Pain in the calf

Pain in the calf, or gastrocnemius muscle, is a symptom that can be a signal of many diseases. Moreover, these diseases do not necessarily concern only the legs. What are the causes of pain in the calf and what symptoms do they manifest?

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Reason #1. Chronic venous insufficiency

Venous insufficiency is a stagnation of blood flow in the veins and muscles of the lower leg (sinuses). The cause of this stagnation may be a malfunction of the pump of muscles and veins located in the lower leg. This happens if a person has been standing for a long time and if he also has excess weight, called phlebopathy.

Chronic venous insufficiency is also caused by insufficiency in the valves of the deep veins. This condition can occur after a previous venous thrombosis, as well as with varicose veins with insufficient valves.

When there is excess blood, it can stretch the thin venous walls and the muscle tissue that surrounds them. This causes ischemia of the vessel wall, as well as severe pain in the calf. This pain is usually dull, with a feeling of distension in the calf. The pain may become stronger with constant sitting or standing. The pain may become less or even stop when the person has a good rest (at night) and changes position. If a person experiences chronic venous insufficiency, he or she may have swelling of the soft tissues in the lower leg area. This symptom may be accompanied by another one - cramps in the calf, which are predominant at night.

Reason #2. Acute venous insufficiency

It is also called acute venous insufficiency or deep vein thrombosis (localized in the shin). Blood flow is difficult in this case. The pain is bursting, strong, it can decrease if the leg is raised up. Then the blood flow is normalized. The muscle increases in volume, becomes denser, the subcutaneous pattern can appear more clearly.

The localization and intensity of the pain depends on the location of the thrombus. The more veins are involved in the thrombosis process, the more acute the pain in the calf may be. It may intensify when bending the sole and ankle, as well as in the place where pressure is applied to the skin.

Reason #3. Chronic arterial insufficiency (arterial insufficiency)

The reason for its development is the occlusion of arteries due to an inflammatory process of autoimmune origin. Or due to atherosclerotic changes. Then the muscles experience a lack of oxygen, oxygen starvation of muscles and veins occurs, acid accumulates in the muscles, pain receptors are irritated, which leads to severe pain in the calf muscles.

Then a person can be diagnosed with the so-called "intermittent claudication" syndrome. In the initial stages, the pain in the calf is not strong, and the longer the process drags on, the stronger the pain. As additional symptoms, people can feel chilliness, coldness of the extremities - hands or feet, pale skin, hair loss. The skin in the calf area can become thinner and peel.

Reason #4. Acute arterial insufficiency

Acute arterial insufficiency is a situation where the arteries are blocked by a thrombus in the vein or embolism. The result may be limb ischemia. Pain in this case may occur even at rest, when the person hardly moves. The pain becomes intense, the limb becomes less sensitive, this sensitivity may be lost altogether. The person moves with even greater difficulty, paralysis of the calf muscles and muscle contractures develop.

Reason #5. Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine

This disease is also called radicular syndrome. This is a very common cause of pain that appears in the calf muscles - the second most common of all calf pains. It occurs due to compression of the spinal nerve root at the point where the root exits the spinal canal. Then the pain can radiate to the calf if the inflamed nerve fibers reach its location. The nerves can be affected by compression, pain impulses are generated in them, the muscles tone and contract. Because of this, muscle dystrophy with cystic and fibrous growths develops.

There may be dense areas in the muscle, pressing on which a person increases the pain impulse. Pain in the calf may become less intense after therapeutic exercise, exposure to heat, massage.

Reason #6. Peripheral polyneuropathy

This condition, which causes a person to have pain in the calf muscle, can occur after diabetes mellitus suffered by the patient. It can also be a result of the effect of toxins on the body, as well as ethyl alcohol. When a person suffers from polyneuropathy as a result of diabetes, he may experience pain mainly at night, as well as in the morning. They can bother a person even at rest. These pains can be localized in the lower parts of the legs and arms. A person may have goosebumps on the skin as an additional symptom, the skin may burn, the legs and arms may go numb. A person may feel muscle weakness, increased fatigue, sensitivity to vibrations along with the pain.

The pain in the calf can be very strong. When the autonomic nerves are affected, this leads to venous outflow disorders, trophic ulcers and vascular disease, the so-called vascular component of pain.

Reason #7. Neuritis of the tibial nerve

This condition is accompanied by severe pains that disturb a person in the form of attacks. They pass along the nerves - this pain in the calf can be traced by palpation. When there are no attacks, there is no pain in the calves between them either.

Reason #8. Pathology of the knee joints

Knee joints can be pathological. This phenomenon can be called osteoarthrosis. Its symptoms are pain in the calf muscles, pain in the area around the joints, which is especially disturbing during heavy physical exertion. The pain is located in the front and back of the knee. These pains become stronger when walking, standing (long-term).

When a person goes up and down the stairs, the pain intensifies. This characteristic symptom can be used to determine that a person is developing a knee joint pathology. Even when a person stops moving, the pain still does not go away.

If the inflammation develops actively, the pains further increase when the person moves. In the morning, there is stiffness in the joints. The calf muscle is constantly tense, it hurts a lot when touched, it is very dense to the touch.

Reason #9. Dermatomyositis

Another name is polymyositis. This is an inflammation of the calf muscles of an autoimmune nature. Side symptoms are pain, strong and dull. They intensify even more when a person moves and when the ankle is in a state of shaking. At the same time, muscle weakness and intoxication, nausea are observed. The muscles can swell when pressed with a finger, it is very painful for a person. A little time passes - and the muscles become denser, nodes are felt in them, fibrosis develops. This condition can be a consequence of a cold, the effects of parasites, injuries, overexertion.

Reason #10. Fibromyalgia

This is an autoimmune muscle disease that is rarely accompanied by pain in the calf muscles. The pain in the calf can be severe and constant, and there may be a feeling of weakness in the limbs. In the morning, the muscles may be "wooden", a person may feel stiffness and pain. When palpated, the calf muscles can be very painful, especially in certain points.

Reason #11: Strain and/or tear of the calf muscles

This condition can be characterized by severe pain in the calves. Especially where the muscle is damaged, the pain in the calf can increase sharply. Especially during movement. The pain symptoms can be accompanied by such a symptom as inflammation of the calf muscles - myositis.

What does caviar consist of?

The calf, or the muscle on the back of the leg in the shin area, consists of two muscles. These are the gastrocnemius and the soleus, which is located deeper. These two muscles are connected by tendons that are attached to the heel bone, which forms the Achilles tendon. The gastrocnemius muscles enable the ankle, or ankle joint, to move. Then a person gets the ability to walk, maintain balance, and cushion during movement.

The gastrocnemius muscle is supplied with blood by a system of arteries that start from the area under the knee. The gastrocnemius muscle also contains nerves that come from the tibial nerve. If these nerves are touched, a person will feel very, very pain. In general, pain in the calf can be caused by the following reasons.