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Grade 2 calf injury... :(
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Thurs night was doing some chores outside, turned to start going up a set of stairs, and heard a pop/snap noise, and bad pain in the bottom of my medial calf. Literally thought someone had shot something at my leg.

No bruising yet, bu can see the lower leg has a little bit of swelling. Got in to see physio Fri morning and he figured grade 2 injury, no bleeding visible, and all muscles seem to be able to move, no achilles rupture. Was able to do bent knee calf raises no prob. But straight leg calf raises quite painful.

He doesn't want me to wear a boot, wants me to try to keep it mobile to avoid fibrotic tissue (his term, not mine..) building up too much. Has me doing seated calf raises at my desk all day, basically just bouncing my knee up and down. And a few times a day, standing facing a wall, straight calf raise with both legs, switch weight to bad leg, then back to both, then down. He also said go ahead and bike depending on pain. He guessed I'll be off running for a good 3 months.

I do have a sport doc appt tomorrow. Just wondering if anyone has had a similar injury, what rehab protocol did you follow?


Thanks :(
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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That sucks donkey testicles, mate. Sounds like you’re in a similar boat I was in over the winter. Take advantage of the forced time off the run and do lots of pull sets in the pool.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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Just getting over a similar injury. I had discomfort in my calf for weeks but kept training and racing. A few weeks ago on a long run had the feeling of something popping and awful pain that stopped me in my tracks. Swelling and bruising, the MRI showed the Achilles in one piece and 2 grade 1-2 strains in my calf.

I went with rest/ART and massage

I found it to be a really frustrating injury that seems very slow to come back from

Good Luck

TEAM ZOOT 2020
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [VWH3RD] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks, yeah, same here, it felt a little strained for weeks prior, kept trying to roll and continue training.

Funny, I actaully did an ART session about a week before it popped, and it felt like he went too deep, hurt much more for a few days after, can't help but wonder if that pushed it a bit too far to the limit.
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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How’s your calf healing? Is it really going to take 3 months? Injured mine last week, finally walking without a limp. Have started massage and minor stretching, hoping to run next week.
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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SBRcanuck wrote:
Thurs night was doing some chores outside, turned to start going up a set of stairs, and heard a pop/snap noise, and bad pain in the bottom of my medial calf. Literally thought someone had shot something at my leg.

No bruising yet, bu can see the lower leg has a little bit of swelling. Got in to see physio Fri morning and he figured grade 2 injury, no bleeding visible, and all muscles seem to be able to move, no achilles rupture. Was able to do bent knee calf raises no prob. But straight leg calf raises quite painful.

He doesn't want me to wear a boot, wants me to try to keep it mobile to avoid fibrotic tissue (his term, not mine..) building up too much. Has me doing seated calf raises at my desk all day, basically just bouncing my knee up and down. And a few times a day, standing facing a wall, straight calf raise with both legs, switch weight to bad leg, then back to both, then down. He also said go ahead and bike depending on pain. He guessed I'll be off running for a good 3 months.

I do have a sport doc appt tomorrow. Just wondering if anyone has had a similar injury, what rehab protocol did you follow?


Thanks :(

This might be of interest to you. For reference, Allison just came back from the injury last week.

https://www.thisisanfield.com/...ecovery-return-date/
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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vonschnapps wrote:
How’s your calf healing? Is it really going to take 3 months? Injured mine last week, finally walking without a limp. Have started massage and minor stretching, hoping to run next week.

Hey, so first, I was able to get an MRI within about 2 weeks which is a bit of a miracle in Canada. I was willing to go on a cancellation list at a rural hospital about 2 hours away...

Summary of findings:
there is a small focal gap seen between the proximal Achilles and most distal medial gastrocnemius muscle

which may be representing a focal area of musculotendinous junction tear, the gap measures about

2 cm in craniocaudal length. The Achilles tendon is not involved.....

So sport doc estimated 12 weeks before running, but that I could continue biking (and swim) as long as it didn't hurt. And body weight calf raises is the bulk of my rehab...

