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Pulled Calf Muscle Treatment (Read 4506 times)

    So last Tuesday I did a light speed session, and felt fine during the session, but my calf started aching later that night, and was tight the next day. Didn't think much of it. Ran in a 5k this past Saturday, and pulled up lame about halfway through the race. I am pretty sure I just pulled my calf muscle. It is now very painful to push off or put any weight on my toe. Basically anything that requires that calf to flex. I've iced it a couple of times per day Saturday and Sunday. I wrap it after I ice it, and try to keep it elevated. I mostly laid around yesterday. So, questions: 1) Anything else I should be doing to help it mend? I'm supposed to avoid stretching a pulled muscle, right? 2) How long can I leave it wrapped? It feels better wrapped, but I don't know if you are supposed to avoid leaving it wrapped all day or overnight, etc. 3) Any ideas how long I am going to be out? I'm planning on taking most of this week off, and then starting back lightly next weekend, perhaps. Cross training suggestions? Thanks all!
    Eustace Tierney


    YoYo

      I suffer a bit from calf strains/ pulls although i have had a good spell injury free now. I always gave a week off and wouldnt do any fast stuff for another week. I think cutting way down on the fast runs has kept my injuries away and thats the way i'm going to continue.

      "The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." Goals: Keep on running!


      Dave

        I recently recovered from a pulled calf. One week wasn't enough rest and I ended up reinjuring with even a short run. Took me three weeks almost total rest. Recommend that you rest for a full week after you have no pain at all when walking and pushing up to your tip toes.

        I ran a mile and I liked it, liked it, liked it.

        dgb2n@yahoo.com


        Hoping to Run Again :-(

          From my own experience calf strains are tricky to heal. I was out for 10 weeks last July with a torn soleus muscle. It came on in a split second with no warning after my usual run and felt like a sharp sting whenever I lifted my foot. I was out for so long because I would stop all running for one week and then think it was better and re-injure it immediately. By the time I learned my lesson, I was in a lot of pain. 1) What finally worked for me was R.I.C.E. as you've been doing, until it felt partially healed and then switching to heat and massage. Massaging the muscle worked wonders for me. AND of course, staying completely off the leg as much as possible (this is SO difficult, I know.) 2) Personally I found wrapping my leg all night made my foot swell up (very scary) so I only wrapped it when I was going to be walking on it. 3) This I'm not sure of. It depends on the severity. I was convinced I had a stress fracture by the end of my ordeal, so it took a sports doc visit to put me on the proper course. If I hadn't re-injured, I'd likely have healed in maybe 3-4 weeks. As for cross-training, swimming would be great or maybe cycling if you can stand it (I couldn't.) HTHs!
          ~ Fly ~
          Only as much as I dream can I be.
          veggies on the run


          Dave

            I'll put in one more vote for "tricky to heal". 5-6 weeks after the original injury and I thought everything was good to go. Did a HM last weekend, went out for a recovery run today and its acting up again. We'll see if I have to take more weeks off now. Good advice not to rush back to running. Reinjury is a very likely result.

            I ran a mile and I liked it, liked it, liked it.

            dgb2n@yahoo.com

              Thanks for the input guys. At this point, if I walk slowly enough, I can manage without a limp, so I guess that is progress, right? Sounds like I'll be taking it easy for some time. I am comfortable avoiding any hard efforts/races for a while, but I hope I'm able to at least jog in another week or so. My legs are going nuts right now, and I'm more than a little distraught over losing the last several months of training. I'm just hoping when I get back my progress hasn't all evaporated. Thanks again for the feedback!