Calf muscle pain ?soleus?

[guy909uk]

Hi,
Just thought I would give an update!
I have been doing the stretches that I have been given by the physio (twice daily seated one legged hamstring stretch with chin tucked in to gentle reproduce calf symptom).
I am pleased to say that things feel a little easier. I managed to cycle for an hour and 20 mins with only very mild discomfort very occasionally, which was great!! Getting around and every day life is much easier.
I felt like I was fixed, however I tried some running today and unfortunately had to stop after about 20 mins as the sharp pain in the calf was back, however it wasn't as bad as previous and is not sore now. Presumeably it is just a case of sticking with it?
The physio has said that this is unlikely to have come from my back, which I assume means the nerve is being "pinched" or irritated somewhere along it's course? Are there any other stretches/excersises I should be doing?
Also I was wondering if I am putting myself at any risk of injury by running with the pain in the back of the calf?
Thanks for all your help people!
Guy

[guy909uk]

Many thanks for the help given above.

I would like to ask one more piece of advice if I may? I have been struggling with a painfull left hip for the past 2 years, which I have learnt to live with. It irritaes me, but I can do most activities fine, although it just feels restricted. I have had an orthapod look at the hip in the past and had an x-ray and MRI arthrogram, which found no labral tear. The main thing that frustrates me is the loss of internal rotation and to a lesser extent extension. I had given up on trying to resolve this with medical help and have worked on core stability and hip strength, although I seem not to be getting far.

My question is this, should I see a physio about this and do patients with limited internal rotation respond well to treatment (obviously depends on cause?) or is this something I should get on with and hope that continued activity will stretch the hip and improve? The reason I ask is because I have been told that limited internal rotation of the hip is likely to have implications for the future, and as I'm only 23, if there is a way of increaasing range of movement and reducing the stiffness and pain associated with this movement in particular, I would be stupid not to see someone about it!!
Your opinions would be greatly appreciated,
Many thanks,
Guy

[jayyappanbpt]

thanks guy,
i read u r mail. if u met any any accident around u r hip joint?,
how to the symptoms onset?
i mean sudden or gradual?.
how much u r hip external rotator muscle power?
pain is constent or occassional?
if u have felt any radiating pain in ur left leg?
how much u r hip ROM ?
what is u r gait pattern- u have any toe out gait?


ok guy,
send me u r answer ,, i wait for u r answer.. bye,,,,,bye

AGAIN THANKS FOR U R REPLAY

[guy909uk]

Hi Jayyappanbpt!!
Thanks for your reply.
I havn't ever had any significant hip trauma. The only time a can recall hurting it a little was 2.5 yrs ago when I was skiing and fell, forcefully externally rotating my left hip. It was sore for a few days and then settled down. I managed to play half a season of rugby without even thinking about it after that. The season was stopped prematurely though, when I had a knee injury. I had a grade 3 tear of my left lateral collateral and tore bicept femoris from the distal intertion. I had these repaired surgically and was in a full leg cast for 6 weeks.

Whilst rehabilitating from this I was free from hip pain for about 6 months. I was pushing rehab quite hard for the start of the new season. It started insidiously as I started running again. Don't know whether the running caused it or that I just didn't notice it whilst in cast etc. The pain was anterior and I had reduced internal rotation (have about 15 degrees). The hip pain has been there since (about 18 months/2 years). I do not get any pain whilst cycling or swimming, but running is uncomfortable, although bearable. When I stop training it is more sore and feels "tight". It seems to be when I reach extension whilst walking that it becomes painful and feels like it is "catching".
I recently I have been trying to increase the ROM especially int. rotation although these stretches seem to aggrevated in the short term (settles down when I stop stretching after a short while).

I know have pain intermittently on twisting or internal rotation, as well as dicomfort on extention whilst walking. I am not sure whether there is any intra-articular pathology, although MRI arthrogram has suggested no labral tear. I do realise that the arthrogram is about 80% specific.

Could this be a muscle imbalance thing? I would like to get this sorted as it has gone on for the best part of 2 years and is beginning to wear me down a bit! Ideally I would like to restore the lack of int.rotation, although efforts so far have been fairly futile!

I am sorry for the long ramble, but I am trying to give you as much info as possible. Please let me know if you would like to know anything else.
Many thanks,
Guy

[jayyappanbpt]

thanks guy ,,

i read ur replay,,, now iam come to my conclusion,,,,,,

i think u have 1st grade articular pathology,,thos may due to either previous trauma or abonormal adaptation or muscular imbalance......i rule out you didnot have any soft tissue pathology because u didnot having any pain while u did cycling or swimming..u have pain only jumming and walking this indicate when hip joint have intraarticular compression increased pain also exist.....u have any other lower limb abnormalities ?,better u compar to normal limb....

my opinion;
continu u r treatment protocol,,,,,,
u improve u r hip joint muscle power....then correct u r hp joint abnormalities.......u can apply wax before u r treatment..........

thanks guy......take care........thanks for u r replay

[guy909uk]

Thanks for your help guys. I have taken your advice and have booked a doctors appointment for physio referral on Friday morning. Thanks again,
Guy

[tdonbelay]

I thought I was the only one who experienced this strange injury until i started searching the web. The weird thing is I can go months of hard exercise (mainly running) and have no pain, and then - without notice WHAM! - it feels like I get stabbed deep in the calf and I hobble home. I have generally been able to recover in one week or so, but it is frustrating to say the least

I found this gem on the web and this runner described my problem quite well, as well as how he treats it. I hope it is found useful by anyone who is interested.

Calf Muscle, Muscle, Pain, circulation, Strength, Flexibility,

I also found an article that suggests the following regarding self-massage in this case:

"Most massages don't get to the soleus muscle or the tibialis posterior muscle, both of which are under the thick gastrocnemius muscle that forms the calf. You can treat them with your opposite knee, which is most effective at reaching this spot. The problem with stretching when there is a knot in the muscle is that stretching won't release the knot, and it will actually make the spasm more complicated while overstretching the fibers on either side of the spasm. You really need to release that spasm first. The most effective way is direct pressure onto the spasm, and hold it for 60 seconds."

[hrjones]

Great thread!!

This is definietly me. I have all of the above and have had for about 3.5 years. The problem is in my RIGHT soleus. In addition I have had Gilmore's groin surgery (1995) (LEFT) side and wear orthotics (since 2001). My internal hip rotation is not good on my RIGHT side. I also have a hyper mobile Sacro-illiac (I can crack it back in either side by tensing my Gluts).

In my latest episode of Calf heart attack (coined somewhere on t'internet) I have played 10 weeks of touch rugby, had a two week rest and completed 8 weeks of a 10 week beginner 10k program before I went pop on Sunday. On the day in question I had completed 5 min warm up run and was in the faster phase (no faster than anything done in the last 4 weeks). Was running on even grass.

My feeling when starting running were:
1. My sacro-illiac feels "out" but not in an comfortable way. Shall I stop and crack it back in: No because:
2. My right hip was not showing ANY signs of mild discomfort (which it almost always does).

As soon as my soleus "went" I cracked my Sacro-Illiac back in and trudged dejectedly back home.

Any tips for which areas I need to improve in order to prevent this from happening again will be greatly received

[rabia]

hi good discussion .pls help me also i have seen the case 32yr old lady met with minor accident but not suffer from any problem at that time but after 20 days she feel pain in calf.and difficulty in walking.she said when i start walking pain inc and there is heavyness in my calf and thigh.we gave her ultrasound for pain relief and streching for her tight tA and hams but no relief.pls help.