Update on my previous comment below.. On 29.april i injured my calf muscle,week later on ultrasound showed was 2 muscle fibres torn in different places but no need operation. Yayy! On a 3rd week i find private Physio who could take me(as for lockdown everything is close). So happy,she explained everything what can i do and not,done massage,ultrasonic sound treatment,streching and home work. 6 weeks fully and im recovered,glad to go back to work next week. Still,gonna eas my self into work ,easy walks with warm up is very important as in mornings leg is on stiff side. Good luck.
this is by far the best video I've watched while learning about my torn calf muscle and very well explained. It's good to have an understanding of what exactly is going on. Great job!
happened 2h ago and I'm in such pain can't walk or stand on the leg. so emotional as in the current lockdown in Ireland walking and being active was the only thing that kept me sane.
best answer for what im looking for . i had injured my calf musle and its 2nd week after started. i felt the same pain and i want now to consult it the doctor.
Thank you for this advice. I tore my calf, but due to insurance had to wait 5 weeks before seeing my sports med Dr. Once I was in his office, I was a grade 2 tear. It has been terribly painful, and I am now trying to massage and stretch. Unpleasant, but I'm determined to recover. I appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge and recommendations
I am back to running and lifting, but I can still feel a distinct difference in mobility and strength. I am keenly aware of my fragility now 🤭 I will say, the appearance of my muscles is different. There is a divot like in the muscle that hadn't been there prior. Good luck!
Hi, Doctor, I tore my left gastrocnemius 2.5 weeks ago. I've yet to have imaging and will see my PCP in mid-October. I went to the Emergency Room when the tear first happened and the ER doctor said I should be good in 4-6 weeks. I'm laying in bed most of the time and walking without crutches whenever I shower, prepare foods, and use the restroom. I decided to walk because of all the strain I was putting on my right leg, the whole right leg and sciatica started hurting. Is there anything else I should be doing? I can barely walk with a limp and only for a little while. I am praying to the Universe to please give me the strenght to properly manage this hardship.
DrBeau: Q1) What type of physician is the most likely to correctly diagnose a calf strain / tear? Q2) What are the indicators that an MRI / Sonogram is warranted? Excellent video content.
Great information. This was much needed. I pulled my calf muscle yesterday and it hurts like hell. I cant walk on it and its very tender. I went to the ER and they just put me in a boot and gave me crutches with no real info. Im going to try schedule for an MRI to see how bad it is. Hoping its not as bad as it feels. Thanks for the great video.You told me way more then the doctors did in the ER
Thanks buddy great video, I currently have a grade 2 tear, 18mm x9mm in size. Been 22 days, come off crutches on day 18. Being so inactive is driving me insane hopefully not much longer
How is your recovery going? I torn my calf 10 days ago, and I still can't walk without wearing the boot. The Dr said I have a grade two tear. He said it could be 12 weeks until I can be back to normal. Very frustrating injury!
thank you very much for this review ,i pulled my right calf muscle badly on the tread mill ,it swelled up and then i kept my leg elevated with ice than a huge bruise showed itself ,at first i was freaking out it was a blood clot but fortunately it was NOT , it took about 2-3 weeks and it is better than new and i am back on the tread mill
thanks for giving us good advice and being serious and not laughing like some guys who make these videos. this sht aint funny and we all wanna recover so no time for jokes thanks bro
I felt a pop in my back calf very bruised all the way down to foot very black and blue on back part of leg but I haven't went to Dr and I can barely walk very severe pain
@@DoctorBeau I actually didn't go to Dr but I did listen and I bought a copper fit sleeve and kept elevated after I used ice ...I can still feel it but not near as bad swelling has finally gone down and color back to normal ... and yes it was hell to work on definitely very painful...but thanks for your video it definitely helped
I don't know if I had a sprain or tear. On the first day of the injury, I could barely walk too much, but on the 2nd day, I was able to walk again. By day 3, just only minor pain, but was okay overall. I think I didn't have much swelling also when I injured it. I'm going on a hiking trip soon, and just want to make sure I'll be good in 3-4 weeks.
@@DoctorBeau TY!!! I also tried running the week after and it was hurting again. Is that normal with a strain? I think I'm okay now but haven't really tested it fully. My rehab with strengthening my injured calf has not had too much pain and just soreness.
Found your video - many thanks. 4th day of skiing today and our hill opened a new section and I was first to hit it and when I went through a connecting section and went under a snow making machine (extremely sticky snow) I literally came to a complete stop going 20mph and went over the top of my skis, without them coming off, and did a summersault with forward momentum. There was zero twisting involved so there is no knee or ankle pain but I needed a patrol ride to the bottom as I felt while in the air the top middle of my left calf shoot with pain - about 2 inches below the back of the knee. I can stand, walk peg legged, can extend my toes / foot completely down without any pain but raising my toes becomes sore and I can't walk putting any forward weight. Going to hospital tomorrow.
I thought I was dreaming when my calf muscle just 'popped' two days ago. Great insight video on the subject and what to do. Slowly getting better with some rest and able to move around, hope to do the local half marathon next month.
@@qbienemy4663 Yes, I went to local Dr and was referred to hospital and advised to see a physio is this situation and pull out of half martharon which has been cancelled due to COVID-19 this year.
@fgh hello, it was pain the calf at the time. It does recover and not I do more stretching first before going out on a long run now and again. Best of luck if you have it also at the moment.
Thanks Doc for yr valuable feed ,afew days back I hv jured my calf muscle Badly exactly how u hv explained I’m going through now ,very painful at the calf area swell to the bottom of my feet.😢
In July last year I heard and felt my calf muscle pop as I walked downstairs. It was extremely painful and I had significant bruising on the top of my calf (slightly towards lateral side of my right knee) and struggled to walk for days. Unfortunately I have had a tkr on that knee 3 years before and have very limited ROM in spite of two MUAs so it was a very unfortunate accident. At the time I thought time would heal it and never went to a Dr. Five months of problems with my knee locking up I finally decided to see what was wrong and went to a physio. He has focused on massaging my knee though I have mentioned my torn calf muscle several times. I am only able to walk a few days each week - the rest of the time my knee is rigid and my quads are rock hard. I massage every day and am beginning to feel that my walking days are over. Physio now speculates that the torn muscle may have led to the destabilising of my knee causing it to sieze up every few days. But I can't get any further in finding out what to do. Is there anything to be gained from massaging my calf muscle? Is it too late to do anything to improve my calf muscle which is still swollen and still very sore to even touch?
Hey DrBeau, best vid on this topic I've seen, thanks :) The pictures are helpful. I think I have a Grade II medial strain (UrgentCare, no MRI) am now into my second week recovery. Although foot and toes still look a bit bruised, I can move around almost normally flat-footed without pain, still using crutches but usually don't need them if I go slow and not overdo (discomfort, starts to burn) Light stretching seems helpful as does crossways self-massage, helps with the mild edema. Heat seems to really feel good and loosen things up for me, like a shallow hot bath. Can I overdo heat or is a couple times a day ok?
Ed Lewis As long as the inflammation continues to stay down, you can heat it a few times a day as well as stretching. With a grade to strain you should be seeing a physiotherapist to help length and strengthen the muscle. Good luck in your recovery.
Nice video, Doc Clear explanation about how to find out I had this playing badminton on a monday evening and now at wednesday afternoon, it's feeling better. I don't have a full range with me foot yet, it hurts more upwards then downwards motion with it. There was no bruises nor it was swollen, but I was unable to continue on the game. I was able to ride the bike home and climb the stairs to the apartment. Could it be a case for a Grade 1.5? Hahaha I have some bad Grade 2 symptoms, but also no bruises/swelling, just some mild difficult walking Thank you for the video!
I was playing basketball and I heard a pop in my calf. 2 days later I went to soccer practice and had most pressure on right and it popped too.Now both of mine are torn
Just to add a little bit to the discussion, I had the problem while jogging in the park and I couldn't fold my leg from the knee area. Had severe pain and was generally clueless about the issue. I was grounded and miserable. I consulted three orthopedics and two of them decided that I had osteoarthritis. Since I'm 72, they thought the old guy has got to have the OA.
I felt a popping sensation in the calf, then when I tried to walk or stand up straight , there is this bulging pain in left side of the right leg in the calf. I have to be careful on how I walk because it’s really painful.
@@peruvianheat2053 I also want to know. I am on day 20 myself today and I am starting to walk normally (almost). Still stiffness, weakness and swells a bit as well.
