Help, I need some advice.
A few weeks ago I had something like a cramp in the side of my calve muscle. I rested for a couple of weeks doing some light stretches. The leg is still painful especially just below the calve, if I try to jog, even for just a couple of hundred metres the whole thing goes rock hard and is extremely painful. Even after sitting immobile for an hour it is painful at first when I get up and start walking, the pain usually eases off once I've walked a few steps. I can't afford to go to see a physio privately. Anyone got any suggestions or ideas of whats wrong or exercises I could do.
My leg won't work.
Moderators: [nope] cartel, team nopesport
9 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Sounds to me like you have got an achilles or calf tear.
I got a slight calf sprain at the National in early Jan, thought it had gone but when I tried to run uphill again after a couple of weeks felt it again. Tried it again this Tuesday, same result.
Calf is a very common injury and it is best to take advice if you can.
I ended up seeing a physio yesterday (£30 for a good hour) He reckons he will sort out in a week (2 sessions)as the muscle has basicaly healed, just needs plenty of painful massaging, stretching and unknoting before safe to run again.
A quick google (calf injuries treament) the other day brought up a number of sites giving advice on calf problems. Concensus seemed to be 3 weeks for a slight tear to heal, 3 months for a serious tear. If it is the achilles (often difficult to tell)it is even more serious.
Hope this helps a bit even if not good news
I got a slight calf sprain at the National in early Jan, thought it had gone but when I tried to run uphill again after a couple of weeks felt it again. Tried it again this Tuesday, same result.
Calf is a very common injury and it is best to take advice if you can.
I ended up seeing a physio yesterday (£30 for a good hour) He reckons he will sort out in a week (2 sessions)as the muscle has basicaly healed, just needs plenty of painful massaging, stretching and unknoting before safe to run again.
A quick google (calf injuries treament) the other day brought up a number of sites giving advice on calf problems. Concensus seemed to be 3 weeks for a slight tear to heal, 3 months for a serious tear. If it is the achilles (often difficult to tell)it is even more serious.
Hope this helps a bit even if not good news
- redkite
- green
- Posts: 348
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: Wales
I take it that means you're not coming to Formby at the w/e (or have you told me you are and I've forgotten )!
Go & see K and go thru some pain - if she can't help, she'll tell you who can.
Go & see K and go thru some pain - if she can't help, she'll tell you who can.
Make the most of life - you're a long time dead.
-
Stodgetta - brown
- Posts: 569
- Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 2:55 pm
- Location: north of brum, south of manchester
Doesn't sound in the least bit like a claf tear.
I did this on Saturday and it is nothing like what you describe.
It does sound alot like compartment syndrome.
Which goes something like this...
You start to exercise - muscles expand due to being warmer and much fuller of blood etc. In compartment syndrome this expansion is restricted, by the failure of the muscle sheath to expand sufficiently. The restriction prevents proper circulation through the muscle which leads to the pain - because you are trying to exercide without sufficient circulation being possible.
This restricted volume would fit with the solid feeling you experience in the calf.
I'd suggest that after resting and then walking the pain subsides because gentle exercise gets the circulation going moves excess fluid out from the calf - dropping the pressure, plus flushing out all the toxins that have accumutated in your muscle whilst the circulation was insufficient.
I'd be interested in whether the initial problem felt the same as the problem you get now - was it a cramp or a sharp pain, maybe followed by a cramp ?
You should see a physio - at least once, to get a firm diagnosis and to get a programme for rehabilitation. This need not involve more visits to the physio.
Explain that you can't afford many visits and that you need a diagnosis and self rehabilitation plan. Make this clear when you make the appointment and a good physio should agree. Phone around if necessary. You can ask for exercises and massages that you can do yourself. Ask for timings, repetitions and frequencys. e.g. do 10 times X for 5 seconds, twice a day for a week. Also ask about progression (i.e. do you do more in the second week ). Seeing a professional will mean you get the proper perspective on the time needed to get over the problem. e.g. what you should do in week 1, 3, 3 etc.
If you can afford trainers and running kit you can afford to see a physio once. Especially since you can't run without them
I did this on Saturday and it is nothing like what you describe.
It does sound alot like compartment syndrome.
Which goes something like this...
You start to exercise - muscles expand due to being warmer and much fuller of blood etc. In compartment syndrome this expansion is restricted, by the failure of the muscle sheath to expand sufficiently. The restriction prevents proper circulation through the muscle which leads to the pain - because you are trying to exercide without sufficient circulation being possible.
This restricted volume would fit with the solid feeling you experience in the calf.
I'd suggest that after resting and then walking the pain subsides because gentle exercise gets the circulation going moves excess fluid out from the calf - dropping the pressure, plus flushing out all the toxins that have accumutated in your muscle whilst the circulation was insufficient.
I'd be interested in whether the initial problem felt the same as the problem you get now - was it a cramp or a sharp pain, maybe followed by a cramp ?
You should see a physio - at least once, to get a firm diagnosis and to get a programme for rehabilitation. This need not involve more visits to the physio.
Explain that you can't afford many visits and that you need a diagnosis and self rehabilitation plan. Make this clear when you make the appointment and a good physio should agree. Phone around if necessary. You can ask for exercises and massages that you can do yourself. Ask for timings, repetitions and frequencys. e.g. do 10 times X for 5 seconds, twice a day for a week. Also ask about progression (i.e. do you do more in the second week ). Seeing a professional will mean you get the proper perspective on the time needed to get over the problem. e.g. what you should do in week 1, 3, 3 etc.
If you can afford trainers and running kit you can afford to see a physio once. Especially since you can't run without them
If you could run forever ......
