After confirming you have a torn calf muscle, your healthcare provider may recommend a home treatment known as RICE:
- Rest: Once you feel calf pain, stop doing physical activity and rest your leg. Don’t push through pain, which can make...
- Ice: Put an ice pack or cold compress on your calf muscles for 20 minutes every two hours. Don’t apply ice directly to...
What is the recovery time for a torn calf?
The recovery times for calf tears are as follows:
- Grade I: Anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks following proper physical therapy and treatment.
- Grade II: Typically, 3 to 6 weeks for full recovery. Physical therapy, strengthening, and treatment need to be heavily utilized.
- Grade III: Even without surgical intervention, recovery time for a complete tear of the calf muscle can be 3 to 4 months.
What is the healing time for a pulled calf muscle?
- You hear the calf muscle pop at the time of injury.
- The calf area of your injured leg becomes discolored, starts to swell, and you have severe leg pain.
- You have difficulty walking or putting any weight on your leg.
- 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.
Why do I keep tearing my calf muscle?
Why do I keep pulling my calf muscle? The most common reasons for a recurrent calf muscle tear are calf weakness, improper training schedule (too much load without enough recovery periods), previous calf muscle tear and a lack of proper rehabilitation/going back to high intensity exercise too soon.
How do you treat a torn calf?
Most calf muscle strains can be treated at home:
- Rest your injured leg. ...
- Put ice or a cold pack on the sore muscle for 10 to 20 minutes at a time to stop swelling. ...
- After 2 or 3 days, you can try alternating cold with heat. ...
- Wrap your lower leg with an elastic bandage (such as an Ace wrap) to help decrease swelling. ...
How long does it take for a torn calf muscle to heal?
The best way to recover from a torn calf muscle is by protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation (PRICE). If treated properly, it can take up to three weeks to heal Grade 1 calf pulls, four to six weeks to heal Grade 2 muscle strains, and three to four months to heal Grade 3 tears.
Can you walk on a torn calf muscle?
With a minor calf injury, symptoms will be mild with minimal swelling, you will be able to walk unaided with slight discomfort but sudden movements that stretch or work the calf may cause an increase in pain.
What's the best treatment for a torn calf muscle?
Rest: Stop running or physical activity to avoid further damaging the calf. Ice: Apply an ice pack or cold compress for 20 minutes every two hours. Don't apply ice directly to your skin. Compression: Reduce swelling and fluid buildup by applying a compression bandage or wrap to the injured area.
What does a torn calf muscle feel like?
A pop, snap or tearing sensation may be felt. Occasionally, with a severe tear, it may feel like you have been shot in the back of the leg. Afterwards, the calf may swell and it will be difficult to rise up onto the toes. The calf will be painful and tender and will feel weak and stiff.
How do I know if I tore my calf muscle?
Symptoms of a torn calf muscle can include:No calf strength, including being unable to balance or bear weight on the injured leg.Snapping or popping sensation in your calf.Sudden pain in the back of your lower leg, like someone kicked your calf.Swelling and bruising in your calf muscle.More items...•
Should I see a doctor for a torn calf muscle?
In most cases, people can treat a pulled calf muscle at home with rest, cold and hot packs, compression, and elevation. A person may find over-the-counter pain medications helpful as well. If the injury is severe or the pain does not improve over time, it is best to see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Will stretching a torn calf muscle heal it?
While you shouldn't resume normal activities until your calf muscle heals, there are some stretches that can complement rest and other treatment measures. Stretching not only helps with recovery of your affected muscles, but it can also help your knee and ankle joints remain stabilized and mobile.
Why is my calf strain not healing?
1:185:44Why is My Calf Strain not Healing? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipReally it means that a part of your calf muscle has torn. So some of the fibers have torn and nowMoreReally it means that a part of your calf muscle has torn. So some of the fibers have torn and now the muscle as a whole is not as strong as it could be. So in order for you to get back to your sport.
What is a grade 3 calf tear?
Grade III: A third degree or severe injury results in a complete rupture of the muscle and is often concomitant with a hematoma. Pain, swelling, tenderness and bruising are usually present. Recovery is highly individualised and can take months before you are fully recovered for a full return to activity.
