Calf injuries usually occur as a result of a sudden pushing off movement or from excessive over-stretching of the calf muscles as demonstrated in jumping activities or during quick changes of direction. Symptoms of a calf strain can vary significantly but usually involve a sudden sharp pain at the back of the lower leg. The calf muscle will often be tender to touch at the point of injury and swelling and bruising may appear within hours or days. Depending on how bad the calf injury is, the athlete may be able to continue exercising although he/she will often have some discomfort / tightness during or after the session. When injuries are more severe the athlete can recall when the injury occurred and or they may be unable to walk due to severe …show more content…
A grade 1 will not normally need professional treatment whereas grade 2 or 3 injuries, depending on their severity, may require more specialist treatment and rehabilitation advice from a sports injury professional. A Grade 1 calf strain is a minor tear with up to 25% of the muscle fibres affected. The athlete may feel either a twinge of pain in the back of the lower leg or a feeling of "tightness". They may be able to carry on playing or competing without pain or with only mild discomfort in the calf. However, after exercises finishes there is likely to be "tightness" and/or aching in the calf muscles which can take up to 24 hours to develop. Symptoms of a Grade 2 strain will be more severe than a grade one, with up to 90% of the muscle fibres torn. There will be a sharp pain at the back of the lower leg and usually significant pain on walking afterwards. There is likely to be swelling in the calf muscle with mild to moderate bruising, however this may take hours or days to be visible. On strength testing the muscle, pain will be felt on resisted plantar flexion (pushing the toes and foot downwards towards the floor) against resistance. Tightness and aching may be present in the calf muscle for a week or more before subsiding. Grade 3 injuries involve 90-100% of the muscle fibres and are often referred to as "ruptures". The athlete will definitely be able to recall exactly when the injury …show more content…
A compression bandage can be applied immediately to help stop swelling but it should only be applied for 10 minutes at a time as restricting blood flow completely to the tissues could cause more damage, whereas the calf supports can be applied for longer. We also advise wearing a heel pad to raise the heel and shorten the calf muscle hence taking some of the strain off the muscle. It is a good idea to put heel pads in both shoes because otherwise one leg will become longer than the other due to the raised heel thereby creating an imbalance and possibly leading to other associated injuries / pain. For more comprehensive treatment and to minimise the risk of re-injury, Sportsinjuryclinic.net advise seeing a professional therapist (such as physiotherapist, sports therapist, osteopath or chiropractor) who can also devise a full calf strain rehabilitation program including stretching and strengthening exercises. A doctor or medical professional may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication e.g. ibuprofen which is beneficial in the first few days after the injury. Do not take ibuprofen if you have asthma and always speak to a pharmacist or doctor before taking medications. There is some evidence that anti-inflammatories can impair healing so do not take them for more than a few days at the beginning of the injury. Also, taking medication can sometimes "mask" any pain and may therefore be detrimental to the healing
Take some over-the-counter pain reliever to reduce pain and swelling, such Ibufropen, Aspirin, Naproxen, or
Hamstring Strains (HS) are identified by acute pain in the thigh with disruption of the muscle fibres, with 47% of all HS studies stating that the BF muscle is affected (3). This can be explained because the BF muscle tendon and muscle fibres are where the most common distribution of the ground force produced during running (3). Eccentric contraction is explained by a study from Guex (4) stating that between 75-85% of the running cycle the hamstrings are undergoing an active lengthening contraction. Having this amount of eccentric contraction upon the muscles has the potential to cause an overuse injury (4). At 85% of the running cycle, the SM, ST, and BF are stretched by 8.7-12.0% which is beyond their optimum lengths (4).
3) What are side affects to having a hamstring strain? Would you be able to return to a sport exactly the same after it is healed?