Hi Dr Beau, I was doing calf raise exercises in the gym about 2 days back and although the very next day i was fine and was able to do normal activities with a little bit of a muscle strain which you generally get after a good day of workout but today when i woke up it got reallyy bad and i am not able to move my right leg at all, i have this severe pain just below the knee in the calf area, cant see any bruising but having a lot of trouble walking and even standing. Dont know if its a muscle tear because i didnt feel anything happen while exercising that day. if you could give me some advise it would be very helpful. Thankyou.
Shashi Shashank that sounds exactly like what happened to me. Had to miss work today because I literally can’t walk. It took a couple days after the weighted calf raises to get this bad
Hello Dr. I’m a 38 year old basketball player playing in ABA league. I play year round and am in top notch physical condition . During the Saturday morning practice/scrimmage with my team I strained my right calf 3 hours into the scrimmaging. The night before I did an intense training and I’m sure fatigue and age got me here. I played in my game the next day got the start and paced the team. I rested Monday and Tuesday I played in the next game excelling in the game playing 36min and had game high in points scored. Now Two days later and I have high level of tenderness and some slight swelling. After salt baths, and elevation with compression fell leg sleeve, I rubbed salt/alcohol mix in my calf prior to trying to start using my foam roller. The alcohol revealed bruising...which I did not see prior. I didn’t use the foam roller. I can walk fine though and have been active at work during the day as I do some light running there. There is pain and I’m now cautiously stretching my calf and cautiously walking around...trying to see if I’m going to be able to recover so I don’t miss months of this season. It’s a total disappointment to me. I’d like to hear your thoughts for my best course of action to take.
Thank you for your advice. I tore my left calf, about two months ago, while playing tennis. It was almost impossible to walk for the first month. Right now I can walk without any problem, im trying to walk 4-5km a day. So I have a few questions: 1)Sometimes i can still feel something im my calf... its not pain, but something uncomfortable, kind of like I need to stretch it, but it doesn't help, what could it be? 2)How long is its best to wait, until I can try to play tennis again, or go to gym and etc? 3)Do I need to intentionally, go to gym, and work with that calf? or maybe some kind of exercise, that I should do daily? 4)Is it even possible to fully recover? so that my left calf would be almost as strong, as the right one? Thank you, for sharing your recommendations
1. Foam roller prior to activity... light walking, then jogging, and then dynamic movements. 2. 6-8 weeks 3. Foam roller is your best/worst friend. 4. Yes, its possible to recover, just takes a long time.
Thank you for this excellent summary. I am 50. Went for a racket game after long time. I am into tenth day of a muscle tear on my right calf. Looks like between grade 2 and 3 based on your description. Did ice on the first day and kept the leg elevated for two days. Pain has come down and able to walk slowly. But pains if I make quick steps. Haven't gone to the doctor yet. Wondering do I need to see one at this juncture and whether do I need to get physiotherapy? How long before I can play tennis ? what kind of and how many days of warm up do I need? ( I am 50yrs old). Thank you and May Good bless you.
I went to an ortho doctor because I hurt my calf. Popped about 4 times. Been 2 weeks. Severe bruising I can’t tolerate standing much because my calf starts to throb. Can’t put my foot flat. Only tip toe on it. Iv been in so much pain. It’s hot it burns sometimes. All they gave me was a boot. I can’t even get my foot in all the way in the boot. My full calf is bruise but mostly on the inner side. They didn’t want to do an ultrasound for blood clots or and mri.
Thank you for this great video. About 6 weeks ago I was running in place and felt a mild pain in the center of my upper calf, right at the upper part of the largest part of the calf and right smack in the middle. It wasn't terrible but reminded me often that I over did it. About 2 weeks later I stepped back out of a doorway with about a 3 inch drop and felt like someone had shot me in the leg in the exact same spot. The pain was horrible and felt it rush to my head like I might pass out. I elevated and iced for 2 days then purchased a leg brace with velcro straps to keep it tight. This helped but any slight push off or pivoting motion will set me back in recovering. Sometimes I can even feel it down the outer side of my leg and down to the outer ankle. Not as much as the original spot of the upper middle calf but it does sometimes radiate. I can't find anything online about this particular spot on the calf. All have been in the mid calf area and usually to the side. I don't have insurance so MRI's and specialist docs are out of the question. I really want to get this healed up so I can return to my workout. Would the same advise from the video apply to my particular injury location?
@@prayerlightenergy4u980 I ended up going to physical therapy for about 4 months. It is much better but it still seems vulnerable. I am trying to be patient and take it slow.
Hey Doc. Thanks for the video. In your experience, what is the longest recovery time you have seen without surgery? I’m going on 3 months and still limping and with only 20% plantar flexion power. My diagnosis is moderate gastro tear with fluid in between gastro and soleus. Thanks
@@DjStalin100 thank you very much🙏get weel soon,I can’t walking normally for two monts ,I will go to the doctor again…this situation very hard😔Did you start to use elliptical after 4 months?
I’m pretty sure I tore my calf about three hours ago. I was playing basketball and heard and felt a loud popping my lower leg and fell to the floor. I can’t weight bare or really flex my foot. Currently elevating and icing but any advice gratefully received
I have a quarter size whole inside my skin on my soleus I wrapped it up and it's healing I'm on my 5th day of wrapping and icing so I'm going to try and keep it up for at least 2 weeks
Best video thus far thanks,so for me it was during steep hillsprints with little warm up,..the pop was so loud my friend next to me heard it too, felt like a brick hit my calf...more than a year later it’s healed with no pain but now it doesn’t look the same as the other leg’s calf🙁, my gastrocnemius has a depression,..can l fill it by twisting and hard-massaging regularly?
Hi, doctor, it's great to hear a wonderful suggestions, I have question, does a gastrac produce more gastric probably in the abdominal, if so please tell us the recovery treatment. Regards prudhvi Raj
Hi Dr. I was running on a treadmill at a fast pace (6:40 minutes per mile), and I felt blunt force strike behind right calve. It was painful to walk, however, the more I stretched, they easier walking became. Next day minimal bruising approx the size of a nickel. How long before I can start jogging? Your PhD advice and recommendations will be greatly appreciated. Have a beautiful week
I felt this pop also that the girl is speaking of in your video. Went to the ER on Friday because I had some significant swelling and it seems to be swelling if I'm on my leg all day working. I don't have my normal walk I'm kind of limping. The ER suggested that the swelling is traumatic seroma because of an injury obviously to the. They basically just told me to ice an elevate as much as I can. I got some weakness in the leg don't have my full strength and I walk with a limp. Usually after work my calf is swollen around a half inch bigger than the other calf. This has been about a week and a half now it seems to be there's no end in sight for this calf injury. The ER was more concerned about giving me an ultrasound to check for DVT. They seen nothing. I have no choice but to work just like everyone else and I'm literally limping around all day. Come home from work I try to rest it elevated to get the swelling down.
I stepped down wrong a couple weeks ago and felt an awful popping sensation in my right calf. Very painful and not able to walk or put weight on my right leg/foot with my foot flat. I had to hobble around on my tip toes Went to Urgent Care and said I pulled a muscle and gave me crutches and told me to try to Walk on it. Well a week later still could not walk on it and very bed swelling and bruising on my leg and foot. Went to another Urgent Care for a second opinion and he said he thought it was an Achilles Ruptured and referred me to Orthopedic Surgeon. Went to see him almost a week later and he diagnosed me with a calf muscle tear and I am now in a air cast walking boot for 4 weeks. The bruising is starting to lighten up but still some swelling and i still can not walk on with my foot flat on the ground. i just kinda wish the Orthopedic Surgeon would have done a MRI or Ultrasound or something. What do you think i should do??
Sounds like the ortho didn't think it clinically necessary at the time to order an MRI. If its still not feeling better ( one month in) I would go back and ask again.
i just pulled my left calf playing soccer while sprinting just 2mins in! heard a pop and felt like a ball of muscle pulling upwards. not a good feeling at all! im limping bad and cant rest too much weight on it. 😭
Motorcycle came down on my leg. I believe the peg got me and. Ran down my leg. Painful the first two days better now I can walk better. Than the first two days. Doesn’t hurt like at first. A little tender. I feel like a lump inside. Could it be the blood that clotted from the injury
It felt like someone hit me in the calf with a hammer. It hurts like hell, I can't afford to go to the doc even though I have insurance. I've started walking on it even though it hurts. I can't miss work. I have to handle it the old school way..make it work.
