Torn Calf Muscle

There are two major muscles in the lower part of the leg or calf. They are: soleus and gastrocnemius. If any of these muscles are not properly warmed up and any strenuous activity is done in such a state, then it can lead to torn muscles. It can be described as a severe form of strain in the muscle fibers which may cause partial or complete tear in the muscles. Due to a torn calf muscle, one gets sharp muscle cramps in the calf area which makes normal activities like walking very painful.

Symptoms

The first sign of a torn calf muscle are is a sudden outbreak of pain. The pain is felt at the back of the lower section of the leg. Depending on the location of the tear, one can experience knee or heel pain as well. With passage of time, inflammation is likely to occur. This happens because as soon as the tearing of the muscles take place, blood starts rushing to the injury site which make the muscle swollen up. Bruising may also occur . This happens when the blood gets trapped under the skin, this results in a blue or purple color bruise in the area. Injury to the muscles make the movements of the leg difficult because the muscles tend to get stiffen up. Simple movements like pointing the toes or walking becomes an extremely painful experience. In serious injuries one can feel a popping sensation and a snapping sound as well.

Based on the severity of the strain on the calf muscle, the condition is often categorized into minor, moderate and severe. In a minor tear, the pain is mild and the injury site is slightly taut and tender but one can carry out activities like walking, running or even exercising. In this case, the symptoms last for only a few days. In moderate kind of tear, they become intense and weakens the muscles. The soreness of the calf muscle lasts for two or three weeks. A severely torn calf muscle is the condition where the muscle fibers are completely ruptured. As a result, if you touch the injured calf, you can feel the muscle fibers bunched up in one spot. The swelling and bruising makes the area tender to touch. The healing time is much longer in case of a rupture.

How to Treat a Torn Calf Muscle

As soon as you get a sudden sharp pulling sensation accompanied by severe muscle pain, the first thing you need to do is give rest to your feet completely. Any activity can further strain the muscles. The next thing to be done is to apply ice on the injured area. Do not apply the ice on the skin directly. Rather, take a few cubes of ice in a packet and wrap it up with a thin towel and then place it over the calf. Keep it over the injury for about 20 minutes and then wait for half an hour and then reapply it. This ice should continue for the next two day and it keep the pain as well as the swelling in check.

Compression of the injured calf using an elastic bandage is proved to be useful. However, you have to ensure that you do not wrap it around the calf very tightly but it should just exert a gentle pressure on the calf. Instead of easing off the pain if it increases, then no need to use the wrap. While sleeping, make sure you keep your leg in the elevated condition. Otherwise, both the pain and the swelling will worsen during the night. To cure the pain you can take over the counter pain relieving medicines.

If the non-surgical treatment fail to show any improvement in the condition, then surgery is the only option left. However, surgery option is mostly availed by the athletes. The surgical procedure involves blood is released from the affected par and the torn part of the calf muscle is attached to the tendon.

The pain due to torn calf muscles usually subsides after two days. Then you should start resuming short distance easy walks in order to make the injured muscle flexible. You should stay away from sports activities at least for a month. During this period, you should do some stretching exercises and muscle strengthening exercises. To obtain the best results, it is recommended to do the exercises under the supervision of a physiotherapist. A sport massage at this point of time by a professional is quite beneficial. In case surgery is needed, it is followed by a rehabilitation program in order to normalize the movement of the legs. Recovery time for the surgery can get extended for several weeks.