A calf muscle strain can be treated different ways. One of the ways would be with self care at home. If you are stubborn and reluctant to go to a doctors, you should take an anti-inflammatory drug such as naproxen or ibuprofen to reduce pain, as well as applying ice packs and elevating the torn part of the muscle. In addition, one should protect the strained muscle from further injury, rest the strain, apply compression with an Ace or other elastic bandage to provide support and decrease swelling, and elevating the injured area. If the home remedies do not work, or the pain persists and is too unbearable, then one should seek medical assistance. When this is the case, the doctors will check your medical history and perform a physical exam. This is to establish whether or not the muscle is partially or completely torn. This is important to make sure the proper healing process and timeframe is recommended, that possible surgery is discussed, or that if needed, a more complicated recovery is discussed. While for more severe injuries, the medical treatment can be quite strenuous, for small injuries, the treatment by doctors is similar to the treatment at home. However, it is important to see a doctor so they can accurately diagnose the extent of the injury, and restrict your activity for a few days, as well as determine if an brace or crutches are
The first thing to do if you think you may have shin splints is to rest. Take some time off exercising. Ice your shins 3-5 times a day. Over the counter pain relievers might help to ease the pain as well. If rest, ice, or pain relievers do not work, then consulting a doctor may be necessary to see if the injury has formed into something worse. A doctor may help ease the pain quicker if you are an athlete and need to recover
The usual signs and symptoms of a muscle sprain include pain, swelling, bruising, and the loss of functional ability. Sometimes people feel a pop or tear when the injury happens. However, these signs and symptoms can vary in intensity, depending on the severity of the sprain.
Compression will help reduce and prevent swelling and can be applied immediately after injury at pitch side but only for 10 minutes at a time to avoid stopping the circulation. An elastic ankle support can provide mild compression throughout the healing process to help reduce swelling.
Ice is often used to combat inflammation caused by a knee injury. In cases where inflammation is severe, elevating the leg above the heart is a standard practice. A person who frequently experiences knee inflammation after engaging in activity may need to wear a knee support. A knee support will provide support by compressing the area, and this may help to deal with the inflammation.
Muscle contusion (muscle bruise) is an injury where the muscle gets bruised. Athletes, in all contact sports have a chance of getting this muscle bruise. Contusions are second only to strains as a main cause of sports injuries. Most of the contusions are minor and heal pretty fast, without even taking the athlete out of the game. But severe contusions can happen that can cause deep tissue damage which can result in the athlete out of sports for months. Some symptoms of muscle contusions are: swelling, pain, limited joint range of motion near the injury, torn blood vessels could cause a bluish discoloration, and sometimes a pool of blood can
Jason Hodde, Jeff Robbins, Norm Yarger, and Karl King each personally emailed me with insightful information on running-related injuries. The listserve is such a great interactive source of information. Who better to learn from but the runners themselves? They are the ones who have to cope with the injuries. Any amount of personal experience through trial and error is better advice than book knowledge. This is the reason why so many runners advise that running-related injuries should be taken to a doctor who has running experience because he will be more inclined to look to rectify the cause of the injury instead of resorting to surgery.
Exercises such as jogging and biking can be performed in order to maintain fitness and improve cardio. Once the ankle has healed, the athlete can return to cutting and twisting sports, in order to maintain their skills. Athletes should consult coaches or team physio’s before returning to play, to determine whether the injury is still present or not. If the injury has healed, the athlete should be pain free, able to fulfill their full range of motion, and the ankle should have returned to its previous strength. Skills tests, such as dribbling, as well as quick movements on the ankle can also determine the readiness of the athlete to return to play.
The author of “4 Amazing Stretches for Injury Prevention” Caitlyn Carlson says, “The therapist uses their body as leverage to create traction and gently moves your limbs in a wave-like motion” (Carlson). The physical therapist will focus on treating and strengthening the injured area or muscle while trying to prevent the injury from getting worse. The massage therapist will massage and relax the injured area to help the body to not feel the pain of the injury as bad as the initial pain was. After females encounter an injury, a helpful way to treat it is to go to a therapist and get them to stretch out any stiff muscles that can cause many further injuries. Females need to work on their muscles and get them stretched when injured. Getting a plan from the therapist to do this at home can also help prevent any future injuries.
Sore knees and shin splints tend to plague many new runners. Immediately treat these issues with ice packs following a workout. Use a bag of frozen vegetables if nothing else is available. In the event the pain persists, rest for several days before resuming the training program. The body is saying it needs time to rest and heal, so listen to
Throughout an athlete's career they will have their bumps and bruises on a daily basis. That same athlete could also face a major obstacle in the road that will question whether they continue their journey or quit. Usually this comes in the form of an injury depending on the circumstance and severity, this athlete may be referred to a physical therapist. According to Jennifer Robinson, ¨Physical therapy is one of the best choices you can make when you have long-term chronic pain¨ (¨Physical Therapy for Chronic Pain¨). The role of a physical therapist is to,¨examine, evaluate, and treat athletes who have conditions...that affects their ability to move freely and without pain¨, according to the article ¨Benefits of a Physical Therapist.” They
People who have suffered an acute muscle strain should avoid placing further stress on the muscle through stretching activities. The injured muscle should be given time to rest. Stretching muscle fibers in the acute period can result in further injury.