DoctorBeau mine is improving took me a week I can see my muscle now but still inflammation is going on and I walked on my right side flat down pretty good a little pain but not bad wonder how long it will take to heal?i was playing basketball and felt like I got kicked in the calf area(gas) I didn’t ice it ASAP I had it massage,now I put ice on it and laying in bed till it heals
So I was playing with my friends and we found shopping cart so I jumped in the shopping cart as any normal person would do and my friend pushed the cart down the hilland I saw that it was going to hit a curb and I didn't want to flip so I jumped out and my leg popped when I hit the ground now it feels like my bone is gonna pop every time I step on it
Hi Dr. Beau, question to you and the viewers possibly- is it to be expected to have a pulsating/throbbing pain in the injured area in the calf, especially at night time to a point that it wakes you up?
So I do long distance running in track and cross country, and I have been having a lot of shin and ankle pains, but anyways recently whenever I get up to walk after a while, I get a shooting pain that shoots down my calf(behind part of my leg) and it makes it almost to hard to walk normally and give me a limp. And, I also am having pain in that same ankle that makes it hard to walk as well. I also get a tight feeling in my calf and it will start to tighten up. Do you know it this is probably a calf tear? Or maybe something else?
Thank you for this. Mine happened five days ago. I was climbing into a vehicle while extending my right leg… no weight whatsoever on that leg. It popped and it felt like a rubber band popped and broke. It was extremely painful for the first few hours; I loaded up on Ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) and I was able to walk on it later the same day. It’s not good though; it’s still very sore. Again, this is day number five and it’s very tender and sore. I’m expecting a somewhat lengthy recovery period; it’s going to be a few weeks; I can feel it. There was no visible bruising or evidence of any blood vessels broken but today my ankle is showing some purpling along with some swelling. The calf muscle is swelled as well.
Hey Doc, I was recently riding my dirt bike and, much like your patient in the video I felt a pop and immediately knew something wasn’t right at all. I’m 7 days in. Still swollen and can’t walk very well. I can’t take a step forward off of my injured leg due to the extension of the step off the injured leg. What’s odd is I don’t have much if any bruising, but the swelling is I would say a 7/10. I’m so torn on what to do. I don’t have good insurance right now so I’m hesitating to go in just for them to tel me to ice and stay off of it but everything I’m seeing points to a grade 2/3. Closer to 3. Where does surgery most commonly take place, at what level? My pain starts at the base of my calf as you follow the Achilles up. Is then spreads out to the medial gastr from dead center of the back of my calf and wraps the medial side to my shin and goes up about as high as 3/4 up my rib/fib. There’s pain adjacent to the bone on the medial side as well. Any input (I know it’s hard to diagnose) would help. Do I use it, stretch it, work it? Or let it sit and don’t touch it for a few weeks?
Hi Dr. beau, thanks for the video. I’ve been looking for information online as I don’t have access to quality information like yours. I injured myself playing basketball, it was a calf injury which i believe is related to knee pain my knee pain (for whatever reason I haven’t been able to do negative weight bearing movement isolating my left leg). When i was dribbling up court i felt a pop in my leg as if someone had kicked me in the back of my leg. I just wanted to seek advice of where to go from here
Dear Dr. Have a severe pain below the calf area, only in Rt leg since 3 months now. Have episodes of Swelling on foot which reduces on applying Magnisum Suplphate powder with glycerine. Was hospitalised for appx 25 days for chest Conjection were did a Doppler for leg but showed a clean report. It's quite painful now and bed ridden for almost full period of 3 mts. Orthopedic recommended voveron gel and sos ultraset tab. But the solution is not helping. Pls guide.
Mine is weird, was doing high knee taps and when my left foot hit the ground i felt 2 sharp pains one after the other, took a break but then stupidly finished my workout but it was abs so it shouldnt have hurt it that much, now the next day it feels tight and tender like right in the middle and towards the back of my knee too pretty much all around my calf and pain isnt really bad but walking on it or putting pressure sometimes gives pain but theres no warmness, no redness or bruising and it doesnt seem to be swollen at least from what i can see so im not to sure what to think of it i mean I definitely need to limp if I walk but yea , any opinions?
Hi doc! I was pretending to be a little kid for the afternoon Im 22. I went to the trampoline park with my little sisters and didn’t warm up any ( I knew I should have) But I proceeded to do some tricks and when I landed weird on a cartwheel I felt instant pain it was different and it was immediately super hot and I had to limp over to the chairs. I’ve had no bruising yet some swelling and a ton of bad muscle spasms. It hurts to walk especially when I walk forward onto my toes. I’m not sure what I should do
Hi Dr. Beau. Yesterday had hard "bang" on my calf.. Wasn't even sure what i was doing, standing and talking to work mates.. Enormous pain! In urgent care they put soft bandages (not sure is that any help) As for bruising,i dunno,i was told not to take bandages off.. Impossible put leg flat on floor, sometimes tip toe can do but that creates cramp on other side of calf..Second day today,just resting..What do i do next? No any other tests available as for lockdown.
hey dr beau i pulled my hamstring in my left leg on wednsday 7/24/19 i think it is a grade 2 pull i have tried everything i can think of to help it heal how long do hamstring injuries take to heal? please do a video on how to diagnose and treat this that would help out a lot
Hi, so i was pushing a sled at the gym. When I went to push, I felt my calf muscle come apart in the middle. Very odd sensation, then it hurt when I went to step. Put ice and wrapped it. A little heat then ice again andelevated it. Then it was bedtime, so I took advil pm because it was like a constant cramp. Next day, no constant cramp. Just hurt to walk. Rested for 3 or 4 days and slowly started noticing bruising. I can walk but slow and slowly do ankle pumps. My concern is that my calf is colder then my other calf. Is that normal?
Dr. Beau, hoping you can answer me! I exercised for the first time in a while on Tuesday (calf raises, squats etc) felt fine Wednesday, then Thursday the calf on my right leg is in severe pain. I can’t walk without limping, I can’t flex my ankles/toes upwards without tremendous pain. Could this be a serious injury? I’ve been elevating it all day, and icing on & off. The pain itself is on the calf muscle itself, the gastrocnemius. I did not experience any pain or discomfort until 2 days after exercising. It’s definitely not a normal soreness, as my left leg feels fine. Should I just continue to do what I’m doing? Elevating, icing, resting?
Sounds like it could be DOMS ( delayed onset muscle soreness). Increase your magnesium, use epsom salt baths and try foam rolling. If it gets swollen, hot, red, or painful to walk then consult your doctor. Good luck and keep me updated
@@DoctorBeau You were right, it was just a very intense case of DOMS in my calf. I’m 100% better now, a week later. I can’t believe it was so bad and painful, I mistook it for a tear or serious strain. Just the worst case of DOMS ever 😂. I was seriously using crutches.
Hi there doc, i have a bulge in my calf muscle when tensed, its been this way for around 2 and a half to 3 years, i used to train alot and did a crazy leg workput the once that rendered me unable to walk for a few days, that's the only thing i can think that could of caused it, I did also fall down a flight of concrete stairs once and snapped my ankle, but i don't see how that would of affected the muscle, how ever it has always ached after being on my feet for a long time at work but just recently its becoming worse, the bulge was examined by 2 doctors who said it appears to be a sheath tear with the underlying muscle bulging through but thats all i got from them, its now starting to affect my quality of life, I'm only 32 with 4 young kids and i don't wanna lose the use of this leg, any advice?
I tore my calf I am positive it was a grade 2 to 3 I can see where my muscle is missing now. But I was able to walk on it and I can do exercises but I can tell it isn’t anywhere close to being at the strength it was. What can I do to make sure I can run with it. Has been over a month now.
Hi I am 27 and I used to an average of 4-5 Kms, now I have a calf muscle pain from last 4 months and I also travel by standing in metro most of the times. What could be the reason for so long pain?
Rahul Chugh sounds like a combination of tight muscles and fascial distortion. Get a foam roller and start rolling out (begin with the foot/ alleys/ gastrocnemius/ and hamstrings)
My question is, I started the cross massage about 14 days ago and it is helping. My calve strain has lingered for 4-5 weeks, I had taken some advice around 3 weeks to do cross massage. The part of my calve that is strained is definitely the soleus or tendon below the Gastro part of my calve. I can always find the sensitive part that hurts daily. I have stopped running. I have done some light walking and mostly biking. I have been doing stretches and a foam roller. At what point should a person begin strengthening? When pain is gone? Or can I strengthen it although it seems to be slowly improving but it doesn’t seem to be 100%? Any other advice for me as to if this is the tendon that is irritated? Please respond, I could use the help or just encouragement that I’m going in the right direction although it seems to be going really slow....
