Calf muscle strain: symptoms and pain treatment

Most people walk, run, tiptoe, jump and squat purely automatically and don't think twice about what allows them to do it easily, freely and almost effortlessly. Until a rather unpleasant and rather painful injury occurs - a twisted calf muscle.

You will have to forget about running, you will not be able to stand on your toes and you will only walk with a severe limp and with pain running through the entire leg. Sometimes it is not even clear how this happened. At one point, almost suddenly, my calf started to hurt and it wasn’t going to subside. Even stepping on this leg is problematic, and then the question naturally arises: what is a sprained calf muscle, what to do and, of course, how to treat it?

Types of damage

A calf strain is a skeletal muscle injury that occurs due to loads that exceed the elastic limit of the muscle ligaments and fibers. In most cases, such damage occurs in people engaged in heavy physical labor or leading an active lifestyle, as well as in professional athletes.

The consequences of a sprain and the severity of symptoms are determined by its type. In traumatology, muscle lesions are classified as follows:

1. Bruise is a superficial damage to closed-type muscle tissue, in which the structure of the fibers remains unchanged. As a rule, the cause of injury is a fall, pressure from a heavy object, or a blow.
2. Stretching is the rupture of some fibers without damaging the collagen filaments. Such injuries do not limit the function of the lower leg.
3. A tear is a partial rupture of muscles and tendons, expressed by severe pain and limited ability to contract muscle fibers. When a tear occurs, the victim limps while walking due to the inability to fully lean on his leg.
4. Rupture is the complete destruction of the soft structures of the muscle, at the moment of which a pop is heard. As a result, the victim loses the ability not only to bend the leg at the knee, but also to move the foot. A recessed area forms in the damaged area.

Important!

If you try to make a movement despite the pain, the ligaments and muscles are damaged even more, which leads to a significant deterioration of the tissue.

Anatomical structure

The gastrocnemius muscle is located on the back of the lower leg. It is attached to the foot by the Achilles tendon and contains two powerful fleshy heads: lateral and medial. The functional activity of the muscle is to stabilize the body during walking or running, as well as to move the foot in the sagittal plane.

Overstrain of muscle fibers leads to spasms and poor circulation in the lower extremities. Stretching occurs when loads exceed the physical capabilities of the muscle. Traumatic injury most often occurs due to a blow or monotonous repetition of the same movements.

Stages of development and severity

Damage to the calf muscle is divided into 2 degrees:

1. I – minor sprain, accompanied by moderate pain and mild swelling. At the same time, the mobility of the joint is completely preserved.
2. II – rupture of only part of the fibers, expressed by acute pain, rapid onset of swelling and hematoma. Despite the pain during movement, the joint does not lose its mobility.
3. III – complete rupture of the muscle followed by its separation from the Achilles tendon. Such an injury is accompanied by acute pain, and in some cases – painful shock. An extensive hematoma appears at the site of injury, and pathological mobility of the ankle joint is also possible.

The manifestation of the listed symptoms immediately at the time of injury most often indicates a muscle rupture, since when it is stretched, swelling and pain appear only after a few hours.

Table

Symptoms and secondary signs

The main signs of a calf muscle strain are as follows:

• severe pain in the calf area;
• inability to lean on the injured limb and move the foot.

The severity of symptoms determines the degree of destruction of ligaments and muscles. This injury may also be accompanied by a number of clinical manifestations:

• sharp pain on palpation;
• swelling of soft tissues, including the feet and legs;
• formation of hematomas at the site of fiber damage;
• areas of retraction in the area of ​​ligament separation;
• loss of motor activity in a limb.

One of the signs of a ruptured calf muscle is the appearance of a characteristic click at the time of injury. Complete separation of muscle tissue from the bone is most often accompanied by extensive subcutaneous hemorrhages and painful shock.

Preventive recommendations

To avoid repeated sprains, you can apply tapes.
It is impossible to insure against injuries, however, if you follow the recommendations of traumatologists, you can reduce the risk of getting them :

• do a warm-up warm-up before training;
• avoid physical inactivity, engage in sports with moderate physical activity;
• Wear comfortable, properly sized shoes for sports and everyday wear.

