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The Effects of a Severe Calf Strain

A muscle strain, commonly called a "pulled muscle," happens when the small fibers that make up the muscle tear. There are three grades for strains, and a grade-three strain is the most severe, involving more than 90 percent of the muscle's fibers, according to SportsInjuryClinic.net. The major muscles in the calf start behind the knee and attach to the Achilles tendon; a severe strain of those muscles can be extremely painful and debilitating.

  1. Pain

    • The pain of a grade-three calf strain is immediate and severe. The pain starts suddenly just after some activity—such as sprinting, a blow to the leg or over-stretching—has stressed the calf muscles, according to the Sports Orthopaedic Clinic of Cape Town. The pain is in the back of the bottom part of the leg, and will get worse if you try to point your toes, or if you press on the calf area, according to SportsInjuryClinic.net.

    Visible Signs

    • Right after a grade-three strain, the calf will start to swell, especially in the area starting just below the knee and reaching halfway to the ankle. Grade-three strains also show bruising in the calf because of the bleeding from the injured muscle. With the most severe grade-three strains, the muscles may tear free of the Achilles tendon and bunch up just below the knee, according to SportsInjuryClinic.net. Some people also may hear a "popping" noise at the moment when the injury happens, according to the University of Michigan Health System.

    Loss of Function

    • After a grade-three calf strain, you won't be able to rise up onto the balls of your feet as you would when you're trying to reach a high shelf, and you may not be able to point your toes, according to SportsInjuryClinic.net. It will probably be too painful to walk without help. You will probably need to use crutches, take medications and see a physical therapist, and recovery can take months. The most severe grade-three calf strains require surgery to repair the muscle, according to SportsInjuryClinic.net.

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