Hello , I know my question is stupid , but is it possible to make your hands bigger ? Im talking about lengthwise ( im almost 16 years old , dont know if it matters , just saying )
Thanks Dr Beau! Quick question - I had a delayed onset strain by one day. It’s been a few weeks and I have zero pain doing things like calf raise or engaging the muscle in any other direct way, but I have calf pain when getting up from a chair or doing something like low squats picking something up off the ground? Any ideas why this might be?
Sounds like the calf is healing but not totally 100% functional. Just because pain is gone, doesn't mean healing is complete... that takes about 6-8 weeks total.
I've torn both my calf , I'm 58 . I've been doing a lot of workouts indoors so lots of jumping , lunging etc . When I go back to the gym I can use the stepper or bike . It's so painful .
Doctor Beau, getting a 404 error for your website and none existence for your Instagram & Twitter accounts. What is name of iOS App for your calf muscle illustration? Thx. Great explanation!
Hey Doc, About five days ago I pulled my calf. The last two days I've had bruising along the inside of my ankle along with bruising on my shin with some pitting. Is this normal? I'm able to walk but the shin pitting has got me nervous.
Same here. What did you end up doing about the edema and bruising? I’m in week 2 of my injury with bruising at the inner heal. No pain during the day, only aches in the morning before getting out of bed.
I tried scrolling through to see if this question had been answered, but no luck. I'm 31, and about 2 months ago I decided to start working out again to include cardio (running). I did not start off small, usually about 2-2.5 miles at a time. I have noticed a pain not on my shin, but just along the sides of them going in a vertical direction. Even see a bruise on the back side of my right calve. I may have hit something but I don't remember. If I don't run for a few days, it's so minimal I forget about it. However, as soon as I get about 1/10 of a mile in it starts hurting again. What could this be?
Hi Doc. I think I have torn the bottom of the medial head. The pain goes into down the leg just under my inner calf. I feel a lump that you described as a dip in the muscle. The occurred stepping down ofd of steps. It got some better.. then three days after I had a venous doppler. Negative for venous blood clot, which my Gp doctor was fearful of. I was just walking through my kitchen and I felt it pop again. Smh 🤦🏽♀️ now I have a lateral lump in the lower medial gastrocnemius. I am limping. Not in a ton of pain but I am uncomfortable when walking. Any help is much appreciated. Jennifer. 48 yo female, )also menopausal if that’s a factor)
I had the same experience as the person asking the question initially hard for me to walk and I was getting better and I decided to push it go for a very slight incline trail walk and felt a mini pop (my first pop was very noticeable) … could this be too much too soon? Also worried of a torn Achilles
DoctorBeau, I was playing a pickup game of basketball and I jumped up for a rebound. It felt like someone kicked me in my calf, I was able to stand up but it was painful to move. I immediately iced it for 40 minutes then applied heat for 20 to 30 minutes. There isn't any discoloration in the area, but the calf area feels very tight, maybe swelling. On the second which is today, I am able to walk but with a slight limp. If the muscle stretches there's a sharp pain. Just want to get your opinion of what grade the tear may be?
Hi I’ve been getting pains in my calf for a while now hoping it would go away. It doesn’t affect me and normal day life but as soon as I start a physical activity or running such as lacrosse or football it starts to hurt and limits my movement and speed and its enough to make me limp. Any idea what this is I could really use some help
Hi Doc, I am 40 years old trying to go back in shape. I was playing basketball when I felt a small pop in my inner side from the right calf. I went immediately home put some ice for 20 minutes more than 3 times that night then I massage with maslac and wrapped the calf overnight. I don’t have any bruises but I cannot stretch the leg completely yet without having a little bit of discomfort. Now, I am in my second night feeling better but still with discomfort. What type of injury I might have? Thanks
@@nametbd1406 This January will be two years since I tore my calf muscle, but I made a complete recovery! I massaged it for days, right after the injury, which was recommended, and I did physical therapy. Sometimes I can still "feel" something there, but I think that's just the scar. I make sure to stretch out real god before vigorous activity.
I half a calf strain. I haven't been able to sit for a week because pain in side of knee and it goes down to like the side of my shin. Why is it I cant sit? I get why it hurts to walk but not the sitting part.
I have a similar injury but I think mine would be a grade 2 maybe grade 3 because I can’t put too much weigh or stretch my calf muscle at all. It hurts like hell when I’m walking and it stretches with long steps that I try so hard to avoid.
Today in school I was on a weight machine . I never felt anything pop and there is no bruise . It did not hurt straight away . About 2 hours later my calf started really hurting. Now it has been about 13 hours and I cant walk . It hurts so bad . Usually my muscles ache after the weights but this is only on my right calf and is more painful . I need help do you know what it could be ?
Man I just had the same injury yesterday playing basketball it felt like somebody kicked me in the back of the calf. Can barely walk without crutches now feels like a bunch of rubber bands in the back of my leg. That Kevin Durant situation got me thinking maybe I should chill out for a few months
I had the same thing happen now my Achilles gives me problems years later. Mine felt like someone smashed me with a wooden broom handle in the calf when coming off a screen.
About a year ago now, I dropped 2 bricks on my foot, straight away I was in pain and couldn’t walk, I never went to a hospital until 7 months later because my foot was always sensitive and didn’t look right, I had an x ray and no breaks were shown but it’s been a year now and it’s still sensitive and doesn’t look right. What could it be?
I was stretching my left calf on a standing calf raise machine with very little weight, and I felt a serious pop, like something tore in half. When I stepped off the machine I immediately felt searing pain, with very difficult walking. Is stretching something that causes injuries a lot? I thought it was supposed to help. Pls advice and thank you!
Hello, i’m a ballerina and i’ve been doing some pointe work and more stretching than usual with splits and such, just yesterday i suddenly was not able to walk on my left calf where i now believe i’ve torn my calf muscle, there was no specific popping moment, but what may have caused this do you think? was it the split stretching or pointe work that may have put stress into my calf?
Update on my previous comment below..
On 29.april i injured my calf muscle,week later on ultrasound showed was 2 muscle fibres torn in different places but no need operation. Yayy! On a 3rd week i find private Physio who could take me(as for lockdown everything is close). So happy,she explained everything what can i do and not,done massage,ultrasonic sound treatment,streching and home work. 6 weeks fully and im recovered,glad to go back to work next week. Still,gonna eas my self into work ,easy walks with warm up is very important as in mornings leg is on stiff side. Good luck.
this is by far the best video I've watched while learning about my torn calf muscle and very well explained. It's good to have an understanding of what exactly is going on. Great job!
Ian Preece I agreed! Love his video!
How long did it take to fully recover?
The clarity in your explanation of torn calf muscles was flawless and so helpful. Thank you.
happened 2h ago and I'm in such pain can't walk or stand on the leg. so emotional as in the current lockdown in Ireland walking and being active was the only thing that kept me sane.
lol u good now
best answer for what im looking for . i had injured my calf musle and its 2nd week after started. i felt the same pain and i want now to consult it the doctor.
Thank you for this advice. I tore my calf, but due to insurance had to wait 5 weeks before seeing my sports med Dr. Once I was in his office, I was a grade 2 tear. It has been terribly painful, and I am now trying to massage and stretch. Unpleasant, but I'm determined to recover. I appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge and recommendations
Best of luck! Take it slow and easy, these can be a long road to full recovery.
How is your recovery going? I just tore mine 19 days ago and the ER doctor said mine was a grade 2 tear as well. May I know your recovery time?
I am back to running and lifting, but I can still feel a distinct difference in mobility and strength. I am keenly aware of my fragility now 🤭 I will say, the appearance of my muscles is different. There is a divot like in the muscle that hadn't been there prior. Good luck!
Didn’t feel a pop, but felt it build up in my calf then it was hard to walk. It’s on the outside of my right calf.
Hi, Doctor, I tore my left gastrocnemius 2.5 weeks ago. I've yet to have imaging and will see my PCP in mid-October. I went to the Emergency Room when the tear first happened and the ER doctor said I should be good in 4-6 weeks. I'm laying in bed most of the time and walking without crutches whenever I shower, prepare foods, and use the restroom. I decided to walk because of all the strain I was putting on my right leg, the whole right leg and sciatica started hurting. Is there anything else I should be doing? I can barely walk with a limp and only for a little while. I am praying to the Universe to please give me the strenght to properly manage this hardship.
DrBeau: Q1) What type of physician is the most likely to correctly diagnose a calf strain / tear? Q2) What are the indicators that an MRI / Sonogram is warranted? Excellent video content.