A calf muscle strain causes severe pain and discomfort to the victim. After an injury, it is necessary to limit the mobility of the injured limb and apply a cold compress to the problem area. Even if your leg is slightly injured, you should consult a specialist and follow his recommendations.

Urgent Care

If the calf muscle is damaged, the victim must be immediately shown to a doctor, having first provided him with first aid. For this you will need:

1. Ensure complete rest of the sore limb, minimizing blood flow to it. For this purpose, the leg is placed so that it is above the level of the heart.
2. Apply a cold compress to the injury site to prevent the formation of hematoma and swelling. For cold, it is best to use ice wrapped in a piece of cloth.
3. If there are no obvious signs of bone fracture or muscle rupture, secure the injured limb with a tight elastic bandage.
4. If necessary, give the victim painkillers. However, it is worth remembering that analgesics negatively affect blood clotting, increasing the risk of swelling of the limb.

A rupture of the calf muscle is often accompanied by cracks or fractures of the bones with simultaneous damage to the tendons and ligaments. In this case, you must immediately call an ambulance, otherwise extensive hemorrhage into the soft tissue will occur.

Attention!

Since symptoms may appear some time after the muscle injury, you should not try to fully stand on the injured limb immediately.

The degree of damage can be visually determined by the rate of swelling and the presence/absence of a hematoma.

When to visit a doctor

Damage to the calf muscle, regardless of the severity of the symptoms, requires seeking medical help. Only a specialist will be able to determine the severity of the injury and prescribe the correct treatment.

Diagnostic measures

Almost all ankle joint injuries are similar in their symptoms. For this reason, an external examination of the victim alone will not be enough.

In case of injury to the gastrocnemius muscle, a differentiated diagnosis will be required to exclude dislocation, fracture of the tubular bone or damage to the Achilles tendon. For this purpose, the doctor prescribes the following types of studies:

• X-ray – reveals cracks and fractures of the leg bones;
• Ultrasound – helps to assess the general condition of soft tissues;
• CT or MRI - detects even minor damage to connective structures such as soft tissue, ligaments, tendons and muscles.

Note!

When a calf muscle is sprained, it is necessary to make a diagnosis as accurately as possible and identify the degree of damage, which determines the conditions and methods of treatment.

In addition to hardware diagnostics, the victim is prescribed general urine and blood tests in order to assess his state of health based on their results.

Diagnostics

If a patient has pulled the muscles of the leg, this is indicated by many specific symptoms and local signs, so a physical and palpation examination is often enough to make a diagnosis.

Injuries sustained during a severe impact may require additional testing . The condition of bone and muscle-ligamentous structures in case of sprain can be assessed using MRI, ultrasound and x-ray examination. Ultrasound allows you to detect interstitial hematomas and localization of damage.

Treatment

In the first few days after the injury, the patient needs strict adherence to bed rest, excluding even minimal load on the injured limb.

At the same time, it is recommended to periodically apply ice to the site of injury. During this period, ointments with a warming effect are strictly contraindicated, as their ability to dilate blood vessels can lead to an exacerbation of the inflammatory process.

Medication

If the calf muscle is torn or sprained, the patient is prescribed drug therapy, which involves the use of:

• anti-inflammatory drugs for external use;
• aspirin;
• general strengthening agents;
• ibuprofen.

Surgical

A calf muscle strain, characterized by tearing of most of the muscle fibers, requires immediate surgical intervention. In this case, the victim must be taken to the hospital no later than 3 days from the moment of injury.

The surgeon will sew up the torn tissues and ensure complete immobility of the diseased limb with a plaster cast for 2-3 weeks. Full restoration of the functionality of the foot will occur approximately in the third month after completing the rehabilitation course.

Important!

Due to untimely contact with a traumatologist, the calf muscle shortens and decreases in volume, in addition, the development of degenerative processes is observed in nearby connecting structures.

All these processes limit full movement. Muscle restoration is carried out by building up damaged tissue using a graft.

