Hi

Like a previous reply said, it is more important to look at the possible causes rather than trying 'speed up' recovery through localised treatments. I find a lot of injuries like this have another component to them. Commonly if it is a traumatic injury, eg a blow to the thigh/calf, then it may be local, although there could still be secondary changes in how the body responds. If it is a 'tear' or strain then it may mean the area of injury has been put under unnecessary stress through some other muscle malfunction. eg if the hip muscles are weak, this results in extra work being done by the quads and calf to compensate, as well as by the back muscles (common cause of LBP), thus this continuous overload can result in fascial tightening of the quads and calf sheathings and eventually a tear (most 'tears' are fascial not muscular...bleeding occurs with muscle tears). So always check hip strength and other muscle strengths above and below the injury to assess possible causes or responses in other muscles. Myofascial release is great for correcting these problems, as most weakness is as a result of myofascial tightness, NOT lack of exercise. It makes no sense to stress the body more by introducing exercise as a form of treatment when it is often exercise that caused it in the first place. Once normal base strength and full ROM is restored then exercise can be re-introduced.

Cheers

Pete (see next reply for ideas on RICE)