Calf-Strain Treatment

With several different types of muscle injury, muscle strains are the most common. Strains occur when excessive force is placed on the muscle. Strain injuries happen as a result of tearing of muscle fibers near the muscle-tendon junction. Fortunately, most strains are treatable and full recovery is likely. With proper self-care and follow-up with a professional, your road to recovery can be short.

Etiology

• Strains are common in muscles that cross two joints, such as the rectus femoris, hamstring muscles and gastrocnemius (calf muscles). Most strains occur as a result of excessive force placed on the muscle during eccentric muscle activity. In the case of the calves, landing on your foot with too much force after jumping or leaping can cause a muscle strain.

Symptoms

• Acute symptoms of a muscle strain include localized swelling, acute pain and tenderness and discoloration due to ruptured capillaries (ecchymosis). During muscle testing, the muscle will be weak. Pain will be present during both active and passive range-of-motion testing, with more pain present as the muscle stretches in the elongated position. In the calf, that means that dorsiflexion of the ankle may increase your pain.

Treatment

• In the acute stage of injury, the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) method is an appropriate treatment to minimize pain and inflammation. Rest helps to decrease pain, but complete immobilization has detrimental long-term effects. Allow the calf muscle to rest during the acute stage of inflammation, and slowly begin to return to light activity.

  Ice also helps to reduce pain, swelling, inflammation and hematoma formation. Lower temperatures affect nerve conduction and pain receptors and provide an analgesic effect in the area. Ice can play an important role in edema control and pain reduction. An effective ice application is to place a small quantity of ice in a damp towel, fold the towel around the ice, and apply it to the painful calf. Wrap the towel in place with a pressure bandage, and keep it in place for 20 minutes at a time. Reapply frequently throughout the first few days after injury.

  Compression and eevation help to reduce local swelling and pain. Raising the calf above the level of the heart, combined with ice and a compression wrap, can help speed recovery during the acute stage of injury.

  NSAID drugs, such as ibuprofen can be of some benefit as well. NSAIDs help to control inflammation and limit pain. While no dosing schedule has been established post-injury, Noonan and Garrett in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (1999) recommend that NSAID use be limited to immediate post-injury and then discontinued, so the medication doesn't interfere with the healing process, since some degree of inflammation is required for healing.

  After the acute phase of injury has lapsed, consider consulting with a physical therapist for rehabilitation and strengthening. Therapy can provide exercises and stretches that will accelerate full recovery and teach proper warm-up activities to minimize the risk of recurrence.