How to recover most quickly from damaged calf muscle

beegee
beegee Posts: 160
I have hurt my calf muscle a bit. I tried to run to cross the road and it felt like someone had hit the back of my calf muscle with a stone. It isn't bad, I can walk normally after a couple of days. I think it is slightly torn. My question is how to treat it for the best. My idea is after a couple of days to use hot flannels and very gentle stretches (gentle means only the slightest feeling in the muscle). I don't want to leave it for weeks because I have heard that it is a lot harder for the repaired muscle to get its stretchiness back. Any ideas from people would be very gratefully received.

Comments

  • pete236uk
    pete236uk Posts: 58
    be carefull I had pain in calf turned out to be a blood clot now on warfarin they have put it down to lack of hydration,
    If there is heat and swelling see a doctor i am on wafarin untill sept and still have swollen calf although back on bike now
    peter
  • pete236uk
    pete236uk Posts: 58
    Only way I can describe it was like constant cramp in my left calf
    peter
  • beegee
    beegee Posts: 160
    I don't think it's that, thank goodness. It's okayish now although all I've done is 15 mile walk so I can't be certain it will hold up okay when I start man type exercise levels ! I'm sorry about your problem. As I say, I don't think it's that.
  • pete236uk
    pete236uk Posts: 58
    I am sure its not but something people should be aware of I thought I was fit but the clear thing was I was not drinking enough water

    Good Luck
    peter
  • Dr_Death
    Dr_Death Posts: 1,262
    From the description you give it 'could' be a ruptured achilles tendon. Traditional story is that you are just setting off and feels like you have been hit in the back of the calf with a lump of wood. It would be best to get it checked out TBH. It is a fairly simple test to do, involving getting you to kneel on a chair and squeezing your calf.

    As you say you have walked 15 miles since doing it, it is unlikely but needs checking....

    If it is just a tear in the muscle then I'm afraid they can take ages to get better. Heat is your friend as you suggest and everything else you've thought of should be fine. Just need to be very careful with it for the next 2-3 months!!
    Steve

    Trust me, I'm a doctor!

    http://www.vimeo.com/DrDeath
  • beegee
    beegee Posts: 160
    2 to 3 months ! I can't wait that long ! (apologies to Simpsons). Thank you for the help. I understand what Pete is saying - speaking for myself, I don't drink nearly enough water according to the new ideas of medicine so I should be careful about that. In my case, I am assuming that it is a slightly torn muscle. I will try to be gentle but you know how it is, it's lovely to go fast. It makes you feel alive and young. So it is hard to hold back. I just want it to be better as soon as possible. Oh well. Where's a swedish masseuse when you really really need one ?