How can I speed up muscle recovery?
Read on for seven tips for muscle injury recovery that will speed up or improve your recovery.Stay Hydrated. ... Reduce Inflammation With Cherry Juice. ... Increase or Improve Sleep. ... Compress the Affected Muscle. ... Switch to Low-Impact Exercise During Injury Recovery. ... Up Your Protein Intake. ... Limit Alcohol and/or Tobacco Consumption.
Why did my calf muscle pop?
The pop you feel in your calf muscle when you walk, run, or jump, usually means that you've torn a part of the muscle. It's the sudden tearing of the muscle fibres that can make it feel like a pop, but some people even report hearing a “pop” when this happens.
Should you massage a calf strain?
The No HARM protocol should also be applied which includes no heat, alcohol, running or activity, and no massage. This will help ensure decreased bleeding and swelling in the injured area.
Calf Muscle Strain vs. Pulled Calf Muscle vs. Calf Muscle Tear
What is the difference between a strained, pulled, and torn calf muscle? All of these injuries to your calves can cause varying degrees of pain and...
Grades of Calf Muscle Injury
All types of calf muscle injuries are graded according to their severity. These are classed as mild, moderate, or severe injuries to the calves. Ac...
What Does Pulled, Strained, Or Torn Calf Muscle Feel like?
Straining, pulling, or tearing a calf muscle can feel like something has hit the back of your leg with force. According to the journal Radiology Ca...
Causes of Strained, Pulled, Or Torn Calf Muscle
Overstretching the calves is usually the most common cause of straining, pulling, or tearing the muscle fibers in your lower leg.Doctors from the N...
Calf Muscle Cramps During The Night
Night leg cramps (also called nocturnal leg cramps or “charley horses”) mostly happen in the calf muscles. These are involuntary contractions or sp...
How Long Do Calf Muscle Injuries Take to heal?
Knowing how long it takes a calf muscle injury to heal depends on the extent of gastrocnemius tearing in the leg. However, the length of time a tor...
How to Treat Pulled Or Strained Calf Muscle
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.
Exercises For Calf Muscle Strain
After two or three weeks of applying ice and heat treatments, you can start to use exercises for calf muscle strain. If you have suffered a grade 2...
How to Prevent Calf Muscle Injuries
To prevent bad calf muscle strains and tears, it is very important to warm up before taking part in strenuous activity.According to the Journal of...
When to See A Doctor For Calf Muscle Injury
Full recovery from a serious calf muscle strain or tear may take many weeks or even months. During this time, you should continue building strength...
Overview
Your calf muscles (the gastrocnemius and soleus) are in your lower leg, behind your shin bone. They extend from behind your knee down to your heel. These muscles can tear if you perform sudden movements that severely overstretch them. Calf muscle tears can be partial or complete (rupture).
Symptoms and Causes
A ruptured calf muscle can happen if you suddenly overstretch your calf. Quick pivots, jumps or abrupt stops during sports can cause this injury. It’s also possible to develop tears over time if you overwork your calf muscles. People who return to exercise too quickly after a previous calf injury can also develop tears.
Diagnosis and Tests
Your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and review your symptoms. They may palpate (press) on your calf muscles to check for areas of tenderness or swelling.
Management and Treatment
After confirming you have a torn calf muscle, your healthcare provider may recommend a home treatment known as RICE:
Prevention
Allowing your calf muscles to rest and recover between games, practices or workouts.
How to heal a pulled calf muscle?
As the pulled calf muscle heals, a warm heating pad, exercises, and stretching can all help to speed up the healing process. Advertisement.
What happens if you tear your calf?
You might even hear your calf muscle “pop” when it tears. This kind of bad calf muscle injury usually results in swelling, bruising, and a lot of pain.
How to stop calf muscle pain?
Avoid any activities that could strain the muscle further and cause pain. Ice. Apply an ice pack to the calf muscle for up to 20 minutes every hour to reduce inflammation and help get rid of the pain. Compression. Gently apply an elastic bandage around your calf muscle to help prevent swelling in the calf muscle tear.
