Calf Pain After Running

Calf pain is basically pain in the muscles that are present in the calf area. It consists of two major muscle groups: the gastrocnemius and soleus. The gastrocnemius is the larger muscle that lies in between knee and heel and control knee movements while the soleus is small in size, located near the heel and control foot movements. Running is a high impact activity that makes these muscles work very hard which in turn strain them. Strain in the gastrocnemius causes upper calf pain after running and soleus give pain in the lower part of the leg. In some cases, the pain due to a groin pull get extended and cause inner calf pain. This kind of pain is often accompanied by stiffness, tenderness and swelling.

Causes

When you start jogging for the first time or if you are doing it after a long break, then calf muscle strain is absolutely normal. Your calf muscles are not used to so much of hard work for a long time and they need some time to get adjusted with it. Till that time, you will get calf cramp after running. Calf pain after a long distance run is because of the fact that the muscles are forced to work for a long duration that tend to strain them. The calf muscle pain while running downhill or if the runner use incorrect form of running is common as the muscles have to bear a lot of extra pressure. If the runner continue to run with an existing injury then it can cause further damage to the muscle fibers and give rise to severe calf pain while running.

In all these conditions, the excessive stress on the muscles force them to contract abnormally and microscopic tears occur in them. As a result, the inflamed muscles get pressed against the nerve endings and arteries give rise to sharp pain. Normal blood supply to the muscles is also affected by the contraction which makes healing of the muscle fibers difficult. With passage of time, the muscles tend to become weak and tighten up further which aggravates the pain. Sometimes, muscles may get strained further because of dehydration. Lack of sufficient amount of water in the muscle cells lead to deficiency of essential minerals and change in osmotic pressure which lead to muscle spasm.

Treatment

To reduce the calf pain, the first thing that need to be done is to suspend running activities and give adequate amount of rest to the calf muscles. Keep your legs at an elevated position as much as possible. Ice application gives a soothing relief from the soreness of muscles. The duration of each application should be 15-20 minutes and has to be repeated several times in a day. However, do not apply heat in this area for pain relief as it can increase the swelling further. Anti-inflammatory medicines that are available over the counter can be taken to reduce inflammation. Massaging the calf area with the help of pain relieving rubs can decrease the tightness of the muscles. To heal up the muscle strain faster, you have to keep your body hydrated by drinking enough water and eating healthy foods particularly those which are rich in potassium like banana. This will make the muscles healthy. Usually, the pain in calf after running last for 4-5 days but if it persists more than that then it could be a sign of some serious injury. In that case, you must visit a doctor for rehabilitation treatment that involves use of support braces and physical therapy.

As the calf pain subsides, do not jump into activities. Do some mild stretching exercises for few weeks so that the tension is eased off from the muscles completely. Calf pain after running can be prevented with proper warming up before the activity and cooling down after it is over. It is also important that you use the right kind of footwear to minimize pressure on the leg muscles.