' 02394 350270, 07835 712306 ( enquiries@physiological.net
&
I pulled my calf muscle
playing football what do I
need to do?
APR 2, 2019
How to treat a
calf strain
We see a lot of people with calf strains
in our Rowlands Castle clinics, but
most recently as well as runners we
have seen a lot of footballers.
Most footballers come to the clinic
with a clear history of
running/changing direction and they
have such severe pain and tearing
sensation that they report they turn to
see who has shot them in the back of
the leg as that is what it feels like.
The calf has two main large muscles:
the gastrocnemius, the large muscle
closest to the surface, and the soleus,
the deeper muscle which sits behind
the gastrocnemius. There is also a
smaller muscle called plantaris.
A calf strain is a tear in the muscle at
the back of your lower leg. Both of
these muscles join onto your Achilles
tendon which then attaches to the
back of the heel. The most commonly
strained calf muscle is gastrocnemius
as it is more vulnerable because it
crosses both the knee and ankle
joints.
Here is a testimonial from one of
our footballers who pulled his calf:
“I badly pulled my calf early December
2018 and desperately needed to be back
playing football in 3 months. I was told
by many this wouldn’t be possible.
Weekly treatment by Natalie and her
team got me back on schedule and I’m
pleased to say I made it! I went from not
being able to walk, to playing football in
about 11 weeks. Great service and lots
of tips along the way. Highly
recommended” Mr. A
Our last blog about calf injuries
highlighted what to do in the early
stages after a calf strain, so today we
will share with you rehab exercises to
do as the muscle is healing so from 4
weeks onwards.
Exercises for a
moderate calf
strain (from 4
weeks):
Please be aware of your body and
take advice from your doctor before
exercising if you have any aches or
pains, or send us an email
(enquiries@physio-logical.net) for
advice and guidance.
After 3-4 weeks start the more
traditional stretches short of pain
(once the calf injury has healed
further).
Standing Gastrocnemius Stretch
Both toes pointing forwards,
bend front knee, keep back leg
straight and back heel down
You should feel the stretch in
lower back of leg, below the
knee
Hold 30 seconds repeat 3 times,
3 times a day
Standing Soleus Stretch
Keep both toes pointing
forwards
Bend both knees, keep heels on
the #oor
Take most of the weight in your
back leg
You should feel the stretch in
lower back of the leg, just above
ankle
Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3
times, 3 times a day
Calf Raises
Standing balance yourself on
both feet. ( you can use a chair
for stability)
Rise up on your toes and then
lower yourself down
Repeat until fatigue, but short
of pain, daily
Single Leg Calf Raises
Standing balance yourself on
your injured foot
Rise up on your toes for a count
of 3 and back down for a count
of 3 with your leg straight and
on the #oor
Repeat until fatigue, no pain
Repeat daily
Loaded
Strengthening
Once the pain has settled it is time to
improve the load capacity of the
muscle and tendon by improving calf
strength.
Normally you should be able to
manage 10-15 single leg calf raises
with no increase in your pain before
you progress to this level.
Heavy Slow Resistance:
Standing balance yourself on
your injured foot
Rise up on your toes for a count
of 3 and back down for a count
of 3 with your leg straight and
on the #oor
Repeat 3 x 8 reps
Repeat 3 times / week
This is a heavy loaded exercise
so load can be added to a back
pack or you can use the smith
machine at the gym.
Gradually increase load
The target for strength is to be
able to complete 8 reps taking 6
seconds per rep, pushing 0.40.5 times body weight
Single Leg Balance:
Stand without any support and
attempt to balance on your
injured leg
Begin with your eyes open and
then try to perform the exercise
with your eyes closed
Hold the single leg position for
30 seconds
Repeat 3 times, 2 times a day
Check out and subscribe to our FREE
YouTube channel where you can also
%nd demonstrations of these
exercises plus others too.
Calf strains/tightness respond really
well to treatment with a physio, sports
therapist or sports massage therapist,
so if you are su!ering from an
ongoing calf problem or keep
straining your calf muscles playing
football then please get in contact
with us via enquiries@physiological.net, 07835 712306 or book
online as we can help you to get rid of
that ongoing calf pain/tightness. Once
you have sprained your calf muscle
there is a high chance you will do it
again if you do not fully rehabilitate
and strengthen your calf muscle.
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