Calf Muscle Pain Treatment
- Rest. Resting the calf muscles can alleviate the pain, reduce any swelling, and speed up the recovery time whether it is a mild or major calf issue.
- Ice and Heat Compress. Apply a cold or ice compress to the affected calf to treat the inflammation, pain, and swelling. ...
- Compression. Use a compression sleeve or bandage around the affected calf for a 10-minute treatment several times each day.
- Heel Pads. Place heel pads in both shoes to alleviate any strain on the calf muscle while walking. ...
- Stretching Exercises. Perform stretching exercises to strengthen and lengthen the tendons and muscles of the calves. Repeat these exercises four or five times daily.
How to get relief from calf muscle pain?
Your healthcare provider may recommend additional treatments depending on the cause of your calf pain, including: Pain relievers. Physical therapy. Soft cast or boot to immobilize your lower leg in the case of a strain or tear. How is vascular calf muscle pain treated?
How to prevent and relieve tight or sore calves?
Mar 15, 2022 · At-home treatments for calf pain Calf pain caused by trauma, a pull, or a moderate injury of some kind can typically be eased with the following methods. The RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) method is advised by all healthcare practitioners and anyone working at a hospital when they send you home with a pulled calf, tendon, or even a broken bone in some …
How to treat a calf pain after an ACL surgery?
The pain can feel like stitches in your legs. The treatment for muscle spasms are painkillers, stretching, ice packs, and try walking. You can be proactive to help prevent cramps by drinking more water and wearing proper shoes. Other preventatives are controlling your weight, stretching often, and avoiding working out in the sun. Knee Sprains
Why are calves sore for no reason?
Aug 22, 2018 · The causes of calf pain can be highly variable including direct trauma, overuse, muscle and tendon ruptures, and blood clots. The symptoms can range from mild achiness and tightness to sudden inability to walk or bear weight. The initial treatment of these injuries includes rest, elevation, and compression. Heating pads can help relax muscle spasms.
What does a sharp pain in the calf mean?
When should I be concerned about calf pain?
Signs of infection, such as redness, warmth or tenderness, or you have a fever greater than100 F (37.8 C) A leg that is swollen, pale or unusually cool. Calf pain, particularly after prolonged sitting, such as on a long car trip or plane ride.
What doctor treats calf pain?
How do I relax my calves?
- Stand near a wall with one foot in front of the other, front knee slightly bent.
- Keep your back knee straight, your heel on the ground, and lean toward the wall.
- Feel the stretch all along the calf of your back leg.
- Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds.
What is the treatment for calf pain?
For calf pain caused by conditions like DVT, compartment syndrome, or DPN, medical intervention, including surgery and medications, will be required.
How to help calf pain?
For calf pain caused by overuse or mild-to-moderate trauma, here are a few tips: R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). Icing and elevating the leg are two common princip les of R.I.C.E. that are useful for calf pain. Try elevating your leg at or above the level of your heart to get swelling to decrease.
What is the muscle in the back of the calf?
The calf is comprised of two muscles — the gastrocnemius and the soleus. These muscles meet at the Achilles tendon, which attaches directly to the heel. Any leg or foot motion uses these muscles. Calf pain varies from person to person, but it typically feels like a dull, aching, or sharp pain, sometimes with tightness, in the back of the lower leg.
Why does my calf hurt?
Calf pain can result from a number of causes, including overworking the muscle, cramps, and foot conditions. While most cases of calf pain can be treated at home, other causes may require immediate medical attention. 1. Muscle cramp. Muscle cramps are sudden, painful contractions of the muscles. They can be brief or last for several minutes ...
What is the best medication for calf pain?
OTC medications. Calf pain can also be soothed with common pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen. You can shop for pain relievers on Amazon.
Why does my calf feel numb?
tingling or numbness in the calf and leg. weakness of the leg. fluid retention. redness, warmth , and tenderness of the calf. If you have any of these symptoms in addition to calf pain, you should visit your doctor. Calf pain can result from a number of causes, including overworking the muscle, cramps, and foot conditions.
How to treat muscle strains?
Mild to moderate strains can be successfully treated at home with ice, heat, and anti-inflammatory medications. Severe strains or tears may require medical treatment. 3.
How to treat calf pain?
This stands for: Protection: Apply a cloth bandage, splint, or immobilizer to the foot, ankle, or calf to protect the injury and allow the muscles to rest. Rest: Avoid using the calf muscle more than necessary.
How to reduce swelling in calf?