Ointments

For treatment, gels and ointments containing analgesic and anti-inflammatory components are prescribed. Their penetration into the internal structure of damaged tissues stimulates fiber regeneration. Treatment of injury occurs according to the following scheme:

1. On the first day after the injury, the patient is given cold compresses, alternating them with ointments that have a distracting and cooling effect: Ben-Gay, etc.
2. On the second and third days, they use drugs with a warming effect: “Capsicam”, “Viprosal”, “Finalgon”.
3. To get rid of hematomas and swelling, the victim is prescribed venotonics and venoprotectors: Troxerutin, Lyoton, Troxevasin. They must be used throughout therapy.

Also for medicinal purposes, it is recommended to use such drugs as:

• “Traumel” is a natural product of plant origin for external use, which effectively eliminates pain and inflammation, as well as normalizes blood circulation in the damaged area and accelerates regeneration;
• “Apizartron” is a drug created on the basis of bee venom that promotes the resorption of hematomas.

Folk remedies

At home, you can apply an ointment based on yolk. The composition includes one spoon of laundry soap, two spoons of water and one yolk. The resulting suspension is wrapped in gauze and applied to the site of injury. The compress is secured with a bandage. It is recommended to do it daily. The desired application time is no more than an hour.

Among the medicinal plants that help:

• plantain leaves;
• elderberry juice;
• eucalyptus oil;
• aloe leaf pulp.

Ethanol, vodka, clay or puff pastry are used as warming compresses. To prepare clay lotions, 100 g of powdered substance is mixed with 5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and diluted with water until a homogeneous suspension is obtained. The resulting composition is applied to the damaged area and covered with a cloth. The duration of the lotion is about an hour.

Rehabilitation

To restore the active functioning of injured muscles, a specialist develops a set of rehabilitation measures.

Physiotherapeutic procedures

Physiotherapy, which accelerates the rehabilitation process for a sprained calf muscle, involves the following procedures:

• UHF – improves blood circulation, stimulates tissue restoration;
• electrophoresis – has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect;
• phonophoresis – eliminates the ongoing inflammatory process;
• paraffin therapy – warms damaged tissues;
• Magnetotherapy – reduces pain and normalizes metabolic processes.

Massotherapy

Massage treatment is allowed no earlier than on the third day from the moment of injury. Otherwise, there is a high probability of hematoma growth and increased pain.

First, the specialist performs concentric and spiral stroking, affecting only the areas near the affected area. Such manipulations help improve lymph and blood drainage, as well as alleviate pain.

Gradually, the range of massage techniques expands and after 1-2 weeks from the moment of injury, careful kneading of the joints in the affected area is carried out.

Exercise therapy

The victim is required to be prescribed a complex of physical therapy, which accelerates the recovery of muscle tissue. Moreover, in the first days, classes should be performed under the guidance of a specially trained instructor. After several sessions, the patient is allowed to perform the exercises independently at home.

Compresses

The use of compresses is indicated in the middle or at the end of the rehabilitation period. For this purpose, you can use ozokerite applications or products prepared according to traditional medicine recipes. Compresses are applied hot or warm to the sore spot and left for several hours. The frequency of the procedure is up to 3 times a day until complete recovery.

Attention!

The selected components for the compress must be agreed upon with the attending physician, since self-treatment can significantly worsen the condition of muscle tissue.

Rehabilitation period

To restore the active functioning of muscles, the doctor draws up a set of rehabilitation measures. Following all recommendations will significantly speed up recovery. For mild sprains, rehabilitation begins after 2-3 days, at the stage of using warming ointments. In case of serious injury, recovery begins after removal of the plaster cast. What rehabilitation doctors recommend:

• massage, classic or acupressure, to improve blood circulation and microcirculation;
• 5-10 sessions of physiotherapy: laser therapy, magnetic therapy, UHF therapy, increasing the rate of muscle fiber regeneration;
• therapeutic exercises and physical education to restore all functions of the torn muscle.

From the very beginning of treatment, patients are shown electrophoresis with analgesics, NSAIDs, and calcium solutions to reduce pain intensity. If a sprain is combined with injury to a joint or bone, then chondroprotectors are used during physiotherapy.

Traumatologists recommend going to a hospital even with mild pain in the ankle. The victim cannot independently assess the severity of the sprain or identify concomitant injuries to the bones or ligamentous-tendon apparatus. Lack of treatment will cause the injury to worsen and serious complications to develop.

Informative video about ways to recover from injury: