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Click to view RunnerNae's profile Rookie
RunnerNae
4 posts since
Aug 21, 2007

Aug 21, 2007 4:25 PM

Calf Strain- input needed please

Ive been a runner my whole life (Im 36) took the last 2 years off due to an abd issue that reuslted in suirgery and now Im fine, started running again in April. I know all about the startin slow and easing in. Which is what I was doing.
I pulled my left calf in the last 1/2 mile of a 10k on 7/22/07. I just ran too fast. I used Adivl for a day, and iced it for days. It was sore to walk, limped for a couple days. After one week I was still sore but not limping. Went to my PT who said it was a soleus strain. It hurts just below the calf muscle so I was worried it was Achilles, it seems to be in that "greay area" below calf but not really achilles. SHe told me it wasnt the tendon. Told me to rest it 5 more days and test it out, use my judegement. I assume i have a Grade 2 since I was not better in a week. At week 2 post strain, I tried to run but made it 1/4 mile due to it being pretty sore. I went home, iced, and got pissy for the day. It has now been a month - on Friday, I did a slow 1/2 mile run on dirt, walked another 1/2 then ran the 1/2. Felt ok but had to stop a bunch to stretch it as it felt sore. Not pain, just tight/sore. I ran 2 miles on Saturday( in segments) and 2 miles on Sunday ( again in segments). I felt sore again SUnday so I havent done anything. Its been a month. Am I being too caustious and should i just run through the sorenes? All these threads I have read it sounds like people give themselves less than a week and then get back in even if its sore and all works out ok. I terrified of injuring further. Im basically just really tight in that area. I have an appt with Sports Med dr on THursday to make sure Im not serioulsy hurt. I can walk without pain, I can stand on my tip toes, I can stretch with just tightness in the left calf. I only notice it here and there I get a twinge walking around. SHouldnt I have been better after a month off? Im training for a half on October 14th and Im seriously worried about that as I was at 6-7 miles beofre the injury and with the easing back in I cant be at 8-9 miles this Saturday!!

ANY ADIVCE? SIMILAR EXPERIENCES?? PLEASE??!!
Im so scared. I want to hear that Im being a baby and to just tough it out I guess.

THanks for reading this.

Rene'
Click to view Tiger Dude's profile Pro
Tiger Dude
69 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
1. Aug 22, 2007 8:37 AM in response to: RunnerNae
If it really is a soleus strain it will be tough to work up slowly. Usually it's the gastrocnemius (sp?) that gets strained as it is recruited for fast movements. The gastroc can be avoided & worked out easily by running slowly so that the soleus does most of the work.

My experience with my gastroc was that I had to run less and slower than I thought I could to avoid re-injury. Pain is your guide - if you are hurting you may be going too fast. Also make sure you are warming up very well prior to running.
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Click to view Kerren's profile Amateur
Kerren
34 posts since
Jul 7, 2007
2. Aug 22, 2007 10:57 AM in response to: RunnerNae
Here are two posts related to "calf care".

Soleus stretch description and demo:

http://www.killerlifestyle.com/wp02/?p=61[/URL" target="_blank">

Product review of the ProStretch device:

http://www.killerlifestyle.com/wp02/[/URL" target="_blank">
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Click to view RunnerNae's profile Rookie
RunnerNae
4 posts since
Aug 21, 2007
3. Aug 22, 2007 11:39 AM in response to: RunnerNae
Thank you very much for the link. It seems the soleus is a neglected muscle. Its unfortunate that it takes an injury or a problem for people (such as myslef) to understand your body better.
Take care
Rene '
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Click to view sue088's profile Community Moderator
sue088
264 posts since
Aug 9, 1998
4. Aug 25, 2007 8:56 AM in response to: RunnerNae
my experience is not to mess with the soleus. I had 5 weeks off, they called it a soleus tear but there wasn't bruising. I've had muscle tears (a pretty big hamstring tear) that were way easier to deal with an work through. I returned to running after 5 weeks and only got 4 weeks in before I stopped again (overcompensation), and eventhough I'm not running right now, I have a huge bruise just south of the tear along the achilles.

It sounds very similar to your situation, because I too, could stand on tiptoes with no problems so really questioned the tear diagnosis at first, but I guess the tiptoe thing is more for gastroc diagnosis. For soleus, if you feel pain trying to dorsiflex (dropping heel). It was explained that the slow healing process is because the soleus is small and hard to absorb swellling. I'd have swelling at the top of my calves and thought I had a secondary calf, but was told that it was edema from the soleus. When I tore my hamstring my entire leg was black and it hurt real bad for 3 days but withing 3 weeks I was running and rehabbing together.

Yours might be a bad strain. Mine was in the beginning and then took a week off and I thought I was fine on the treadmill. I had almost 15 minutes in without pain and my calf "popped". My doctor said there wasn't a question about tear vs strain at that point.

In PT I learned your classic against the wall calf stretch just has to be adjusted by bending your knees. Try the straight leg way and then switch to bent. You can feel the difference. the classic way stretches the gastroc, not the soleus. So the soleus is often ignorred.
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