Diagnose the calf muscle tear - tips

Video: 10 Signs You Have Torn A Muscle- How to Treat At Home

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Calf muscle strains and injuries are quite common, especially among athletes. One of the sports injuries that most affect mobility is a tear in the calf muscles. The main problem is that it is very difficult to distinguish this from tension or stretching of the calf muscles, as the muscles here can tear if you continue to move. A tearing of a calf muscle takes time to heal and is also prone to re-injury. Other injuries can also cause calf pain, but if the pain is severe or you hear a "pop" or "click" coming from your leg, you should seek immediate medical attention.

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Method 1 of 3: Recognize torn calf muscles

Understand which muscles can be damaged in the calf. The "calf muscle" is actually made up of three muscles attached to the Achilles tendon located in the lower back of the leg, these three muscles are the calf twins, the soleus muscle and the soles of the feet, in which the calf muscle twins. is the biggest. The majority of the injuries that occur in the calves are twins to the calves.
- This muscle passes through the knee and ankle joint, and is composed of many rapidly twitching muscle fibers. It is this property that makes it easy to stretch and tear because it is constantly subjected to stretching and contraction at a rapid rate.
- The sandal muscle passes through the ankle joint and is composed of many fibers that contract slowly, so it is less prone to injury than the calf twin.However, the treatment for sole injury is not the same as for calf twins.
- The soleus muscle has little to do with calf muscle and is considered to be residual muscle mass. If this muscle is injured, the treatment is similar to twins of the leg.
- The Achilles tendon connects these three muscles to the heel bone, and it can also injure and cause calf pain. The most common injury to the Achilles tendon is tendinitis or tendon tear.
Know the cause of the muscle tear. Tearing of the calf muscles mainly occurs during strenuous activity, when you are exercising and suddenly change direction or speed up the exercise. Injuries usually happen after you have had a sudden, vigorous movement that puts a lot of pressure on your calf, for example in sports that require a sudden increase in speed (e.g. hurdle racing, high jump, basketball, soccer. ).
- Sudden contraction. A sudden increase in speed from a stationary position is a common cause of calf tears. Short distance runners are very susceptible to this injury. A sudden change of direction, such as when playing basketball or tennis can also be the cause.
- Prolonged degeneration. Overwork or too much exercise is a common factor in muscle tear, which is more likely to happen to runners and football players. A player has to contract muscles suddenly and run for a long time, the two factors combined make it very easy for them to tear their calf muscles.
- "Weekend Warrior" is the way to call the strenuous but infrequent campaigners, they are also objects prone to tearing calf muscles. Men are more prone to this injury than women.
Identify symptoms of muscle tear. The symptoms of a calf muscle tear are more immediate and obvious than the tension. Similar to an Achilles tendon rupture, symptoms include:
- feel like you've been hit or kicked the back of your leg
- You can hear the sound of "pop" or "split" in your feet
- severe and sudden pain in the calf (often throbbing)
- pain to the touch and swelling in the lower leg
- bruising and / or discoloration
- reduced ankle mobility
- having trouble walking or standing on your toes
- Limp
Rest your feet. Sit down, raise your legs and rest. If your leg is very painful and begins to swell, you most likely have a calf injury and need treatment. The calf area may bruise, especially if the muscle is torn because then there is internal bleeding in the calf.
- If you hear a “pop” or swelling in your calf you should seek emergency medical help.
- Swelling or bleeding can cause a condition called cavity compression syndrome, where the pressure increases so not having enough oxygen and nutrients leading to muscles and nerves in the area of injury. This happens after a broken bone or muscle has been severely bruised, so if you think you have a serious injury, get treated as soon as possible. If cavity compression syndrome develops, you may need surgery.
Contact your doctor. It is important to distinguish which muscle in the calf is damaged, which you cannot do on your own. Your doctor will perform tests such as exams and MRI scans to determine the extent of the injury. So if you think your calf muscles have torn, you should seek immediate medical attention.
- If you self-diagnose and try to treat a torn calf muscle at home, there is a chance of another injury or an injury that gets worse.
Ask your doctor about trauma screening tests. They usually require an ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in the traumatic area.
- MRI imaging uses magnetic waves and a computer to create 2-D and 3-D images of the site to be taken to diagnose internal injuries that simpler techniques like X-rays do not can do it.
- Your doctor may also recommend a magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA), which is a specialized type of MRI scan that shows vascular imaging and often uses a contrast dye to better see the blood vessels. An MRA helps detect damaged or blocked blood vessels that could lead to another condition such as compression of the cavity syndrome.
Follow your doctor's instructions. Treating a torn calf muscle usually does not require surgery, but you must strictly follow your doctor's instructions during your recovery. If not, you may experience more serious injuries or long-term damage. You have to be persistent as it takes 8 weeks to recover and several months after that to completely return to a normal calf state.
- Usually immediate treatment involves rest, ice, compresses and immobilization (with a brace, etc.).
- Rehabilitation treatment includes physical therapy, massages and crutches.
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Method 2 of 3: Find out other causes of calf pain