Great information. This was much needed. I pulled my calf muscle yesterday and it hurts like hell. I cant walk on it and its very tender. I went to the ER and they just put me in a boot and gave me crutches with no real info. Im going to try schedule for an MRI to see how bad it is. Hoping its not as bad as it feels. Thanks for the great video.You told me way more then the doctors did in the ER
Glad it helped! And good luck
Did you ever get MRI? What was the outcome? I had the exact same thing happen to me and I’m praying I don’t need surgery.
@@crs9128 hi, i had the same injury two weeks ago. How you feeling now? How long was the recovery process.
Hope you well now, thanks.
Thanks buddy great video, I currently have a grade 2 tear, 18mm x9mm in size. Been 22 days, come off crutches on day 18. Being so inactive is driving me insane hopefully not much longer
How is your recovery going? I torn my calf 10 days ago, and I still can't walk without wearing the boot. The Dr said I have a grade two tear. He said it could be 12 weeks until I can be back to normal. Very frustrating injury!
Thanks for posting this!
No problem! Hope it helps
thank you very much for this review ,i pulled my right calf muscle badly on the tread mill ,it swelled up and then i kept my leg elevated with ice than a huge bruise showed itself ,at first i was freaking out it was a blood clot but fortunately it was NOT , it took about 2-3 weeks and it is better than new and i am back on the tread mill
thanks for giving us good advice and being serious and not laughing like some guys who make these videos. this sht aint funny and we all wanna recover so no time for jokes thanks bro
I felt a pop in my back calf very bruised all the way down to foot very black and blue on back part of leg but I haven't went to Dr and I can barely walk very severe pain
You need to go and be evaluated
@@DoctorBeau I actually didn't go to Dr but I did listen and I bought a copper fit sleeve and kept elevated after I used ice ...I can still feel it but not near as bad swelling has finally gone down and color back to normal ... and yes it was hell to work on definitely very painful...but thanks for your video it definitely helped
I don't know if I had a sprain or tear. On the first day of the injury, I could barely walk too much, but on the 2nd day, I was able to walk again. By day 3, just only minor pain, but was okay overall. I think I didn't have much swelling also when I injured it. I'm going on a hiking trip soon, and just want to make sure I'll be good in 3-4 weeks.
Sounds like a strain ( not a full tear to the muscle). Do the appropriate protocols and you should be good to go. best of lucj.
@@DoctorBeau TY!!! I also tried running the week after and it was hurting again. Is that normal with a strain? I think I'm okay now but haven't really tested it fully. My rehab with strengthening my injured calf has not had too much pain and just soreness.
Found your video - many thanks. 4th day of skiing today and our hill opened a new section and I was first to hit it and when I went through a connecting section and went under a snow making machine (extremely sticky snow) I literally came to a complete stop going 20mph and went over the top of my skis, without them coming off, and did a summersault with forward momentum. There was zero twisting involved so there is no knee or ankle pain but I needed a patrol ride to the bottom as I felt while in the air the top middle of my left calf shoot with pain - about 2 inches below the back of the knee. I can stand, walk peg legged, can extend my toes / foot completely down without any pain but raising my toes becomes sore and I can't walk putting any forward weight. Going to hospital tomorrow.
One of the best videos I've seen on this topic. Well done
I thought I was dreaming when my calf muscle just 'popped' two days ago. Great insight video on the subject and what to do. Slowly getting better with some rest and able to move around, hope to do the local half marathon next month.
Did u go to see your doc and if so, what did they say
@@qbienemy4663 Yes, I went to local Dr and was referred to hospital and advised to see a physio is this situation and pull out of half martharon which has been cancelled due to COVID-19 this year.
@fgh hello, it was pain the calf at the time. It does recover and not I do more stretching first before going out on a long run now and again. Best of luck if you have it also at the moment.
Thanks Doc for yr valuable feed ,afew days back I hv jured my calf muscle Badly exactly how u hv explained I’m going through now ,very painful at the calf area swell to the bottom of my feet.😢
The best video on this topic BY FAR!!!!!!
thank you
In July last year I heard and felt my calf muscle pop as I walked downstairs. It was extremely painful and I had significant bruising on the top of my calf (slightly towards lateral side of my right knee) and struggled to walk for days. Unfortunately I have had a tkr on that knee 3 years before and have very limited ROM in spite of two MUAs so it was a very unfortunate accident. At the time I thought time would heal it and never went to a Dr. Five months of problems with my knee locking up I finally decided to see what was wrong and went to a physio. He has focused on massaging my knee though I have mentioned my torn calf muscle several times. I am only able to walk a few days each week - the rest of the time my knee is rigid and my quads are rock hard. I massage every day and am beginning to feel that my walking days are over. Physio now speculates that the torn muscle may have led to the destabilising of my knee causing it to sieze up every few days. But I can't get any further in finding out what to do. Is there anything to be gained from massaging my calf muscle? Is it too late to do anything to improve my calf muscle which is still swollen and still very sore to even touch?
Hey DrBeau, best vid on this topic I've seen, thanks :) The pictures are helpful. I think I have a Grade II medial strain (UrgentCare, no MRI) am now into my second week recovery. Although foot and toes still look a bit bruised, I can move around almost normally flat-footed without pain, still using crutches but usually don't need them if I go slow and not overdo (discomfort, starts to burn) Light stretching seems helpful as does crossways self-massage, helps with the mild edema. Heat seems to really feel good and loosen things up for me, like a shallow hot bath.
Can I overdo heat or is a couple times a day ok?
Ed Lewis As long as the inflammation continues to stay down, you can heat it a few times a day as well as stretching. With a grade to strain you should be seeing a physiotherapist to help length and strengthen the muscle. Good luck in your recovery.
Nice video, Doc
Clear explanation about how to find out
I had this playing badminton on a monday evening and now at wednesday afternoon, it's feeling better. I don't have a full range with me foot yet, it hurts more upwards then downwards motion with it.
There was no bruises nor it was swollen, but I was unable to continue on the game. I was able to ride the bike home and climb the stairs to the apartment.
Could it be a case for a Grade 1.5? Hahaha I have some bad Grade 2 symptoms, but also no bruises/swelling, just some mild difficult walking
Thank you for the video!
I was playing basketball and I heard a pop in my calf. 2 days later I went to soccer practice and had most pressure on right and it popped too.Now both of mine are torn
Very well explained Dr. Thanks a lot. I got an idea now
Tore my calf playing football and coach told me to walk it off n I fell instantly 😂😂😂
Thanks for the useful video. What are the possible tests that can be done to access the location and severity of the strain?
Just to add a little bit to the discussion, I had the problem while jogging in the park and I couldn't fold my leg from the knee area. Had severe pain and was generally clueless about the issue. I was grounded and miserable. I consulted three orthopedics and two of them decided that I had osteoarthritis. Since I'm 72, they thought the old guy has got to have the OA.
I felt a popping sensation in the calf, then when I tried to walk or stand up straight , there is this bulging pain in left side of the right leg in the calf. I have to be careful on how I walk because it’s really painful.
Hey I know this is an old post but how long did it take you to start walking normal again? Thanks!
@@peruvianheat2053 I also want to know. I am on day 20 myself today and I am starting to walk normally (almost). Still stiffness, weakness and swells a bit as well.
@@peruvianheat2053 8 months later lol how long did it take to recover??
Hi Dr Beau, I was doing calf raise exercises in the gym about 2 days back and although the very next day i was fine and was able to do normal activities with a little bit of a muscle strain which you generally get after a good day of workout but today when i woke up it got reallyy bad and i am not able to move my right leg at all, i have this severe pain just below the knee in the calf area, cant see any bruising but having a lot of trouble walking and even standing. Dont know if its a muscle tear because i didnt feel anything happen while exercising that day. if you could give me some advise it would be very helpful.
Thankyou.
Shashi Shashank that sounds exactly like what happened to me. Had to miss work today because I literally can’t walk. It took a couple days after the weighted calf raises to get this bad
Sounds like me.but mine lasted from last September till now.any advice?
Hello Dr. I’m a 38 year old basketball player playing in ABA league. I play year round and am in top notch physical condition . During the Saturday morning practice/scrimmage with my team I strained my right calf 3 hours into the scrimmaging. The night before I did an intense training and I’m sure fatigue and age got me here. I played in my game the next day got the start and paced the team. I rested Monday and Tuesday I played in the next game excelling in the game playing 36min and had game high in points scored. Now Two days later and I have high level of tenderness and some slight swelling. After salt baths, and elevation with compression fell leg sleeve, I rubbed salt/alcohol mix in my calf prior to trying to start using my foam roller. The alcohol revealed bruising...which I did not see prior. I didn’t use the foam roller. I can walk fine though and have been active at work during the day as I do some light running there. There is pain and I’m now cautiously stretching my calf and cautiously walking around...trying to see if I’m going to be able to recover so I don’t miss months of this season. It’s a total disappointment to me. I’d like to hear your thoughts for my best course of action to take.
