Calf Injury When Jogging?

Question

I seem to have deveoped a recuuring Calf injury when jogging over the past two years. I do stretch before and after each run, I do warm up. What happens every once in a while is I get sort of a muscle pull in one of my calfs. It does not seem like a cramp to me. It has happened to each calf at one time or the other. It seems to happen more so when running downhill but that is not always the case. When it occurs, depending on the severity, I stop running immedialty and/or take a few days, even weeks, even mothns off. I do try to strenthen it in the gym as part of regular workouts. I have used a compression sock and that has seemed to help a bit.

Any Suggestions?

Answer 1

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Sometimes calf muscle injuries occur because one or more of the three calf muscles and/or the Achilles tendon that connects the muscles to the heel "get tight" - they actually either constrict as whole muscles or have a number of small muscle "knots" that constrict the muscle.  Running with tight calf muscles quite often results in moderate muscle tears, which inflame, which press on the surrounding nerves, which causes the pain you feel.

Other times, calf muscles are sore because they grow too large for the connective tissure sheath that encloses them.  I don't think this would be your case, only because it appears you have not been able to run for a long period of time.

There are a number of things that you can do to avoid tight calf muscles, including the following:

-make sure that your shoes fit your feet properly.  Improperly fitting or overworn running shoes are the number reason for leg injuries.  Experts at a running specialty shop can help you determine what shoes are best for your feet.

-vary the surfaces you run on, or run solely on soft surfaces (but not sand).  Run on grass, treadmills, wood chip paths, crushed limestone paths.

-run on alternate days, giving the muscles in your calf an opportunity to "bounce back."

-massage your legs before and after running, "kneading" each muscle.  Consider using "The Stick" to get out small muscle knots (trigger points).

-check your foot strike.  Lots of people who hit the ground toes first, or balls of the feet first, end up getting tight calf muscles.  If necessary, change your foot strike to heel first, or optimally to a full-foot strike.

-consider bicycling or Spinning as a way of dynamically stretching and strengthening your calf muscles.  From personal experience of 30+ years of calf muscle and Achilles tendon strains, I've found most recently that Spinning has a way of increasing calf muscle strength taking the pressure off the Achilles, and allowing the Achilles to recover from hard workouts (and even heal!).

At some point, you may want to see a sports medical specialist who can further examine your feet, your legs, and your gait.

This would be important especially if it seems that what you are doing is re-injuring an old calf muscle injury.

Regards,

Running_Dad



  (BTW, this is not a medical diagnosis nor medical advice.)

Answer 2

I know you said you stretch, but you should probably find a specific stretch for that muscle. It's obviously not loose enough when you run. Don't shuffle, don't forget to make your stride off the ground.

Answer 3

Get a lot of water in your body, work out that specific part, and look up stretches for your calf muscle.