Whether you’re a professional athlete or just love to play sport on the weekends, you may be familiar with some common calf muscle injuries. A pulled or torn calf muscle isn’t just an inconvenience that puts you on the bench— it may affect your daily life and impact you in ways you may not have expected.
A pulled or torn calf muscle may happen as a result of a range of sports and physical activities, from everyday walking and running to high-impact sports like soccer, tennis, and basketball. These injuries are often frustrating and intensely painful, typically causing discomfort, swelling, and a loss of strength and mobility. However, there are ways you may be able to address these injuries and get back on the field, such as with sports physiotherapy.
If your aim is to prevent, identify or address a calf muscle strain or tear, read on to understand the difference between the two conditions, how they happen, and common symptoms and treatments— including sports physiotherapy with our friendly team at Specific Physiotherapy.
For personalised advice, contact our team at Specific Physiotherapy today.
What is a Pulled Calf Muscle and a Torn Calf Muscle?
A pulled calf muscle, also known as a calf strain, occurs when the gastrocnemius or soleus muscles in the calf are overstretched or partially torn. This injury typically results from sudden movements or overstressing the muscle beyond its capacity. This often happens during activities like sprinting, jumping, or abruptly changing direction, such as when playing sports like netball.
A torn calf muscle, on the other hand, refers to a more severe form of strain where the muscles are extensively torn. This can range from a partial tear, where only some of the muscle fibres are damaged, to a complete tear, where the muscle is split into two parts.
Is a Pulled Calf Muscle The Same as a Torn Calf Muscle?
Both injuries involve damage to the calf muscles, but they are not the same. A pulled calf muscle is essentially a less severe form of calf injury.
A pulled calf muscle involves minor overstretching or slight tearing, whereas a torn calf muscle involves a significant rupture of the muscle fibres, often resulting in more intense pain. As a torn calf muscle is generally more severe than a pulled calf muscle, recovery typically takes longer and often involves physiotherapy, or may even require surgery in some cases. Meanwhile, a pulled calf muscle may improve with conservative treatments such as rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
Some key differences between the two are:
Pulled Calf Muscle
- Minor damage to muscle fibres
- Less severe than a tear
- Often caused by overstretching the calf muscle during physical activity
- Typically results in mild pain and swelling
- Usually diagnosed based on symptoms and a physical examination
- Generally resolves after several weeks of proper care
Torn Calf Muscle
- Partial or complete muscle fibre rupture
More severe than a pulled calf muscle - Usually caused by sudden, forceful movement
- Typically results in intense pain, bruising, and the inability to bear weight on the affected leg
- Typically diagnosed through physical examination but may require imaging tests
- May take weeks to months to heal
What Causes a Pulled or Torn Calf Muscle?
Several factors can lead to a pulled or torn calf muscle:
- Sudden Movements: Activities that involve quick, explosive movements, such as sprinting or jumping, as these typically put immense strain on the calf muscles.
- Overuse: Repetitive activities that overwork the calf muscles without adequate rest may lead to strains or tears.
- Inadequate Warm-Up: A failure to warm up properly before physical activity may leave the muscles stiff and more prone to injury.
- Poor Flexibility: Tight calf muscles are typically less able to handle the stresses of physical activity.
- Previous Injuries: A history of calf injuries may weaken the muscle and increase the risk of developing future strains or tears.
What Are The Symptoms of a Pulled or Torn Calf Muscle?
Pulled or torn calf muscle symptoms may vary depending on the severity of the injury. They may include:
- Pain: Sudden, sharp pain in the back of the lower leg is a common sign of both pulled and torn calf muscles. The intensity of the pain is typically greater with a torn muscle.
- Swelling: The affected area may swell due to inflammation and internal bleeding.
- Bruising: Bruising may occur with more severe tears, as blood vessels within the muscle are damaged.
- Muscle Weakness: Difficulty standing on tiptoes or pushing off the ground with the injured leg may indicate a more significant injury.
- Stiffness: The calf may feel stiff and difficult to move, particularly after periods of rest.
How Is a Pulled or Torn Calf Muscle Diagnosed and Treated?
