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Calf Muscle Injuries

Everybody knows that proper exercise is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. While exercise is very important, it doesn't come without its risks. Exceptionally high impact exercises, lack of stretching and poor physical condition can result in injury, and calf muscle injuries are one of the more common injuries that occur during exercise.

  1. Pulled or Strained Calf Muscles

    • Pulled calf muscles are minor injuries. This is the type of injury that occurs when you overwork the muscle, stretching it beyond what it would normally be capable of. Quick starting or quick stopping can cause muscle pain, and pushing your calf muscle beyond its normal limits can result in a pulled muscle.

    Calf Muscle Injury Prevention

    • While injuries happen sometimes, they don't have to. There are ways to go about preventing debilitating calf muscle injuries. Proper warm ups and stretching before working out can decrease the risk of calf muscle injuries. Stretching and warming up before your workout can help your muscles be more pliable and flexible, so that when you put them to work the risk of strain is much less.

    Treating Calf Muscle Injuries

    • Proper treatment is important when it comes to calf muscle injuries, or they can easily spiral out of control. When you realize that you have become injured, stop your workout immediately and find a place to sit down. Get an ice pack and ice the area thoroughly as often as possible. Not only can this help to decrease any swelling but it also promotes blood flow to the area, which can speed up the healing process and decrease the pain.

    When to See a Doctor

    • Not every calf muscle injury is a simple one. Sometimes the issue can be serious. If the pain is ongoing and doesn't seem to be getting any better, if you are having a hard time walking or you are otherwise concerned about your injury don't hesitate to see a doctor. Your doctor will appreciate your concern, and if the injury is serious he can refer you to the right people to put you on the path to recovery.

    Recovering From Calf Muscle Injuries

    • Recovery is one of the hardest parts of dealing with calf muscle injuries. People who are really concerned about their physical fitness or athletic career may find it difficult to stay off of the leg, but it is important to promote full healing of the area. It is also important to keep in mind that areas that have become injured are more prone to injury in the future as well, so pay attention to the signs your body is sending you to ward off future injury.

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