-
Kitch - god
- Posts: 2433
- Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2004 2:09 pm
- Location: embada
That's fascinating - the reason i asked about shoes is that i have also from time to time experienced something very like you and klebe described - almost like an extreme build up of lactic acid in a very localised area on the outside of the calf - but after very little exercise when the whole side (but not the back) od the muscles seems to be solid - like its full up - which it must be from what you say - and it hurts - I had attributed this to different shoes. I have very high arches and short achilles tendons (i even walk on my toes) and i think its worse if my feet are slightly angled outwards even more than they naturally are.
-
Mrs H. - nope godmother
- Posts: 2034
- Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 3:15 pm
- Location: Middle England
No change of shoes, I am using the same pairs of trainers and 'O'shoes that I have had for some time.
Thanks for the advise everyone.
Seems like I may need more than just icing and stretching.
If it is as redkite says and can be sorted out quickly with a bit of professional help then that is what I will do.
I may well take up kitch and Stodgettas suggestion and see what K can do.
Kitch. The initial problem was a sudden sharp pain down the outside of the calf, about midway down, as I was runnning flat out downhill. I pulled up quickly then tried to stretch out against a tree, as you would for cramp, but got no sensation of the muscle being stretched (again as you do with cramp). I then found I couldn't walk/climb up the next steep hill as the leg wouldn't take the weight/ push up as I walked. (I took a track contouring around the hill to get back to the finish) The pain and tightness eased off a bit after walking for a while. The restricted volume idea sounds plausible but would this be the case after only running for say 50m. The reaction comes on very quickly at the moment.
Thanks for the advise everyone.
Seems like I may need more than just icing and stretching.
If it is as redkite says and can be sorted out quickly with a bit of professional help then that is what I will do.
I may well take up kitch and Stodgettas suggestion and see what K can do.
Kitch. The initial problem was a sudden sharp pain down the outside of the calf, about midway down, as I was runnning flat out downhill. I pulled up quickly then tried to stretch out against a tree, as you would for cramp, but got no sensation of the muscle being stretched (again as you do with cramp). I then found I couldn't walk/climb up the next steep hill as the leg wouldn't take the weight/ push up as I walked. (I took a track contouring around the hill to get back to the finish) The pain and tightness eased off a bit after walking for a while. The restricted volume idea sounds plausible but would this be the case after only running for say 50m. The reaction comes on very quickly at the moment.
-
Klebe - blue
- Posts: 458
- Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 9:39 am
- Location: In transit
Ok now it sounds like a tear in the first instance.
you will tend to get a cramp around a tear because all the muscles around the tear go into overdrive to protect the damaged area.
I am wondering if the tear has somehow restricted circulation through the muscle. Thereby leading to compartment syndrome
I suppose a vein could have ruptured - though it seems unlikely and you would have had a black and blue calf from the blood leakage.
Maybe more likely the scar tissue from the tear - which will form a lump in your muscle - might be pressing or restricting a vien or artery, If the tear was around a blood vessel then the scar tissue would then restrict it on all sides.
In which case you would need deep massage to make brek down the scar tissue.
I don't know how quickly comparment syndrome comes on.
If you feel pain immediately on running them maybe you just still have a bad tear and the muscles are cramping around to protect it. Is there an accute pain from step 1, building up to the general calf pain, or is it ok and the pain builds ?
you will tend to get a cramp around a tear because all the muscles around the tear go into overdrive to protect the damaged area.
I am wondering if the tear has somehow restricted circulation through the muscle. Thereby leading to compartment syndrome
I suppose a vein could have ruptured - though it seems unlikely and you would have had a black and blue calf from the blood leakage.
Maybe more likely the scar tissue from the tear - which will form a lump in your muscle - might be pressing or restricting a vien or artery, If the tear was around a blood vessel then the scar tissue would then restrict it on all sides.
In which case you would need deep massage to make brek down the scar tissue.
I don't know how quickly comparment syndrome comes on.
If you feel pain immediately on running them maybe you just still have a bad tear and the muscles are cramping around to protect it. Is there an accute pain from step 1, building up to the general calf pain, or is it ok and the pain builds ?
If you could run forever ......
-
Kitch - god
- Posts: 2433
- Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2004 2:09 pm
- Location: embada
I'd be worried it might be a stress fracture, which wouldn't respond to the calf stretches like a cramping muscle would.
Doesn't sound typical of a calf muscle tear to me, and I've certainly had a few. They're somewhat more likely to occur going uphill, or when doing fast intervals when you are pushing hard off your toes. Does it hurt to push up onto your toes?
A stress fracture of fibula hurts about a handsbreadth above your outside anklebone. Not sure about association with the hardness, but would imagine you could get some muscle spasm as your body tries to protect you from the pain in the bone.
You really do need to get someone to examine it, as the treatments are somewhat different. Going on as you are may throw more stress onto the other leg and give you an injury there.
Doesn't sound typical of a calf muscle tear to me, and I've certainly had a few. They're somewhat more likely to occur going uphill, or when doing fast intervals when you are pushing hard off your toes. Does it hurt to push up onto your toes?
A stress fracture of fibula hurts about a handsbreadth above your outside anklebone. Not sure about association with the hardness, but would imagine you could get some muscle spasm as your body tries to protect you from the pain in the bone.
You really do need to get someone to examine it, as the treatments are somewhat different. Going on as you are may throw more stress onto the other leg and give you an injury there.
- ifititches
- blue
- Posts: 400
- Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 9:15 pm
- Location: just SW of greatest track junction in UK, I think.....
9 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 172 guests