Ice packs are available to buy in pharmacies and online. Compression: Wrap the calf in a stretchy, tight bandage or wear a compression stocking to reduce swelling.
What is calf muscle strain?
Muscle strain. A calf muscle strain occurs when the muscle fibers in the calf tear either partially or completely. The symptoms will vary depending on the severity of the strain, but most people will experience sudden, sharp pain and tenderness at the calf muscle site. 3.
What is the band that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone?
Achilles tendinitis. The Achilles tendon is a tough, fibrous band that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. If a person’s calf muscles are especially tight, this may put extra pressure on the Achilles tendon. As a result, a person can experience calf pain.
Why does my calf hurt?
A person may experience calf pain due to narrowing or blockages in the arteries that supply blood flow to the legs. This is known as arterial claudication.
Why does my leg feel numb?
It occurs when excess blood or fluid builds up underneath a band of tough tissues in the body that cannot stretch very well. This fluid places extra pressure on the nerves and blood vessels in the lower leg , causing pain, swelling, numbness, and tingling.
Can calf muscle cramps be temporary?
Calf muscle cramps are usually temporary but can cause significant pain and discomfort.
How to treat calf pain?
Apply a cold or ice compress to the affected calf to treat the inflammation, pain, and swelling. Once the swelling has gone down, apply heat compresses to the calf to continue pain management. If you apply the heat too soon, it can cause the pain and swelling to increase.
How to help a calf that is swollen?
Resting the calf muscles can alleviate the pain, reduce any swelling, and speed up the recovery time whether it is a mild or major calf issue. Use crutches when walking is required to avoid placing weight on the affected leg.
What muscles are involved in calf pain?
There are two major muscles essential to the movement of the leg—the gastrocnemius muscle and the soleus muscle.
Why does my calf hurt?
Pain in the calf muscle is a common result of straining the medial gastrocnemius muscle during physical activity such as with sports . This type of strain is often called tennis leg, originating from a 1883 reported case of a tennis injury.
What is grade 1 calf?
Grade I: Refers to overstretching or a minor-sized tear of a calf muscle. There is a slight pain, but it does not affect. Grade II: Medium-sized tearing or stretching of the muscle fibers. Limping may be visible, along with possible bruising, as pain increases and strength decreases.
Why do my legs hurt at night?
Leg cramps occur when the calf muscles contract and spasm involuntarily. The sufferer will usually experience calf pains at night. Tightness and pain can range from mild to severe, and can last a few seconds or several minutes.
Why does my Achilles tendon hurt?
Damage or injury to the Achilles tendon can be a tear, irritation, or an overstretch caused by excessive use, weak calf muscles, arthritis, or the aging process . Calf pain symptoms may include soreness above the heel in the back of the leg, stiffness, tenderness, and severe pain, especially after climbing stairs or running.
What are the symptoms of calf pain?
The symptoms that are often associated with calf pain include: Cramps in the calf area. Feeling of a muscle strain in the calf. Swelling of the calf. Tightness in the back of the leg. Unusual heat/unusual cold in the back of the leg. Tingling in the calf muscle area.
What causes pain in the calf muscles?
Achilles tendonitis: Achilles tendonitis is caused by strain to the Achilles tendon, which causes pain, swelling, and inflammation in the Achilles tendon. This can also cause pain in the connected calf muscles as well. Sciatica: The sciatic nerve runs all the way down the lower leg and to the back of the knee.
What are the symptoms of a calf strain injury?
Symptoms that always occur with repetitive strain injury of the calf: calf pain from overuse
What is a calf strain?
Calf strain. A strain, commonly called a "pulled muscle," is when a muscle becomes overstretched, and microscopic tears occur. A calf strain happens when one of the muscles on the back of the lower leg is pulled. Rarity: Common. Top Symptoms: pain in one calf, moderate calf pain, calf pain, sports injury, soccer injury.
What muscles are involved in calf pain?
The calf is actually comprised of two muscles of the leg: the gastrocnemius and the soleus.
Why does my calf hurt?
Calf pain can be caused by a number of conditions from electrolyte deficiency and dehydration, to over-exercising, to edema.
What color are bruises on calf?
This explains the blue/purple color of most bruises. Bruises of the calf are common, given the location on the body. Top Symptoms: pain in one calf, recent calf injury, calf pain from an injury, swollen calf, bruised calf. Symptoms that always occur with calf bruise: recent calf injury, calf pain from an injury.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis can cause tremendous pain in the calf and behind your knee. The condition’s cause comes from blood cots forming in the deep veins of the leg, pelvis, or thigh.
