Calf Pain: Causes, Treatment and Prevention

Calf Pain can be caused by several conditions. It can be from overworking or over stressing the overstressinguscles. Running or participating in other types of sports can injure the calf muscles. Athletes and everyday people can experience one of two types of tension on the calf muscle. One is where the calf muscle and tendons are fine until the person begins to run or other kinds of activity or exercises. The other experience is the total opposite and the thigh and calf muscles hurt during any kind of workout or while running.

Running activities or athletes who jump or start running and stop suddenly like basketball players are at risk for injuries.

The calf muscle is not just one muscle it is three muscles together that work in unison. The top portion of the muscle is called the Head of Gastrocnemius. The next muscle in the group is the Gastrocnemius itself. The last portion of the muscle is called Soleus, these three muscles are all connected on the backside of the leg. All three are connected to the Calcaneal Tendon better known as the (Achilles) Tendon and they are all connected to the Calcaneus bone or heel bone in the feet.

If one or more of these muscles or the tendon becomes injured or strained there are different causes. Overworked or pulled can be caused from wearing the wrong type of shoes for the activity at the time of injury. Another way they become pulled or torn is the muscles were not warmed up properly, stretched or flexed before the activity

Recovery time for an injury can take from two weeks to over six months depending upon the severity of the type of injury. The injuries are given Grades one through three. Grade one is a simple strain or sprain of the muscle. Grade two is a more severe strain or pulling the muscle loose from the tendon. Grade three is a severe tear in the muscle or the tendon.

Anyone who has pain in the calf area should go to a physician for effective calf pain treatment. The physician will diagnose the injury and then he or she will recommend a treatment plan. The treatment may involve pain medication, topical ointments, cold and heat packs or pads. The injury may be something else like dehydration so the physician will recommend more fluids. It can also be diagnosed as a loss of potassium, vitamins or minerals. Therefore, the physician will recommend effective calf pain treatment and supplements to treat calf pain.

Sometimes calf pain can be treated by drinking fluids made especially for dehydrated bodies. So, everyone should drink plenty of supplements during workouts. The leg may be or feel cold and swollen. The leg may be extremely painful to the touch or hot when touched the Physician will prescribe the appropriate medications or therapy for the patient to be as comfortable as possible.

When the injury is on its way to recovery the physician may recommend physical therapy. A brace or a medical wrap is usually also used in the recovery and treatment plan. The brace and or medical wrap will prevent swelling and hold the muscles and tendons straight so there is no chance of re-injury. The physical therapy usually starts off with simple ankle movements. The light physical therapy will increase in time with the healing of the injury.

In order to prevent this kind of injury from happening the person needs to always stretch their arms and legs before any exercises or workout routine. There are three kinds of pre-workout stretches that can prevent injuries to be calf pain free. The first one is Soleus Stretches, Gastrocnemius Stretches and the Foam Roll. These are simple exercises that can be done in the privacy of one’s home to prevent calf pain injury.