ice and compression to reduce swelling and bleeding in the calf tear. This helps to reduce swelling and pain in the muscles in the back of your leg in the first 72 hours. Sudden instances of “pushing off” quickly to change position can … This is not intended to diagnose calf pain, only estimate the severity of a calf muscle tear. Torn calf muscles are an injury of middle-aged athletes, people 35 to 55, especially weekend warriors. Did you know our resouces can be found in. There are 2 muscles that make up the calves in the back of your lower leg. 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. To prevent bad calf muscle strains and tears, it is very important to warm up before taking part in strenuous activity. 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). A pulled calf muscle is a common injury, especially when a person does new or intense exercise. Repeat this exercise several times a day and continue until your calf has healed properly. Calf muscle tears have similar symptoms and occur by a similar mechanism to Achilles tendon ruptures. Calf muscle tears occur higher up where the muscle belly attaches to the fascia (musculotendinous junction). This method involves: 1. Achilles tendonitis. Grade 2 calf strain: There is a partial tear of the affected muscle fibers, so you can't continue the activity. A muscle strain is an injury to a muscle or a tendon — the fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bones. Compression.Wrap the lower leg in an elastic bandage to reduce swelling and provide support for weakened muscles. A calf strain occurs when the muscle in the back of the leg sustains this type of injury. An MRI is able to accurately assess the soft tissue and differentiate between an injury to the Achilles tendon and the calf muscle tear. 2013 Dec; 57(4): 327–333. The tear can occur centrally or on either side of the muscle. According to the journal Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, injuries to the calves are very common among sports people. 2. After resting until pain subsides, strengthening exercises and some stretching of the calf will generally restore the muscle … A grade 1 calf muscle injury will take between one and 3 weeks to heal. 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