Calf Pain

Our legs experience colossal pressure throughout their entire life. It's no wonder that there are times when they can not cope with the task set before them and fail. Muscles of the whole organism, including legs, need constant training. A simple situation - unsuccessfully set, while walking, turns and there is a sharp calf pain. Possible consequences - stretching or rupture of the tendon.

If they were well trained, they would have sufficient elasticity and, in such a "trivial" situation, there would be no sad consequences.

[1], [2], [3]

Causes of the calf pain

The calf pain can occur without injury, as a result of vascular ailments of the lower extremities or, as a concomitant symptom of a whole complex of diseases:

• flat feet;
• Charcot's disease;
• Inflammation of tendons (tendinitis);
• phlebitis and thrombophlebitis;
• myositis and neuralgia;
• diseases caused by viral infections.

The diagnosis of flat feet, in recent years, has received the greatest "popularity". People suffering from flat feet, face pain in the legs almost constantly. Calf pain with flat feet occurs from the presence of the foot in the shoes and without it. Because of the deformation of the muscles of the foot, the muscles of the shins are forced to be in a constant tension, which causes unpleasant sensations.

See also: Shoes that are harmful to health

From uncomfortable shoes can suffer and those who have quite healthy legs. Shoes on a completely flat sole, just like on too high a heel, can cause pain and even cramps in the muscles of the calf. The prolonged effect of squeezing the soft tissues of the legs leads to a narrowing of the vessels, as a consequence, a decrease in blood flow. Legs acquire puffiness, fluid accumulates in the tissues. Actually, uncomfortable shoes can become the root cause of flatfoot development.

Treatment of the calf pain

In detail to consider all the serious diseases in which there is a gastrocnemius pain - we will not, there are many of them.

Let's talk about what can be done in the first minutes of the onset of severe pain, about the measures of its prevention, because both can be done by everyone at home.

 There are four rules that need to be remembered and must be applied in the first minutes after the muscles are stretched.

• cold;
• fixation;
• lifting (giving an elevated position);
• peace.

Cold

In the first minutes after the injury, apply a cold compress to the damaged area for 10 minutes. You can not keep it any longer, otherwise the muscle can catch cold. We kept it for 10 minutes and cleaned it. Repeat the procedure several times. As a rule, calf pain, after stretching the muscle, begins to calm down immediately after the first application of cold. The cold compress will not only ease the pain, but will also reduce the swelling, which will certainly occur immediately after the injury.

[4], [5],

Fixation

In the intervals between cold compresses, we impose an elastic bandage, fixing, thus, the relative immobility of the muscle, which also contributes to the reduction of soreness.

[6], [7], [8]

Climb

To give the injured leg an elevated position, placing it so that it is above the level of the heart. Make it easier and easier lying in a horizontal position, placing a pillow under your leg or a blanket twisted by a roller. Elevated position promotes better blood flow in the leg, leading to a rapid update of the recovery processes in the damaged area.

[9]

Peace

We leave the leg in a state of rest, depending on the degree of pain, for several minutes or hours. If at rest the leg does not bother, then the injury is not dangerous, and there is nothing to worry about.

The calf, after stretching the tendon or muscle, calms down after a set of activities described above. In addition to them, in order not to torment your body with the expectation of a cessation of pain, you can take an anesthetic pill. 

If within 24 hours the pain has not disappeared or decreased at all, the body temperature has increased , and the injured place is hotter to the touch, the pain has become a pulsating character - you should not wait and experiment, you need to immediately go to the emergency room. Probably, instead of stretching, there is an incision or a complete rupture of the tendon or the muscle itself.

Prevention

To your legs never knew what a calf pain, you need to accustom yourself to observe not cunning rules:

• "Be friends" only with comfortable shoes. The "right" sole of the shoe should have a small heel, from 2 to 4 cm;
• choose shoes according to your weight, height and age. Of course, to completely abandon your favorite heels, for example, do not need, wear such shoes, just limit yourself in time. Shoes with high heels can wear no more than 4 hours in a row;
• calf pain caused by excessive muscle tension, can go away by itself, if you use insoles. The most common insoles can reduce the load on the calf muscles by 30%;
• To reduce tension on the muscles of the shins, the instep supports are also available, which must be additionally installed in their shoes.

Take note!

Whatever ailment the calf pain was caused by, first of all it is necessary to remember that pain is a cry of the body for help. Work on yourself, train your muscles, exercise, eat healthy food. If the pain has visited you more than once, do not wait for her next arrival, contact a specialist. Only specialists are able to determine the root causes and indicate the correct ways to eliminate them.

[10]