What is the soleus muscle?
The soleus is a much smaller calf muscle and is located under the gastrocnemius. Both of the muscles in the calves taper at the bottom and join to your Achilles tendon. 1. The function of your calf muscles is to provide mobility to your legs and enable you to freely walk, run, or jump.
What are the muscles in the back of the leg called?
These calf muscles are called the gastrocnemius and soleus. Dr. Carol DerSarkissian on WebMD says that the gastrocnemius is a diamond shape muscle that forms the bulge at the back of your leg.
Why does my calf hurt?
Calf muscle injuries can happen when straining tight leg muscles by accelerating fast or suddenly changing direction. Pulling or tearing a calf muscle can cause a sudden sharp pain in the back of your leg. Depending on the extent of injury to your calf muscle, you might have mild to intense pain.
Why do my legs feel tight at night?
Night leg cramps (also called nocturnal leg cramps or “charley horses”) mostly happen in the calf muscles. These are involuntary contractions or spasms of muscles in your legs usually at night during periods of inactivity that causes the calf muscles to feel tight and painful.
How to treat calf pain?
Rest: Stop running or physical activity to avoid further damaging the calf. Ice: Apply an ice pack or cold compress for 20 minutes every two hours. Don’t apply ice directly to your skin. Compression: Reduce swelling and fluid buildup by applying a compression bandage or wrap to the injured area.
What is pulled calf muscle?
What is a pulled calf muscle? A pulled calf muscle, or a calf muscle strain, occurs when the muscles in your calf — the soleus and gastrocnemius — get overstretched. The calf muscles are in your lower leg behind your shin bone and extend from the base of your thigh down to your heel. They help you flex and bend your foot, ankle and knee.
How to prevent calf muscle pull?
You can reduce your risk of a pulled calf muscle by: Keeping your calf muscles strong and conditioned. Stretching routinely. Not pushing through pain. Resting and recovering between workouts. Using proper technique when playing sports. Warming up and stretching your calf muscles before physical activity.
What does it mean when your calf is pulled?
A note from Cleveland Clinic. A pulled calf muscle happens when you overstretch the muscles in the back of your lower leg. It’s a common injury with athletes that do a lot of stop-and-go movements, but it can also affect older, active individuals. Most calf strains heal with rest, ice, compression and elevation.
What age group is most likely to pull calf muscles?
Other risk factors for pulled calf muscles include: Age: People over 40 may be more likely to get strains during physical activity. Sex: Some studies suggest that men are more likely to get calf muscle injuries.
Why do I have calf strains?
Calf muscle strains usually occur when someone suddenly moves or overstretches their calf after standing still. Quick pivots, jumps or abrupt stops can cause strains. This injury is especially common when your toes get forced upward (toward your body) and your ankle pulls your calf muscles down too quickly.
How many lower limb injuries are caused by calf strains?
One study estimated that calf strains make up about 1.3% of all lower limb injuries in runners. Another study of soccer players identified gastrocnemius strains as making up 12% of all muscle injuries.
How to treat a calf injury?
For most cases, make sure you’re following the PRICE treatment. In addition, you can also treat your calf injury by: 1 Taking an anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen or naproxen 2 Wearing a brace or use crutches 3 Doing rehabilitating exercises, such as calf stretches and heel lifts
Why does my calf tear?
Calf Muscle Tear Explained. Muscle tears or strains are caused by undue pressure that usually occurs during physical activity. This damage results in a partial or full tear of the muscle fibers and attached tendons.
What are the symptoms of a torn calf muscle?
Notable symptoms for a strained or torn calf muscle are stiffness, swelling, pain, and bruising. However, depending on the severity of the injury, it can result in more specific symptoms based on grade: Grade 1 symptoms include a cramping sensation, tightness, and slight pain when the calf muscles stretch and contract.
What to do if your calf is hurting?
Taking an anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Wearing a brace or use crutches. Doing rehabilitating exercises, such as calf stretches and heel lifts. If you think you or your child have a calf muscle injury, visit your nearest FastMed Urgent Care to have a medical professional evaluate its severity.