Great video doc helped a lot
Thanks so so much I did some squats and injured my calf muscle this helps
Thank you Dr Beau, very helpful, I'm Grade 2, both calves!!
Thank you for your advice. I tore my left calf, about two months ago, while playing tennis. It was almost impossible to walk for the first month.
Right now I can walk without any problem, im trying to walk 4-5km a day.
So I have a few questions:
1)Sometimes i can still feel something im my calf... its not pain, but something uncomfortable, kind of like I need to stretch it, but it doesn't help, what could it be?
2)How long is its best to wait, until I can try to play tennis again, or go to gym and etc?
3)Do I need to intentionally, go to gym, and work with that calf? or maybe some kind of exercise, that I should do daily?
4)Is it even possible to fully recover? so that my left calf would be almost as strong, as the right one?
Thank you, for sharing your recommendations
1. Foam roller prior to activity... light walking, then jogging, and then dynamic movements.
2. 6-8 weeks
3. Foam roller is your best/worst friend.
4. Yes, its possible to recover, just takes a long time.
Thank you for this excellent summary. I am 50. Went for a racket game after long time. I am into tenth day of a muscle tear on my right calf. Looks like between grade 2 and 3 based on your description. Did ice on the first day and kept the leg elevated for two days. Pain has come down and able to walk slowly. But pains if I make quick steps.
Haven't gone to the doctor yet. Wondering do I need to see one at this juncture and whether do I need to get physiotherapy?
How long before I can play tennis ?
what kind of and how many days of warm up do I need? ( I am 50yrs old).
Thank you and May Good bless you.
maslam0000tube try the physio.. they probably are your best bet unless you are in a lot of pain and the MD can give you some meds.
Great video. Thank you
I went to an ortho doctor because I hurt my calf. Popped about 4 times. Been 2 weeks. Severe bruising I can’t tolerate standing much because my calf starts to throb. Can’t put my foot flat. Only tip toe on it. Iv been in so much pain. It’s hot it burns sometimes. All they gave me was a boot. I can’t even get my foot in all the way in the boot. My full calf is bruise but mostly on the inner side. They didn’t want to do an ultrasound for blood clots or and mri.
But why though? And how's it going now?
I was running and I felt something snap in the back of my calf, but I can walk perfectly but when I run it hurts.
Help plz
Thank you for this great video. About 6 weeks ago I was running in place and felt a mild pain in the center of my upper calf, right at the upper part of the largest part of the calf and right smack in the middle. It wasn't terrible but reminded me often that I over did it. About 2 weeks later I stepped back out of a doorway with about a 3 inch drop and felt like someone had shot me in the leg in the exact same spot. The pain was horrible and felt it rush to my head like I might pass out. I elevated and iced for 2 days then purchased a leg brace with velcro straps to keep it tight. This helped but any slight push off or pivoting motion will set me back in recovering. Sometimes I can even feel it down the outer side of my leg and down to the outer ankle. Not as much as the original spot of the upper middle calf but it does sometimes radiate. I can't find anything online about this particular spot on the calf. All have been in the mid calf area and usually to the side. I don't have insurance so MRI's and specialist docs are out of the question. I really want to get this healed up so I can return to my workout. Would the same advise from the video apply to my particular injury location?
Hey Amy, sounds like I have the exact same injury as you. How did you heal?
@@prayerlightenergy4u980 I ended up going to physical therapy for about 4 months. It is much better but it still seems vulnerable. I am trying to be patient and take it slow.
@@amyjamwag Thanks for taking the time to reply. I wish you continuous healing.
Hey Doc. Thanks for the video. In your experience, what is the longest recovery time you have seen without surgery? I’m going on 3 months and still limping and with only 20% plantar flexion power. My diagnosis is moderate gastro tear with fluid in between gastro and soleus. Thanks
Are you ok?how long recovery time?when did you walking normally?
@@eagleeagle6434 it took 4 months to recover. I feel 100% after 4 months. I use elliptical machine daily to keep everything loose and healthy.
@@DjStalin100 thank you very much🙏get weel soon,I can’t walking normally for two monts ,I will go to the doctor again…this situation very hard😔Did you start to use elliptical after 4 months?
I’m pretty sure I tore my calf about three hours ago.
I was playing basketball and heard and felt a loud popping my lower leg and fell to the floor.
I can’t weight bare or really flex my foot.
Currently elevating and icing but any advice gratefully received
I have a quarter size whole inside my skin on my soleus I wrapped it up and it's healing I'm on my 5th day of wrapping and icing so I'm going to try and keep it up for at least 2 weeks
Best video thus far thanks,so for me it was during steep hillsprints with little warm up,..the pop was so loud my friend next to me heard it too, felt like a brick hit my calf...more than a year later it’s healed with no pain but now it doesn’t look the same as the other leg’s calf🙁, my gastrocnemius has a depression,..can l fill it by twisting and hard-massaging regularly?
Glad it helped! No, you shouldn't 'fill it' by twisting and hard massage. The muscle will heal back, just do the light stretching like I described
@@DoctorBeau thanks Doc, l appreciate it
Hi, doctor, it's great to hear a wonderful suggestions, I have question, does a gastrac produce more gastric probably in the abdominal, if so please tell us the recovery treatment. Regards prudhvi Raj
Hi Dr. I was running on a treadmill at a fast pace (6:40 minutes per mile), and I felt blunt force strike behind right calve. It was painful to walk, however, the more I stretched, they easier walking became. Next day minimal bruising approx the size of a nickel. How long before I can start jogging? Your PhD advice and recommendations will be greatly appreciated. Have a beautiful week
So how was long was the healing process? Interested for science.
I felt this pop also that the girl is speaking of in your video. Went to the ER on Friday because I had some significant swelling and it seems to be swelling if I'm on my leg all day working. I don't have my normal walk I'm kind of limping. The ER suggested that the swelling is traumatic seroma because of an injury obviously to the. They basically just told me to ice an elevate as much as I can. I got some weakness in the leg don't have my full strength and I walk with a limp. Usually after work my calf is swollen around a half inch bigger than the other calf. This has been about a week and a half now it seems to be there's no end in sight for this calf injury. The ER was more concerned about giving me an ultrasound to check for DVT. They seen nothing. I have no choice but to work just like everyone else and I'm literally limping around all day. Come home from work I try to rest it elevated to get the swelling down.
Oh no... thats no good. Best of luck to you. Hope you are doing better
I stepped down wrong a couple weeks ago and felt an awful popping sensation in my right calf. Very painful and not able to walk or put weight on my right leg/foot with my foot flat. I had to hobble around on my tip toes
Went to Urgent Care and said I pulled a muscle and gave me crutches and told me to try to Walk on it. Well a week later still could not walk on it and very bed swelling and bruising on my leg and foot. Went to another Urgent Care for a second opinion and he said he thought it was an Achilles Ruptured and referred me to Orthopedic Surgeon. Went to see him almost a week later and he diagnosed me with a calf muscle tear and I am now in a air cast walking boot for 4 weeks. The bruising is starting to lighten up but still some swelling and i still can not walk on with my foot flat on the ground. i just kinda wish the Orthopedic Surgeon would have done a MRI or Ultrasound or something. What do you think i should do??
Sounds like the ortho didn't think it clinically necessary at the time to order an MRI. If its still not feeling better ( one month in) I would go back and ask again.
i was doing calf raises i done 100 and i havent been able to walk for 3-4 days my legs are bruised and swollen what does that mean?
i just pulled my left calf playing soccer while sprinting just 2mins in! heard a pop and felt like a ball of muscle pulling upwards. not a good feeling at all! im limping bad and cant rest too much weight on it. 😭
Same with me but doing thai boxing. I guess that's how most of us end up on this video :-D
Just happened to me kickboxing 🤦🏽♂️
Going to physical therapy
Going to physical therapy
Same. But I was just running it hurts so bad.
Motorcycle came down on my leg. I believe the peg got me and. Ran down my leg. Painful the first two days better now I can walk better. Than the first two days. Doesn’t hurt like at first. A little tender. I feel like a lump inside. Could it be the blood that clotted from the injury
Hi Doc, I think I have a grade 2 tear, I'm 48 years old and tore it from just walking. Would my age determine time on healing if I rested accordingly.
It felt like someone hit me in the calf with a hammer. It hurts like hell, I can't afford to go to the doc even though I have insurance.