Diagnosis of a calf muscle injury typically involves a physical examination. Imaging tests like an MRI or ultrasound may also be needed to assess the extent of the damage.
Treatment for a pulled calf muscle generally includes:
- Rest: Avoid activities that stress the calf muscle. This includes walking and bearing weight on the affected leg as well as refraining from playing sports.
- Ice: Apply ice packs to reduce swelling and pain. This should be done for 15 to 20 minutes every few hours for the first few days following the injury.
- Compression: Use compression bandages to manage swelling and provide support to the injured calf muscle. This may also help to limit movement that may aggravate the injury.
- Elevation: Keep the leg elevated to minimise swelling. Keep your leg above heart level when lying down or sitting, as this aims to drain fluid away from the injury.
Treatment for a torn calf muscle may involve the following:
- Medical Intervention: Severe tears may require surgery to repair the muscle and promote proper healing. Surgery may involve stitching the torn muscle fibres back together or reattaching the muscle to the tendon if needed. If surgery is required, your doctor will discuss your options with you in order to find the most appropriate intervention for you.
- Physical Therapy: Rehabilitation exercises aim to restore strength, flexibility, and function to the injured calf muscle. Physiotherapists work with people on an individual basis to design personalised exercise programs centred around building the muscle back up to its pre-injury state. These exercises will typically increase in intensity as the calf muscle heals.
- Pain Management: Medications such as paracetamol or pain relief injections may assist in reducing pain and inflammation. Over-the-counter pain medication may be suitable, but in some cases prescription pain medication may be necessary.
- Gradual Return to Activity: After a period of resting and healing, slowly reintroduce physical activities with a structured plan from a physiotherapist. This plan will be unique to you and your injury and should aim to gradually increase in intensity and duration in an effort to prevent re-injury.
How Can I Prevent Calf Muscle Strain or Calf Muscle Tears?
No injury is completely preventable, but there are ways you may be able to reduce your risk. Some ways you may be able to prevent calf muscle injuries include several proactive measures:
- Proper Warm-Up: Always warm up before engaging in physical activities to prepare the muscles. A proper warm-up increases blood flow to the muscles and enhances muscle flexibility, both of which reduce your risk of injury.
- Strength Training: Incorporate exercises that strengthen the calf muscles and improve overall muscle balance. These may include calf raises, toe walks, and heel walks, as these aim to strengthen the calf muscles and improve ankle stability.
- Flexibility Exercises: Stretch the calf muscles regularly in an effort to enhance flexibility and reduce injury risk. Stretching helps to maintain muscle elasticity, reducing the risk of strains.
- Gradual Progression: Increase the intensity and duration of activities gradually to avoid overloading the muscles. Sudden increases in activity level, whether you have a past injury or not, may overload the muscles and lead to injury.
- Adequate Footwear: Prevent undue stress on the calf muscles by wearing shoes that provide proper support and cushioning. Proper footwear helps to absorb shock from jumping and running, and reduces stress on the calf muscles and lower legs.
Whether you’re training for a marathon or simply enjoy staying active with a daily walk in the park, it’s important to take care of your calf muscles. After all, they are a crucial part of a network of muscles that help you with a range of physical activities, from walking and running to more intensive sports.
Keeping your calf muscles strong and flexible is crucial when you want to reduce your risk of injury. By incorporating regular strength and exercises into your daily routine, warming up properly, and wearing supportive footwear, you may be able to run that marathon after all!
Don’t Despair Over a Calf Muscle Tear
Our team at Specific Physiotherapy has experience treating a wide range of sports injuries, including calf muscle strains, tears and sprains as well as injuries in the back, neck, shoulders, knees, and more. We utilise a combination of manual therapy, patient education, and personalised exercises to treat one-off musculoskeletal injuries and chronic conditions.
We also offer assistance with conditioning in an effort to help you maximise your performance. This wide-ranging service may include movement analysis and correction, strength and conditioning, flexibility and mobility, injury prevention programs, performance enhancement training and more.
If you have a painful calf muscle injury, or would like to know more about sustainably enhancing your performance, get in touch with our friendly team of sports physiotherapists today.
