Calf strain

A calf strain is an injury to the calf muscle. A strain is another word for a tear. Calf strains are very common. They are most common in people who play sport. Rehabilitation exercises are needed to repair a calf strain to full capacity.

Causes

There are various ways a calf injury can occur. In a healthy muscle, the most common causes of a calf strain are sudden pushing off movements, sudden deceleration or over-stretching the calf muscles. Jumping and running type activities are common causes of a calf strain.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a calf strain can vary depending on the grade of the injury. Though, they often involve sharp pain in the back of the lower leg, tenderness, bruising and swelling. Most people describe the feeling as been ‘flicked’ or ‘kicked’ in the back of the leg. The sudden development of a painful limp and inability to stand on the toes is common. The three most common symptoms are pain, weakness and loss of function of the ankle.

Calf muscles tears have three grades with different symptoms that require different treatment.

• Grade one – minor: This is a minor tear with few muscle fibres injured.
• Grade two – moderate:This is a moderate tear with more extensive damage to muscle fibres.
• Grade three – major: This is a major or complete tear of the muscle fibres. Grade 3 strains are the more severe muscle strains.

Treatment

The treatment of calf strains and tears are individualised based on the nature and severity of the injury. Sports chiropractic are important. A rehabilitation program is important to make a full recovery.

If you would like to discuss your calf strain or have any questions please contact us. One of our sports chiropractors will be happy to assist you moving forward.