How to tell if you pulled a muscle?
Symptoms won’t be recognized until the individual stops the activity that caused the pull. Grade 2 symptoms include immediate pain (especially when stretched or contracted). Bruises may also appear where the muscle was strained, causing the area to be sore to the touch. Grade 3 symptoms include an immediate burning sensation and stabbing pain ...
What are the three grades of calf muscle strain?
There are three grades of a calf muscle strain: Grade 1 Pull: Damage to a few muscle fibers. Grade 2 Strain: Damage to a larger number of muscle fibers. Grade 3 Tear: Complete tear in the muscle.
How long does it take for a calf pull to heal?
If treated properly, it can take up to three weeks to heal Grade 1 calf pulls, four to six weeks to heal Grade 2 muscle strains, and three to four months to heal Grade 3 tears. Though this type of injury can heal on its own, it’s important to get a medical evaluation from a trained professional first before beginning treatment.
How to treat a pulled calf muscle?
In the meantime, you can use the following home treatments: Ice or cold compresses. Wrap these in a soft cloth and place on your calf for 10 minutes.
How to prevent calf muscle strains?
You can help prevent muscle strains and pulled calf muscles by: warming up for at least five minutes before exercise, including deep stretches. stretching your legs before exercising. cooling down for five minutes after you work out. stretching your muscles again for five minutes after you’ve cooled down.
How long does it take for a pulled calf muscle to heal?
In total, it usually takes up to three days for a pulled calf muscle to start feeling better. But a full recovery may take up to six weeks, according to Oxford University Hospitals. Severe swelling can make any pain and discomfort last a bit longer. Walking on recovering calf muscles can also increase recovery time.
What does it mean when your calf is pulled?
A pulled calf muscle happens when your internal muscles are overstretched from exercise. This is a common injury, especially among athletes and runners. Pulled calf muscles may be chronic from long-term injury or acute from brief overpulling.
How to tell if you pulled your calf?
Symptoms of a pulled calf muscle can depend on the severity of the injury. A mild strain can leave you with pain and feelings of pulling within the lower half of your leg. You can still walk with a mild strain, but it may be uncomfortable. Other signs of a pulled calf muscle include: mild swelling. redness.
What is pulled calf?
Pulled calf muscle. A pulled calf muscle refers to strains within the two muscles in the lower back of your leg that make up your calf. They’re called the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. When a strain occurs, muscle fibers are torn to some degree. A pulled calf muscle happens when your internal muscles are overstretched from exercise.
How to tell if calf muscle is pulled?
A pulled calf muscle is diagnosed with a symptom check. Your doctor will also look for signs such as swelling and bruising. They may even have you do mild stretches while they look at your calf muscle to see if it’s pulled.
How to prevent calf muscle injury?
How to Prevent a Torn Calf Muscle 1 Warm up and stretch for at least 5 minutes before engaging in exercise or sport, and set aside time for a cool-down period of stretching to prevent cramping. 2 Use a chair stretch to loosen up your hamstrings. It's important to stretch your whole leg and body before working out, as every bit of the body is connected to the rest, and tension in one area could cause an injury in another. 3 Wall stretches allow you to focus on loosening up the back of the leg from heel to hip. 4 The floor or supine stretch helps condition your leg muscles for the prevention of injury. 5 A standing calf stretch is not only targeted for calf strength but can also be easily done just about anywhere throughout the day. 6 Supplement with amino acids to help support muscle recovery and repair with a full host of the building blocks of new protein synthesis.
What is pulled calf muscle?
Pulled calf muscle: Another name for a calf muscle strain, a pulled calf muscle is caused by "pulling" or overstretching the muscle beyond its natural limits. Calf muscle tear: Any strain involves some measure of tearing, but the more serious ones are partial or complete tears that may require surgery to fix.
What muscle is used to flex the ankle and knee?
The calf is attached via the Achilles tendon to the heel of the foot. The calf muscle allows us to flex the ankle and the knee, and to run, jump, and rise to our tippy toes. It's an integral part of daily movement.
What causes calf pain?
