Liz Pattison, Physiotherapist
Calf strain exercises & massage.
The calf refers to the muscles on the posterior aspect of the lower leg. It is composed of three muscles including the gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris.
These muscles join together to form the Achilles tendon and all three muscles insert into the calcaneus.
What is a calf strain?
Calf strains are commonly caused by excessive forces during explosive contraction, eccentric control loading or when your calf muscles fatigue.
Injury can occur either at the muscle or tendon. Strains can range from mild to severe cases.
What causes calf strains?
Calf strains often occur during rapid load (think change of direction/landing with a straight leg and pushing off) the muscle can overstretch whilst having maximum force causing a tear.
Calf tears occur during sports such as tennis, netball, squash and team-based sports that require endurance and power such as football and soccer. The most common calf muscle tear is the medial portion of the gastrocnemius muscle.
What are the symptoms of calf strains?
· A calf strain usually has sudden onset pain – often caused by running or jumping
· Some people feel a pop or pull
· Pain is located in the back of the lower leg
· Difficulty/pain on walking
· Definite tenderness around the site of injury
· May have some swelling or bruising
Diagnosis of A calf strain
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Grade 1 (mild) – a small number of torn calf muscle fibres, resulting in some pain, but allowing full function
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Grade 2 (moderate) – a significant number of torn calf muscle fibres, with moderate loss of function
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Grade 3 (severe)– all muscle fibres are ruptured resulting in major loss of function
As pain decreases, gentle exercise and stretching can usually begin in addition to treatment recommended by a medical professional.
Rehabilitation should be conducted under the supervision of a professional due to the risk of injury recurrence.
Exercises for torn calf muscle
Calf wall stretch (back knee straight)
To stretch the big gastrocnemius muscle your back leg must be kept straight. Stand with the leg to be stretched at the back and hands on a wall at shoulder height. Bend the front knee and lean forward, keeping the back knee straight and pushing the heel down to the floor. When you can feel a stretch, hold for 10 to 20 seconds. If the stretch eases, lean further forwards until you can feel it again. But do not push too far in the early stages.
Calf wall stretch (back knee bent)
To stretch the deeper soleus muscle your knee must be bent. This is because the soleus muscle attaches below the knee and bending the knee allows the gastrocnemius muscle to relax leaving the soleus on stretch. Lean against a wall with the leg to be stretched at the back. Bend the knee keeping the heel in contact with the ground until a stretch is felt. Hold for 15 to 20 seconds and repeat.
Ankle pumps
Sit down in a chair or lie down on a bed. Flex your toes so that they are pointing up. Hold this position for 3 seconds. Point your toes forward, as if pushing down the accelerator in a car. Hold this position for 3 seconds. Repeat 20 times.
Seated calf raises
This is a gentle exercise that will strengthen the soleus muscle which is the smaller muscle lower down. This is also an early-stage rehab exercise as it can be done with no weight at all, to begin with, if necessary.
Sit on a chair with the knees bent and lift your heels off the ground as high as possible. Resting a weight on the knees will increase the resistance. Start with 2 sets of 10 once a day and increase a little every two or three days when you are sure there has been no adverse reaction (pain).
Plantarflexion with a band
This is a gentle exercise to start with using a rehab or rubber resistance band. It is more suitable in the very early stages of rehab as long as pain allows after a severe contusion. Hold a loop of the resistance band and use it to apply resistance as you point the foot away or plantarflex the foot.
Start with just 2 sets of 10 once a day and build up to 3 sets of 20 twice a day. If it does not hurt the next day, then increase the resistance by shortening the section of the band. If there is any pain during, after or the next day then reduce the load or rest a bit longer.
Bilateral heel raises
Stand near a wall, rise up onto your tiptoes. Start with 2 sets of 10 reps provided it is pain-free and gradually build up to 3 sets of 20 reps.
If after a few days this feels easy, transfer more of your weight onto the injured leg and then go on to single-leg calf raises.
Calf strain massage
A massage can help treat and prevent muscle strains. Massage should not be applies to recent muscle strains. During the first 24 to 72 hours following a strain applying massage will make the injury worse, increase bleeding and prevent healing.
After the acute state of healing has passed, massage will help stimulate blood flow, mobilise muscle fibres and release areas of muscle spasms. Massage will often soften newly formed scar tissue and help align new fibres.
How to massage your calf muscle
1. Sit down and bend your injured leg up
2. Begin with ‘effleurage’. This is light stroking that begin to warm up the tissues
3. Gradually working deeper into the tissues. Do not go so deep that it tightens up with pain as the benefits will be lost.
4. Add kneading into the calf muscle. Work as deep as is comfortable. Over time, as the injury improves massage pressure can be increased
5. Return to light effleurage to complete the massage.
If you are unable to massage yourself then you can use a foam roller for a similar effect. Roll along the full length of the muscles for 1 to 2 minutes.
If you have strained your calf muscle, you need to see a physiotherapist in order to get the best outcome, and limit you chance of recurrence.
To make an appointment with our excellent sports physios, please call your nearest clinic, or book online. We look forward to helping you soon!
How can we help you?
At Melbourne Sports Physiotherapy our goal is to get you moving pain free as soon as possible.
But, we also want you to actually move better and live a healthier, more active and fulfilling life!
If your sports, fitness training or work has been wearing your body down, book in with one of our expert massage therapists so we can help you reduce your pain or stiffness.
If you are showing some signs of this condition or simply want help prevent this from happening in the future then book in with one of our highly experienced Remedial Massage Therapists today!
You can make an appointment by calling or booking online.
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