Been about 5 weeks now, and being stubborn I did a small 3.5 km brick run a couple days ago after a 2 hour ride. Felt good and ran a decent pace, really focused on short strides to try not to load up anything too much. Soleus feels a little tender, so I don't think I'll try running again for at least another week, but at least it didn't seem to tear again on the short run...
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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3 years ago was playing football (soccer) and felt like someone had kicked me in the calf. Looked round to see no one there. I couldn’t walk on it and was just about able to hobble around very slowly with a lot of pain. I never went to get it seen, I just iced it for a week and rested it. I could still ride the trainer and swim, pushing off on one leg.
Started slow running on sort surface after 2 weeks. 6 weeks after the injury I completed a shuttle run fitness test to level 10 with no problem. It sucks, but calf muscles heal fast due to the good blood flow to them. Just don’t rush and re-injure it.
Good luck.
Tubs
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [Tubs] [ In reply to ]
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Well, then it looks like my 15 mile trail run race this a Saturday is no go. Have a half Mary in two weeks that’s probably a no go also. I would give the same advice as everyone posting here, just hope I’ll take it! Last year I ran through a knee injury, and don’t think it healed properly. Maybe I learned something. Thinking an elliptical should be ok though.
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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vonschnapps wrote:
Thinking an elliptical should be ok though.

For a calf injury? I dunno about anyone else, but elliptical workouts absolutely trash my calf muscles.
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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SBRcanuck: I popped mine last nite. Have read this thread (and others). How are you now? How did rehab go?
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [FedeleTemperini] [ In reply to ]
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FedeleTemperini wrote:
SBRcanuck: I popped mine last nite. Have read this thread (and others). How are you now? How did rehab go?

It healed up pretty good after 6+ weeks. I'm still dealing with unrelated post tib shin splint stuff, but the calf has been OK.
Basically just rested it and then a slow return to running. I think I do still have a sort of deformity in the muscle where it tore and perhaps bundled up a bit, think that is gonna be there forever....not sure if it has any real effect...
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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30 days after the tear I did my 1st run - a slow 1.5 miles. Thought I'd never run again. Can feel a wrinkle in the calf. Now on to fix the persistent high hamstring tendinopathy. Youth is wasted on the young.
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [FedeleTemperini] [ In reply to ]
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FedeleTemperini wrote:
30 days after the tear I did my 1st run - a slow 1.5 miles. Thought I'd never run again. Can feel a wrinkle in the calf. Now on to fix the persistent high hamstring tendinopathy. Youth is wasted on the young.

Lol, sounds like we have similar legs. My high hamstring tendinopathy is still something I have to be careful to not let come back by trying to keep everything around it strengthened. I'm still dealing with pain above my post tib....I guess maybe it is medial tibial stress syndrome......just won't go away for good. :(
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [FedeleTemperini] [ In reply to ]
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Over the course of the last 4 years, I've managed to do this 3 times.
I agree with the sucks donkey balls comment.
First time was exactly as described by the OP, felt like I was suddenly shot. Didn't heed any advice and ran a week later when the pain went away. Got about 1/2 mile out the door and crumpled on the sidewalk.
Doc said Grade 2 tear, RICE, and give it 6 weeks.
Second time was the other calf, but same thing. Doc said I must have some biological issue, tight calves, something. I was diligent with PT, stretching, and strength exercises and for a couple years, all good.
Then I slacked off and the third time was in January.
All three times were when it was very cold outside, less than 30 degrees, and I guess that's just my body telling me that the cold sucks.
All three times, running was nearly impossible for 6+ weeks, walking painful for 2. Swimming was fine until I tried to push off the wall, so I was doing some goofy turns. Oddly, cycling was totally fine, pain free. So I got a lot of trainer time in.
What helped me a great deal was ART. Active Release Therapy. The PT basically takes a butter knife and scrapes it down your leg to break up scar tissue. Hurts like hell, but really helps. Unfortunately, my insurance changed my policy and decided that this was no longer a medical, but voluntary procedure, even with a doctor's recommendation so I couldn't afford to continue. Look up a provider after we are all off lock down.

It will never go away in my experience. I can still feel the exact spot in both of my calves, doubly so in my left leg. Every time I feel a twitch or niggle, that is the first thing that goes through my head.

Don't rush recovery. Don't immediately ramp up speed work when you do recover. Baby it, do your stretches. The season is blown until the end of June for most of us anyway. Plenty of time to rest and recover.
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Re: Grade 2 calf injury... :( [ayontz] [ In reply to ]
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My experience is the same as above. Calf started hurting bad at mile 9 of a 10 mile run. Did a lot of stretching, rolled it often (hard rolling, could really feel it). Did light calf raises at week 3. I have had this before, so I start recovery runs with compression socks or pants on both calves. Shorten strides on rehab runs. Treadmill works well for me, a little softer. Biking and swimming no problem during recovery. I am 100% now, took about six weeks for that. Have to be patient with this! Just my experience.
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