Here's a breakdown of the different soft tissue injuries that could be causing calf pain. Calf muscle strain: Straining the calf muscle involves a tearing of the calf muscle fibers. Muscle strains can exist along a spectrum from mild cases of light pain and soreness to severe cases of complete tear. Pulled calf muscle: Another name ...
How long does it take to heal a calf injury?
The recovery time for a mild calf injury is a few days to a week. You may only have to take special care to treat the injury in the first day or two. So long as you don't reinjure the area by resuming vigorous physical activity too soon, your body will take care of the rest.
What does it mean when your calf is pulled?
A milder pulled calf injury may come with symptoms like redness, bruising, mild swelling, and an inability to stand up on the ball of your foot. Depending on the severity of the injury, these types of sprains can usually be treated at home with RICE and other healing aids. RICE stands for:
How to prevent calf cramps?
Here are some stretches and strengthening exercises you can use to help minimize the risk of calf injury and hopefully prevent future sprains and injuries. Warm up and stretch for at least 5 minutes before engaging in exercise or sport, and set aside time for a cool-down period of stretching to prevent cramping.
How to fix a calf muscle tear?
Hold for three seconds. Pull your toes up toward you as far as possible and hold for three seconds. Repeat 10 times. Advertisement. 2. Calf Stretches. Stretches are an important component of calf muscle tear rehabilitation. Stretching exercises increase joint mobility beyond your active range of motion.
How to stretch calf muscles?
Move 2: Wall Calf Stretch. Stand facing a wall. Place your hands against the wall, at about shoulder height. Step your affected leg back about 2 feet. Keeping your back heel on the floor and knee straight, slowly lean in toward the wall until you feel a stretch in your calf.
How to raise your calf?
Once you're cleared by your doctor or physical therapist, begin calf raises, as demonstrated by ExRx.net, to restore strength in your gastrocnemius muscle. Stand with the balls of your feet on a step, with your heels hanging over the edge. Slowly rise up on your toes as high as possible.
How long after a torn gastrocnemius can you exercise?
Range of motion exercises for a torn gastrocnemius can begin one week after injury. Sit with your leg straight out in front of you. Leading with your big toe, draw the alphabet in the air.
Can a calf tear be surgery?
However, severe calf tears might require surgery. See a doctor if you suspect you have a calf tear. For the best results and to avoid further injury, perform calf tear rehab exercises under the direct supervision of a physical therapist.
Can a gastrocnemius tear heal?
Appropriate exercises for a torn gastrocnemius muscle — the larger of your two calf muscles — depend on the extent of your injury. According to a case study published in the December 2013 issue of the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, this injury often occurs in tennis players. Mild muscle tears typically heal with conservative ...
How to help calf muscle pain?
A calf muscle strain that tears will produce copious local swelling, accompanied by leg pain and possible muscle cramps or spasms. Applying a cold pack immediately after injury to the gastrocnemius muscle will help contain the inflammation and provide pain relief.
What is the best treatment for a muscle tear?
The Cleveland Clinic lists over-the-counter drugs and corticosteroid injections as treatments for the acute inflammation caused by a muscle tear. Nonprescription aspirin or ibuprofen is effective for moderate leg pain, while a doctor-administered shot in the affected muscle tissue may be necessary for otherwise uncontrollable pain.
What is a torn gastrocnemius muscle?
A torn gastrocnemius muscle is a severe injury to the back of the calf area of the leg. During a muscle strain, the muscle tissue fibers disengage and separate slightly. An excessive strain can tear this tissue so that any strength imparted by cohesion of the muscle fibers is lost.
How to get gastrocnemius muscle back?
Rehab Exercise . Returning to exercise gradually will ease the gastrocnemius muscle and the rest of the body back into strength and fitness. A professional physical therapy exam and exercise program take the guesswork out of meeting individual needs without causing re-injury.
Can a torn calf muscle heal on its own?
A torn calf muscle can heal on its own , but in cases in which pain and weakness persist, surgery may be a valid option. As the NYU Langone Medical Center notes, magnetic resonance imaging tests help doctors decide whether or not an operation is necessary to a patient’s recovery. Advertisement.
