Calf Strains in Endurance Runners:Why Physiotherapy Matters?
by Nic Marino
In our last blog post, Spencer covered common injuries amongst runners. But lets get more specific.
Calf strains are a common issue for both recreational and competitive runners. These injuries often happen during sudden movements like sprinting or jumping, or when there’s a quick increase in running intensity or volume. A calf strain can seriously impact your daily life and your ability to get back to running.
Understanding Your Calf Muscles:
Here’s a quick look at the calf muscles. Understanding the muscle composition can help explain how your calves work.
Soleus: This muscle only crosses the ankle joint. Makes up about 70% of the calf muscle area and consists of 80% slow-twitch fibres, which are excellent for endurance.
Gastrocnemius: This muscle crosses both the ankle and knee joints.
- Lateral Gastrocnemius: Comprises about 10% of the calf muscle area, also with an equal mix of fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibres.
- Medial Gastrocnemius: Represents about 20% of the calf muscle area, with an equal mix of fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibres, aiding in both speed and endurance.
- Fast-twitch fibres are designed for quick, explosive movements but tire quickly, while slow-twitch fibres are suited for sustained, endurance activities.
Plantaris: A small muscle that runs along the back of the leg, either attaching to the Achilles tendon or the heel bone.
All these muscles combine to form the Achilles tendon, which attaches to the heel bone..
How Your Calf Works When Running
Your calf muscles play a major role in running.
Early loading: When your foot first hits the ground through to early to mid stance, your calf muscles stay mostly the same length, providing stability.
Force Production: The soleus can generate force up to 6-9 times your body weight, depending on how fast you run.
Speed and Surface: Faster running and softer surfaces, like grass or sand, require more effort from your calves.
Achilles forces can be as high as 12.5 times body weight at 6m/s (21.6km/hr), so your step cadence and stride length are important in relation to the load on your calves whilst running. This is something that a physiotherapist can help you assess to enhance your performance and help prevent future calf injuries.
What Causes a Calf Strain?
Several factors can increase your risk of a calf strain, including:
- Sudden increases in running intensity
- Previous calf strains
- Lack of proper conditioning
- Muscle fatigue
- Running on soft surfaces or hills
- High-speed running
- Inappropriate footwear
- Older age
Prognosis of Recovery
It depends!
Grade of Injury: Higher-grade injuries generally require a longer recovery period.
Load Tolerance: Your capacity to engage in activities such as walking, running, or hopping influences recovery time. Improved function typically leads to a faster recovery.
Surgery: Is It Necessary?
Surgery is rarely needed for calf strains and is typically only considered for severe tears (Grade 3) or cases where pain persists beyond 4-6 months.
What should I do after a calf strain?
Avoid Alcohol: It can hinder the healing process.
Use Ice and Compression: These can help reduce swelling.
Avoid Anti-Inflammatories: Especially within the first 24 to 72 hours.
Rest and Limit Stretching: Avoid overusing the calf.
Avoid Massage and Heat Packs: These can exacerbate the injury in the initial stages.
When to See a Physiotherapist
This is where physiotherapy becomes essential. Early diagnosis and treatment by our physiotherapists can greatly impact your recovery time and help prevent further injury. Many runners return to running too soon without proper treatment, risking further
complications. At PhysioWest, our experienced physiotherapists can help you recover quickly and safely.
What to Expect from Physiotherapy
In the early stages of rehabilitation, we focus on gentle stretching and exercises that target the calf muscles to promote healing. As you progress, we’ll introduce more challenging exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles and preparing them for dynamic, high-impact activities such as hopping. As your calf adapts to increased loading, our physiotherapists will guide you through a graduated return-to-running program, offering advice on running performance and efficiency to ensure a full recovery.
Our physiotherapists will also assist you in staying out on the track longer and work with you to minimise the risk of future calf strains. As we said last time, your strava will thank you!
If you’re dealing with a calf strain or want to prevent future injuries, book an appointment with one of our skilled physiotherapists at PhysioWest today. We’re here to help you get back on track!
To book an appointment with one of our physiotherapists, click on the link below! Or, give us a call on 8352 3582 and our Client Care Team can get you booked in. We are looking forward to seeing you in the clinic soon!
Thanks!