Forums >Health and Nutrition>Pain in bottom of calf?
Computer Man
Hey Guys,
So I've been running daily for a while and just started tracking it a couple days ago yay! (even if its just a mile) but lately I have had this terrible cramp/pain right at the bottom of my calf (very very bottom). It hurts to walk and move it but once I start running and warm up a bit I don't even notice its there... until I start to walk again. Anyone have any clue what this might be? or maybe a good way to stretch it out?
Thanks!
MTA:
Link if pic doesnt work - http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/84/calfl.jpg/
Excuse the terrible pic I just googled it but where the arrow is is where it hurts lol
"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." :)
Maggie & Molly
not a doctor so take with a grain of salt but I have what sounds like the same thing and doc told me it was achilles tendonitis from overuse.
"It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop."Wisdom of Confucius
HF 4363
Why is it sideways?
That's not Achilles Tendinitis; it is most likely a calf strain.
If this isn't what you are talking about, then I'll agree with the both of the prior posts - Achilles or Calf.
In either case, possibly due to overuse. Just starting out, it's important to start slow and easy. Learn to listen to your body. Your log says effort level "8" on the runs you've logged. You might be better off mixing in slooooww running with walking to help achieve more fitness and get your body used to the stress (based on my personal experience only). If a 14:00 mile feels like an "8", then you should probably hold back on pushing the pace to 12:00 or 11:00 until after you are able to put in more time on your feet.
It sounds like a calf strain to me. I had something like that earlier this year. If it's a calf strain, stretching will likely make it worse. As Jeff pointed out to me at that time, running will also make it worse.
If you rest it now, it likely be no more than a small set-back.
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
The arrow doesn't point to the achilles, so there's no reason to suspect achilles tendinitis.
Also, it is unlikely that a calf strain would be due to overuse, per se. More likely it resulted from dehydration during a run or from pushing too hard on a single run or a set of consecutive runs.
Like NaderAlfie said, avoid stretching, use ice, massage a bit. Return to running when there is no more sharp pain (maybe a week or so, depending on severity.) You can use the elliptical and other modes of exercise that don't "pound" the calf, in moderation of course.
More info:
http://orthopedics.about.com/od/sprainsstrains/qt/calfstrain.htm
I suffered a calf strain in June 2009, probably for the reasons Jeff posted. Took a couple weeks off, ran a very easy 3mi, took another couple off (doc had suggested four weeks total). Then ramped up into a Higdon Intermediate HM plan without incident.
I was told by two different docs that incomplete healing leaves a weak spot that can subject you to repeat strains in the future. A couple tennis-playing friends have friends in their leagues who've had strains, pooh-poohed rest/recovery, and have had multiple recurrences. So I took the four weeks off.
"I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."
-- Dick LeBeau
Petco Run/Walk/Wag 5k
I aggravated my calves by running only in my hilly neighborhood combined with transition to minimal & BF running. Had to back down and find level ground to concentrate most runs on and it helped a lot. I still have to walk/jog/walk a bit in the first mi or two to be sure no tightness develops. It doesn't help that I had major left calf surgery in '86 (Faciotomy) and that is the one that hurts. I also found that I can ease the tightness by high knee running which leads to fore/mid foot strike and less calf strain (for me at least). Heel strike seems to make the calf worse. This from an experiment of one...LOL
bob e v 2014 goals: keep on running! Is there anything more than that?
Complete the last 3 races in the Austin Distance Challenge, Rogue 30k, 3M Half, Austin Full
Break the 1000 mi barrier!
History: blessed heart attack 3/15/2008; c25k july 2008 first 5k 10/26/2008 on 62nd birthday.
If a 14:00 mile feels like an "8", then you should probably hold back on pushing the pace to 12:00 or 11:00 until after you are able to put in more time on your feet.
The reason those are "8"s is because they are all up/down hill, and pretty big hills at that, I just started tracking my runs I can do a normal paced mile in 10 mile on a track/flat road within the 4-5 range.
I had a calf strain a few weeks ago. I did century bike ride and should have taken the next day off, but decided to go for an easy 3 mile run. I guees my calves were still sore from the bike ride. Stopped running for about 2 weeks and slowly started running easy, no hills or speedwork
Swim , Bike, and Run A LOT
Hello fellow runners,
I felt it my moral obligation to my fellow runners to post here. I'll start by saying I've been running for 30 years, have completed races of all distances all the way up to marathon, which I've done 6 times. I am also a triathlete and have done all distances there too, including a successful Ironman bid. The only reason I tell you this is, is so you will know I that I have a good deal of experience pushing my body hard and have dealt with many minor injuries along the way. The calf strain that I have had is the worst so far.
Back in the summer, I was training very hard, lifting, running and once a week doing an intense hill workout where I ran up a sledding hill. Eventually my calves started getting super tight. I stretched them every day but it didn't help much. Being stubborn, I pushed through, eventually during a run, I felt like I had a cramp in my calf. No pop or blast from the calf, just a cramp like feeling.
It's now been nearly 6 months and I'm now just starting to turn the corner and get back to pain-free running. This is my recovery story:
First I took a week off, no good. Then I took 2 weeks off from running, still no good. Then I took a month off. Still nothing. I estimate I had a Level 2-3 tear. So I eventually took 3 months off and slowly started doing some powerwalking, and began to incorporate running only downhill which elongates the calf. So I did that for awhile.
Eventually I threw in the towel and went to see a Physical Therapist. The PT worked me out doing single leg balancing exercises, calf raises, etc. However it wasn't until I started getting Dry Needling that the muscle began to relax and some of the scar tissue began to break up. I had one of these sessions every week for 4 weeks and now I'm feeling much better.
During this time, I also incorporated The Stick, rolling my calves every day, and getting rolled and massaged by my wife.
Another PT said simple "Stretch the sh#t out of it." So I did. Calf stretch and also lots of hamstring stretches, they are connected. Keep in mind, I agree with other posters that say don't stretch the calf until it has done some healing. Usually 1-2 months depending on the severity.
Lastly, the way I've worked back into my running seems to be working. Namely: I do static stretching before my run (which I used to never do, only active stretching) Now I do both. So I will go out and run 8 minutes, stretch again for 1-2 min followed by 8 more minutes of running, etc. I follow this pattern and walk for a few minutes if necessary in between. I'm now back up to running a total of 35 minutes at a time without pain or strain. A word of caution: If you feel any strain in your calf while running. STOP. You cannot "run through" this injury.
Good luck in your recovery, I hope this helps.