I've started walking on it even though it hurts. I can't miss work. I have to handle it the old school way..make it work.
Ice, compression and elevation... if it doesnt improve in a few days, you might just have to go in and get it checked
That what happened to me yesterday. Cried my eyes out. How long did take time to heel??
DoctorBeau mine is improving took me a week I can see my muscle now but still inflammation is going on and I walked on my right side flat down pretty good a little pain but not bad wonder how long it will take to heal?i was playing basketball and felt like I got kicked in the calf area(gas) I didn’t ice it ASAP I had it massage,now I put ice on it and laying in bed till it heals
What anatomy app was that?
So I was playing with my friends and we found shopping cart so I jumped in the shopping cart as any normal person would do and my friend pushed the cart down the hilland I saw that it was going to hit a curb and I didn't want to flip so I jumped out and my leg popped when I hit the ground now it feels like my bone is gonna pop every time I step on it
Also I can't move my toes or my ankle without it hurting and feels kind of like it's tearing.. so what does that mean?
Well... that’s no good... lol
Better get to a doc and have them evaluate you. Sounds like you def strained something or maybe worse. Keep me updated
@@jakevallejo9343 Sounds like you better never pull a stunt like that again! How are you now??
Hi Dr. Beau, question to you and the viewers possibly- is it to be expected to have a pulsating/throbbing pain in the injured area in the calf, especially at night time to a point that it wakes you up?
Prima Truck that sounds a bit abnormal. Best to consult with your doctor
So I do long distance running in track and cross country, and I have been having a lot of shin and ankle pains, but anyways recently whenever I get up to walk after a while, I get a shooting pain that shoots down my calf(behind part of my leg) and it makes it almost to hard to walk normally and give me a limp. And, I also am having pain in that same ankle that makes it hard to walk as well. I also get a tight feeling in my calf and it will start to tighten up. Do you know it this is probably a calf tear? Or maybe something else?
Thank you for this.
Mine happened five days ago. I was climbing into a vehicle while extending my right leg… no weight whatsoever on that leg.
It popped and it felt like a rubber band popped and broke. It was extremely painful for the first few hours; I loaded up on Ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) and I was able to walk on it later the same day.
It’s not good though; it’s still very sore.
Again, this is day number five and it’s very tender and sore.
I’m expecting a somewhat lengthy recovery period; it’s going to be a few weeks; I can feel it.
There was no visible bruising or evidence of any blood vessels broken but today my ankle is showing some purpling along with some swelling. The calf muscle is swelled as well.
Best dignease good advice thank you
Thank you
Hey Doc,
I was recently riding my dirt bike and, much like your patient in the video I felt a pop and immediately knew something wasn’t right at all. I’m 7 days in. Still swollen and can’t walk very well. I can’t take a step forward off of my injured leg due to the extension of the step off the injured leg. What’s odd is I don’t have much if any bruising, but the swelling is I would say a 7/10. I’m so torn on what to do. I don’t have good insurance right now so I’m hesitating to go in just for them to tel me to ice and stay off of it but everything I’m seeing points to a grade 2/3. Closer to 3. Where does surgery most commonly take place, at what level? My pain starts at the base of my calf as you follow the Achilles up. Is then spreads out to the medial gastr from dead center of the back of my calf and wraps the medial side to my shin and goes up about as high as 3/4 up my rib/fib. There’s pain adjacent to the bone on the medial side as well. Any input (I know it’s hard to diagnose) would help. Do I use it, stretch it, work it? Or let it sit and don’t touch it for a few weeks?
Wow. You just explained my injury symptoms. How long did it take until you could walk again? I’m on 4th day. Thanks
Hi Dr. beau, thanks for the video. I’ve been looking for information online as I don’t have access to quality information like yours. I injured myself playing basketball, it was a calf injury which i believe is related to knee pain my knee pain (for whatever reason I haven’t been able to do negative weight bearing movement isolating my left leg). When i was dribbling up court i felt a pop in my leg as if someone had kicked me in the back of my leg. I just wanted to seek advice of where to go from here
thanx a lot doc, helped me identify my stage of injury. Grade I i believe . Will do RICE.
Dear Dr. Have a severe pain below the calf area, only in Rt leg since 3 months now. Have episodes of Swelling on foot which reduces on applying Magnisum Suplphate powder with glycerine.
Was hospitalised for appx 25 days for chest Conjection were did a Doppler for leg but showed a clean report. It's quite painful now and bed ridden for almost full period of 3 mts. Orthopedic recommended voveron gel and sos ultraset tab. But the solution is not helping. Pls guide.
Mine is weird, was doing high knee taps and when my left foot hit the ground i felt 2 sharp pains one after the other, took a break but then stupidly finished my workout but it was abs so it shouldnt have hurt it that much, now the next day it feels tight and tender like right in the middle and towards the back of my knee too pretty much all around my calf and pain isnt really bad but walking on it or putting pressure sometimes gives pain but theres no warmness, no redness or bruising and it doesnt seem to be swollen at least from what i can see so im not to sure what to think of it i mean I definitely need to limp if I walk but yea , any opinions?
also no pop when i got injured, just a sharp pain in the middle of the calf
Hi doc!
I was pretending to be a little kid for the afternoon Im 22. I went to the trampoline park with my little sisters and didn’t warm up any ( I knew I should have) But I proceeded to do some tricks and when I landed weird on a cartwheel I felt instant pain it was different and it was immediately super hot and I had to limp over to the chairs. I’ve had no bruising yet some swelling and a ton of bad muscle spasms. It hurts to walk especially when I walk forward onto my toes. I’m not sure what I should do
@DoctorBeau What software were you using for the anatomy images?
3D4Medical.... best app in the business!
Hi Dr. Beau. Yesterday had hard "bang" on my calf.. Wasn't even sure what i was doing, standing and talking to work mates..
Enormous pain! In urgent care they put soft bandages (not sure is that any help) As for bruising,i dunno,i was told not to take bandages off.. Impossible put leg flat on floor, sometimes tip toe can do but that creates cramp on other side of calf..Second day today,just resting..What do i do next? No any other tests available as for lockdown.
crunching sound left calf, after lifting heavy patient, what happened??
I had the same after I started to run the 800m
hey dr beau i pulled my hamstring in my left leg on wednsday 7/24/19 i think it is a grade 2 pull i have tried everything i can think of to help it heal how long do hamstring injuries take to heal? please do a video on how to diagnose and treat this that would help out a lot
Hi, so i was pushing a sled at the gym. When I went to push, I felt my calf muscle come apart in the middle. Very odd sensation, then it hurt when I went to step. Put ice and wrapped it. A little heat then ice again andelevated it. Then it was bedtime, so I took advil pm because it was like a constant cramp. Next day, no constant cramp. Just hurt to walk. Rested for 3 or 4 days and slowly started noticing bruising. I can walk but slow and slowly do ankle pumps. My concern is that my calf is colder then my other calf. Is that normal?
Dr. Beau, hoping you can answer me! I exercised for the first time in a while on Tuesday (calf raises, squats etc) felt fine Wednesday, then Thursday the calf on my right leg is in severe pain. I can’t walk without limping, I can’t flex my ankles/toes upwards without tremendous pain. Could this be a serious injury? I’ve been elevating it all day, and icing on & off. The pain itself is on the calf muscle itself, the gastrocnemius. I did not experience any pain or discomfort until 2 days after exercising. It’s definitely not a normal soreness, as my left leg feels fine. Should I just continue to do what I’m doing? Elevating, icing, resting?
Sounds like it could be DOMS ( delayed onset muscle soreness). Increase your magnesium, use epsom salt baths and try foam rolling. If it gets swollen, hot, red, or painful to walk then consult your doctor. Good luck and keep me updated
@@DoctorBeau You were right, it was just a very intense case of DOMS in my calf. I’m 100% better now, a week later. I can’t believe it was so bad and painful, I mistook it for a tear or serious strain. Just the worst case of DOMS ever 😂. I was seriously using crutches.
Hi there doc, i have a bulge in my calf muscle when tensed, its been this way for around 2 and a half to 3 years, i used to train alot and did a crazy leg workput the once that rendered me unable to walk for a few days, that's the only thing i can think that could of caused it, I did also fall down a flight of concrete stairs once and snapped my ankle, but i don't see how that would of affected the muscle, how ever it has always ached after being on my feet for a long time at work but just recently its becoming worse, the bulge was examined by 2 doctors who said it appears to be a sheath tear with the underlying muscle bulging through but thats all i got from them, its now starting to affect my quality of life, I'm only 32 with 4 young kids and i don't wanna lose the use of this leg, any advice?
