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Rehabilitation
for calf strains
When can I return to my sport or activity?
How long will the effects of the injury last?
Read more about calf
strains
Rehabilitation for a calf strain usually depends on the severity of the
strain, but usually includes:
- Rest
Do not do activities that cause pain, such as running, jumping, and
weightlifting using the lower leg muscles. If normal walking hurts,
shorten your stride. Do not play sports until the pain is gone.
- Cold
Apply ice or a cold pack to the calf area for 15 to 20 minutes, 4 times
a day for several days after the injury. Wrap the ice or cold pack in
a towel. Do not apply the ice directly to your skin.
- Pain Relief Medications
Take aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen to help relieve pain. If you
still have tenderness in the calf while taking these drugs, refrain
from physical activity, and consult your doctor.
- Compression
Wear an elastic compression bandage (e.g., Ace bandage) around your
lower leg to prevent additional swelling. Wrap from the toes up the
leg so as to not cause swelling below the wrapping. Be careful not to
wrap the bandage too tightly.
- Elevation
Keep your leg higher than your heart as much as possible for the first
24 hours to minimize swelling.
- Heat
Use heat only when you are returning to physical activity. Then use
it before stretching or getting ready to play sports.
- Stretching
When the acute pain is gone, start gentle stretching as recommended
by a health care professional. Stay within pain limits. Hold each stretch
for about 10 seconds and repeat 6 times.
- Strengthening
Begin strengthening exercises for your calf muscles as recommended by
a health care professional.
The major objectives
of rehabilitation from a calf strain are to improve the elasticity of
the calf muscle and to gradually increase pain-free range of motion. Exercises
to achieve these goals include:
- Passive stretching
Keeping your legs straight, stretch the calf gradually by gently pulling
your foot and toes up. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Active stretching
Pull your foot and toes up (using the muscles in the front of your leg)
to stretch the calf muscle. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Progressive strengthening
exercises
For light resistance exercise of the calf muscle, hook a band under
your toes and gently point your foot downward against resistance and
then allow it to come up again. Do 10 repetitions, rest, and repeat
5 to 10 times.
When can I return
to my sport or activity?
The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your sport or activity
as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon, you may worsen
your injury, which could lead to permanent damage. Everyone recovers from
injury at a different rate. Return to your activity is determined by how
soon your calf strain recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been
since your injury occurred.
You may safely return
to your sport or activity when, starting from the top of the list and
progressing to the end, each of the following is true:
- You have full range
of motion in the injured leg compared to the uninjured leg.
- You have full strength
of the injured leg compared to the uninjured leg.
- You can jog straight
ahead without pain or limping.
- You can sprint
straight ahead without pain or limping.
- You can do 45-degree
cuts, first at half-speed, then at full-speed.
- You can do 20-yard
figures-of-eight, first at half-speed, then at full-speed.
- You can do 90-degree
cuts, first at half-speed, then at full-speed.
- You can do 10-yard
figures-of-eight, first at half-speed, then at full-speed.
- You can jump on
both legs without pain and you can jump on the injured leg without pain.
How long will the
effects of the injury last?
Calf strains are graded according to their severity. In some cases, an
athlete can return to competition in 2 weeks. In severe cases, where surgery
is necessary, recovery can take up to 3 months. The grades are as follows:
- Grade 1
Stretching with some micro tearing of muscle fibers.
Recovery can be complete in about 2 weeks.
- Grade 2
Partial tearing of muscle fibers.
Recovery can take 1-2 months.
- Grade 3
Complete tearing (rupture) of muscle fibers.
Recovery can take more than 3 months.
Surgery may be needed to repair the torn muscle fibers. This is very
rare.
For a severe calf
strain, you may have an MRI
scan (pdf file) to see if the tearing requires
surgical repair. Professional athletes sometimes have MRI scans to help
predict the length of their recovery period.
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