Muscle Spasms
If you are a very active person, you may want to consider muscle spasms. Spasms in the muscle occur when they contract and retract rigorously.
Knee Sprains
A knee sprain is an injury that can affect the knee and the calf. These injuries occur from playing contact sports or from other aggressive outdoor activities.
Knee Infection
Knee infection causes pain behind the knee and in the calf. It is also a severe medical condition that needs attention. This condition usually happens to persons who had surgery and bacteria have entered the area.
Tendinitis
Tendinitis can cause the calf and the knees to become inflamed and painful. The tendons in your knee and around it can be damaged and cause inflammation to develop.
How to treat calf pain?
Stretching of the muscles of the lower leg can also help decrease muscle spasms. However, if the calf pain is accompanied any of these symptoms including warmth, redness, fevers, and or shortness of breath, you should consult a physician immediately to rule out a blood clot.
Why does my calf hurt?
The causes of calf pain can be highly variable including direct trauma, overuse, muscle and tendon ruptures, and blood clots. The symptoms can range from mild achiness and tightness to sudden inability to walk or bear weight.
How to help a leg that hurts from overuse?
Cross-training. If your leg pain is related to overuse from physical activity, try a new activity that’ s less repetitive on the legs and feet, such as taking an aerobics class or swimming.
Why is it important to treat leg pain?
Treating your leg pain is important to help reduce the chance that your activity level is negatively affected.
What is the common complaint in 30 percent of athletes with leg pain?
Chronic exertional compartment syndrome. Chronic exertional compartment syndrome is a common complaint in 30 percent of athletes with leg pain. Athletes who engage in repetitive activities, such as biking, running, or swimming can develop chronic compartment syndrome. What it feels like.
How to reduce leg pain from walking?
Exercise regularly. Although exercise can contribute to some leg pain, exercise sessions at least twice a week helped to reduce walking pain and increase the distance a person can walk, according to a 2017 review.
What does it mean when your leg feels cold?
lack of pulses in the ankle or top of the foot. leg that feels very cold to the touch. leg that starts to appear blue or discolored. severe leg pain that doesn’t get better with rest. These symptoms may indicate that you’re experiencing severely affected blood flow and may need emergency attention.
How to reduce pain in legs from smoking?
Eat a heart-healthy diet. Choosing a heart-healthy diet can help you maintain your weight and blood sugar levels. This can help reduce some of the risk factors that can lead to PAD. Cross-training .
What does it mean when your legs hurt when you walk?
Sharp, shooting leg pain that gets worse when climbing stairs or walking. Other symptoms include numbness, aching, or a sensation of heaviness in the leg muscles. The pain usually subsides when you rest. The pain may occur anywhere in the legs, including the thighs, buttocks, calves, or feet.
How to treat leg cramps without pain?
In some cases, the pain goes away without professional treatment. For example, the best way to treat a leg cramp is to stretch the muscle and hold the stretch until the symptoms ease. In other cases, a doctor may prescribe medications to reduce inflammation and treat the pain.
How to help a swollen leg?
having a more healthful diet. getting more exercise. If inflammation is a factor, it can help to apply an ice pack to the area. Keeping the leg elevated and resting it may keep the issue from worsening, and compression bandages can also help with inflammation.
Why do my legs cramp?
Cramping. Cramps are sudden, shooting muscle pains, often in the calves, hamstrings, or quadriceps. The exact causes are unclear, but muscle fatigue is one factor that may contribute. The pain of leg cramps can be mild to severe. It may last for a few seconds or minutes, but it usually goes away without intervention.
What does it feel like to have a shot in your leg?
What it feels like. Intermittent leg pain may worsen with pressure and may accompany a numb, tingling sensation. Sharp, shooting pain can occur anywhere in one or both legs, and it may move up or down the leg. A doctor may refer to this as intermittent leg pain.
What is the cause of pain in the legs?
Diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy is a long-term complication of diabetes, and it involves nerve damage. It can result when high blood sugar levels go unchecked for long periods. The damage sometimes affects the nerves that run down the legs, causing pain in the area.
How to diagnose intermittent leg pain?
Diagnosis. A doctor diagnoses the cause of intermittent leg pain by asking about symptoms. They may also ask how the pain feels, how frequently it occurs, and whether there are any triggers, such as walking.
Is intermittent leg pain a medical emergency?
While intermittent leg pain is rarely a medical emergency, contact a healthcare professional immediately if the pain is severe or if blood circulation in the leg seems to be limited or cut off.