How is it going?
I tore my calf I am positive it was a grade 2 to 3 I can see where my muscle is missing now. But I was able to walk on it and I can do exercises but I can tell it isn’t anywhere close to being at the strength it was. What can I do to make sure I can run with it. Has been over a month now.
Hi
I am 27 and I used to an average of 4-5 Kms, now I have a calf muscle pain from last 4 months and I also travel by standing in metro most of the times. What could be the reason for so long pain?
Rahul Chugh sounds like a combination of tight muscles and fascial distortion. Get a foam roller and start rolling out (begin with the foot/ alleys/ gastrocnemius/ and hamstrings)
Would Exercises like seated calf raises and such help strengthen the muscle group to aid in his runs?
Hey it’s me again, I’m currently eating a lot like eating a lot and I’m hungry a lot now is this signs of growing doc?
Murda sounds like it! Make sure you keep your water intake high to help with any potential cramping
My question is, I started the cross massage about 14 days ago and it is helping. My calve strain has lingered for 4-5 weeks, I had taken some advice around 3 weeks to do cross massage. The part of my calve that is strained is definitely the soleus or tendon below the Gastro part of my calve. I can always find the sensitive part that hurts daily. I have stopped running. I have done some light walking and mostly biking. I have been doing stretches and a foam roller. At what point should a person begin strengthening? When pain is gone? Or can I strengthen it although it seems to be slowly improving but it doesn’t seem to be 100%? Any other advice for me as to if this is the tendon that is irritated? Please respond, I could use the help or just encouragement that I’m going in the right direction although it seems to be going really slow....
How are you doing now ? And what was
Your recovery time?
Hello , I know my question is stupid , but is it possible to make your hands bigger ? Im talking about lengthwise ( im almost 16 years old , dont know if it matters , just saying )
Probably not.. thats a genetic thing
Thanks Dr Beau! Quick question - I had a delayed onset strain by one day. It’s been a few weeks and I have zero pain doing things like calf raise or engaging the muscle in any other direct way, but I have calf pain when getting up from a chair or doing something like low squats picking something up off the ground? Any ideas why this might be?
Sounds like the calf is healing but not totally 100% functional. Just because pain is gone, doesn't mean healing is complete... that takes about 6-8 weeks total.
I've torn both my calf , I'm 58 . I've been doing a lot of workouts indoors so lots of jumping , lunging etc . When I go back to the gym I can use the stepper or bike . It's so painful .
Doctor Beau, getting a 404 error for your website and none existence for your Instagram & Twitter accounts. What is name of iOS App for your calf muscle illustration? Thx. Great explanation!
Doctor Beau, would compression sock help to avoid a reinjury calf while playing tennis?
I can help... but make sure you are fully healed before heading back to competition
Hey Doc,
About five days ago I pulled my calf. The last two days I've had bruising along the inside of my ankle along with bruising on my shin with some pitting. Is this normal? I'm able to walk but the shin pitting has got me nervous.
Same here. What did you end up doing about the edema and bruising? I’m in week 2 of my injury with bruising at the inner heal. No pain during the day, only aches in the morning before getting out of bed.
I tried scrolling through to see if this question had been answered, but no luck. I'm 31, and about 2 months ago I decided to start working out again to include cardio (running). I did not start off small, usually about 2-2.5 miles at a time. I have noticed a pain not on my shin, but just along the sides of them going in a vertical direction. Even see a bruise on the back side of my right calve. I may have hit something but I don't remember. If I don't run for a few days, it's so minimal I forget about it. However, as soon as I get about 1/10 of a mile in it starts hurting again. What could this be?
shin splints
Hi Doc. I think I have torn the bottom of the medial head. The pain goes into down the leg just under my inner calf.
I feel a lump that you described as a dip in the muscle. The occurred stepping down ofd of steps. It got some better.. then three days after I had a venous doppler. Negative for venous blood clot, which my Gp doctor was fearful of.
I was just walking through my kitchen and I felt it pop again. Smh 🤦🏽♀️ now I have a lateral lump in the lower medial gastrocnemius. I am limping. Not in a ton of pain but I am uncomfortable when walking. Any help is much appreciated.
Jennifer.
48 yo female, )also menopausal if that’s a factor)
Did you go to the hospital? I hurt my calf and I’m unsure weather I should go to the hospital or not.
I had the same experience as the person asking the question initially hard for me to walk and I was getting better and I decided to push it go for a very slight incline trail walk and felt a mini pop (my first pop was very noticeable) … could this be too much too soon? Also worried of a torn Achilles
Yes.. too much too soon.
@@DoctorBeau thank you so much for the response doctor 🙏🏼
DoctorBeau, I was playing a pickup game of basketball and I jumped up for a rebound. It felt like someone kicked me in my calf, I was able to stand up but it was painful to move. I immediately iced it for 40 minutes then applied heat for 20 to 30 minutes. There isn't any discoloration in the area, but the calf area feels very tight, maybe swelling. On the second which is today, I am able to walk but with a slight limp. If the muscle stretches there's a sharp pain. Just want to get your opinion of what grade the tear may be?
Hi I’ve been getting pains in my calf for a while now hoping it would go away. It doesn’t affect me and normal day life but as soon as I start a physical activity or running such as lacrosse or football it starts to hurt and limits my movement and speed and its enough to make me limp. Any idea what this is I could really use some help
Hi Doc,
I am 40 years old trying to go back in shape. I was playing basketball when I felt a small pop in my inner side from the right calf. I went immediately home put some ice for 20 minutes more than 3 times that night then I massage with maslac and wrapped the calf overnight. I don’t have any bruises but I cannot stretch the leg completely yet without having a little bit of discomfort. Now, I am in my second night feeling better but still with discomfort. What type of injury I might have? Thanks
Hey vet173, sounds like I had the same injury as you. How did you heal?
@@prayerlightenergy4u980how about you? Did you recover?
@@nametbd1406 This January will be two years since I tore my calf muscle, but I made a complete recovery! I massaged it for days, right after the injury, which was recommended, and I did physical therapy. Sometimes I can still "feel" something there, but I think that's just the scar. I make sure to stretch out real god before vigorous activity.
I was doing gymnastics and injured my leg at the top in at the back. Do you think deep heat cream would reduce the pain of my leg
I half a calf strain. I haven't been able to sit for a week because pain in side of knee and it goes down to like the side of my shin. Why is it I cant sit? I get why it hurts to walk but not the sitting part.
I have a similar injury but I think mine would be a grade 2 maybe grade 3 because I can’t put too much weigh or stretch my calf muscle at all. It hurts like hell when I’m walking and it stretches with long steps that I try so hard to avoid.
Today in school I was on a weight machine . I never felt anything pop and there is no bruise . It did not hurt straight away . About 2 hours later my calf started really hurting. Now it has been about 13 hours and I cant walk . It hurts so bad . Usually my muscles ache after the weights but this is only on my right calf and is more painful . I need help do you know what it could be ?
Can I exercise my upper body if I have a grade three injury?
Of course just dont deadlift or military press many weight
Man I just had the same injury yesterday playing basketball it felt like somebody kicked me in the back of the calf. Can barely walk without crutches now feels like a bunch of rubber bands in the back of my leg. That Kevin Durant situation got me thinking maybe I should chill out for a few months
Yes, take a load off, RICE, and very gently active range of motion. Get a referral to your local PT
I had the same thing happen now my Achilles gives me problems years later. Mine felt like someone smashed me with a wooden broom handle in the calf when coming off a screen.
when i do asain squat and get up i get pain in calves what is the remedy kindly say
About a year ago now, I dropped 2 bricks on my foot, straight away I was in pain and couldn’t walk, I never went to a hospital until 7 months later because my foot was always sensitive and didn’t look right, I had an x ray and no breaks were shown but it’s been a year now and it’s still sensitive and doesn’t look right. What could it be?
I was stretching my left calf on a standing calf raise machine with very little weight, and I felt a serious pop, like something tore in half. When I stepped off the machine I immediately felt searing pain, with very difficult walking. Is stretching something that causes injuries a lot? I thought it was supposed to help. Pls advice and thank you!
RM chain sounds like you may have overstretched it a bit. Ice it and see how it responds. Best of luck
Hello, i’m a ballerina and i’ve been doing some pointe work and more stretching than usual with splits and such, just yesterday i suddenly was not able to walk on my left calf where i now believe i’ve torn my calf muscle, there was no specific popping moment, but what may have caused this do you think? was it the split stretching or pointe work that may have put stress into my calf?
would you suggest i don’t walk at all? i’m limping around and can’t even straighten the injured leg