Recognize the symptoms of cramps. The calf cramps are very painful because the muscles suddenly contract, although the pain will pass quickly or just a simple countermeasure is needed. Features of calf cramps include:
- Leg muscles are stiff and tight
- Sudden throbbing pain in the muscles
- There is a "lump" or bulge in the calf
Treatment of cramps. A muscle cramps or cramps usually go away pretty quickly, but you can speed it up by stretching and applying heat (or cold).
- Stretch the cramped leg muscles. To do this, use your own weight on the leg and bend the knee slightly. Another method is to sit down with your sore leg stretched out in front of you, using a towel to gently pull the tip of the foot toward you.
- Use a hot compress. Use a heating pad, hot water bottle, or warm water bath towel to relax your calf muscles. Take a bath or shower with warm water as well.
- Use a cold compress. Massaging your calves with an ice pack can cure cramps. Use the cold compress for no longer than 15-20 minutes and always wrap the ice pack in a towel to prevent cold burns.
Know the symptoms of tendinitis. Tendons are the "strips of tissue" that connect the muscles to the bones, and wherever there are tendons can develop tendinitis. However, tendinitis usually occurs in the elbows, knees and heels. It causes pain in the lower calf or heel. Symptoms of tendinitis include:
- Dull aches and pains get worse as you move your joints
- There is a feeling of scratching when moving the joints
- Pain when palpation or redness
- Swelling or lumps
Treatment of tendinitis. The treatment for tendinitis is quite simple: rest, take over-the-counter pain relievers, use cold compresses, apply a pressure bandage, and prescribe injured osteoarthritis.
Identify the symptoms of a slipper strain. Slipper strain is less serious than a calf muscle strain or tear. This injury is more common among athletes playing sports that require daily jogging or jogging. Common symptoms of slipper strain include:
- Tension in the calf muscles
- The pain gets worse over the next few days or weeks
- Pain that gets worse after walking or jogging
- Slightly swollen
Know the symptoms of an Achilles tendon rupture. Since this tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel bone, it causes calf pain during trauma. Achilles tendon injuries happen when you exercise vigorously, fall, miss a hole, or jump incorrectly. You should seek treatment right away if you think that the Achilles tendon has been broken because this is a serious injury. Symptoms of tendon rupture include:
- You can hear a "pop" or a "click" in your heel (usually but not always)
- a lot of pain in the heel and may spread to the calf
- swelling
- can't bend the foot
- cannot use an injured leg to "push" while walking
- cannot stand on a toe with an injured leg
Be aware of the risk factors for rupturing or tearing the Achilles tendon. If you know people at high risk of rupture of the Achilles tendon, you can determine if this is the cause of leg pain. People prone to tearing or rupturing the Achilles tendon include:
- People aged 30-40
- Men (up to 5 times higher risk of tendon rupture than women)
- Players of sports that require sudden runs, jumps and acceleration
- Steroids
- Users of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin (Cipro) or levofloxacin (Levaquin)
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Method 3 of 3: Prevent calf muscle injury

Stretch. You should stretch your muscles at least twice a week, but don't necessarily stretch before you exercise, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.However, many experts recommend stretching your muscles after do exercise. Practicing endurance techniques like yoga will help prevent muscle injuries.
- Use a towel to stretch the calf muscles. Sit upright with your legs stretched out in front of you. Wrap the towel around your feet and hold your ends, gently pull your toes toward you until you feel a tension in your calves. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 10 times. Repeat with the other leg.
- Use elastic bands to strengthen calves. Sit upright with one leg out in front of you, and point your toes toward your head. Wrap the elastic band around your feet and hold your ends. While maintaining the tension with your hands, push the tips of your feet toward the floor. At this point you should feel the calf muscles stretch. Return to starting position. Repeat 10-20 times for each leg.
Warm up before exercising. Use dynamic stretches to warm up before exercising. Unlike static stretching, which usually stays in the same position for a minute or two, dynamic stretching is similar to movement during exercise but requires less effort.
- Practice brisk walking outdoors or on the treadmill.
- The front step, leg swing and movements that increase blood circulation are perfect for warming up.
- You can also do some exercises on a training ball, such as light stretching.
Rested. Doing too much exercise or repeating a stretch will create favorable conditions leading to calf muscle injury. Consider taking a break from your usual sport or activity to try a new sport. advertisement