One of the most common and painful sports injuries

A calf strain or tear of the muscle fibres of the calf generally involves a sudden sharp pain. It feels similar to being stuck by a stone on the leg. Depending on the severity of the strain, the injury will be classified from a sudden contracture of the muscle fibres to a complete rupture.

What are the causes?

There are many different causes for this type of injury, and so it is difficult to pinpoint the specific type of exercise or movement responsible. There are usual several factors:

• The morphology of the calf. This is a two-part muscle, which contains a lot of fast muscles that are susceptible to injury for no apparent reason.
• A sudden stretch when the muscle is cold.
• Lack of neuromuscular coordination.
• A sudden stop.
• Muscle fatigue due to failure to rest, warming up and stretching.
• Excessive fluid and salt loss, for example in very demanding trials with profuse sweating and inadequate hydration.
• Inappropriate shoes, without shock absorption or unsuitable for the type of training or ground.
• Insufficient support for earlier injuries caused by postural problems.
• Uneven, slippery ground.
• Extreme cold and excessive heat, which prevents the muscle from warming up gradually.

How should these calf injuries be treated?

It depends how serious the injury is, but the general guidelines are as follow:

• During the first 48 hours:

Treat the pain and reduce the inflammation. A doctor will prescribe painkillers and anti-inflammatories. Apply ice to the site for ten minutes every two hours, and rest, without putting weight on the area and using a compression bandage.

• Between the third and seventh days:

Once the inflammation has gone down, it is recommended you apply heat to prepare the area to move. Start off by moving slowly until you recover your entire range of movement. You can do some isometric contractions, in other words, generate tension without lengthening or shortening the muscle, and stretching if the muscle fibres have not been ruptured, rather distended.

• After one week:

Continue with the isometric work you have started, according to what you can manage, and add active and passive stretches and exercises with movement.

After four weeks you can resume your normal exercise routine, taking great care to warm up correctly. The intensity and speed should be controlled carefully by your doctor and/or physiotherapist to prevent future injuries.

Look after yourself and follow your healthcare professionals’ advice and your calf injury will health without problems or sequelae. Prevent it from happening again by warming up and stretching correctly, wearing suitable footwear for your activity and keeping yourself hydrated.