This is a workout problem that I’ve been dealing with for a while now and was hoping that somebody might have experienced it or have a suggestion as to how to deal with it. Recently, during my runs and anytime I walk longer distances, I’ve been having significant pain in my calves. However, rather than the pain originating in my shins, it seems to start in my ankle and travel up the outside of my calf to my knee. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t, but when the pain occurs, it can get so bad that my feet go numb and I have to walk up on my toes to manage the walk back. I’ve tried different stretches and stuff, but nothing seems to help it. Any ideas?
This is a long answer, and I may be “all wet” but I feel for ya!
It sounds like you either have a badly contracted muscle or at least one spasm. The numbness comes from a nerve becoming entrapped in the muscle tissue up in your leg somewhere (unless your shoes don’t fit, of course). Your pain can be coming from several muscles. The Gluteus Minimus (up in your hip) will refer pain in your ankle and radiate it up the outside of your calf to the outside of the knee. This is usually accompanied by pain in your IT Band area as well however.
Another muscle that may cause your problem is the Gastroc Nemus. The reason being that if you have to walk on your toes, that means your Gastroc are all contracted. Since it hurts when you are essentially stretching them (putting your heel back down), this would indicate that they are not being co-operative.
Try crossing your leg and putting your injured ankle just above your opposite knee (typical “guy” position for crossed legs) and begin squeezing your calf muscles, just like you were kneading bread dough. Go in a direction from the top of your calf down to your Achilles tendon. If you feel some points that are especially tender, (specially on the inside of your calf!) those are spasms and you need to squeeze them, or press on them, for 60 seconds. This should take the initial pain away. You can then gently stretch the muscles.
The next muscle that will cause this, and the most likely, is the Extensor Longus that runs from your knee down the outside of your lower leg. As the muscle contracts it puts a great deal of strain on the bone and can even cause a stress fracture. The tendon is pulled tight under the band, and
the band begins to rub the tendon and can cause enough pain that the person’s
ankle feels like it is on fire. In fact, if this muscle is tight enough, the
person can’t even point his/her toe or walk properly. Running is just about
out of the question when the muscle is too tight.
Try this. Sit down. Take the heel of your “good” leg and put it just under your knee, to the outside of your shinbone. While pressing in pretty hard, slowly slide your heel down the outside of your calf (I wouldn’t recommend doing this on bare skin unless you have shaved legs). If you find a very painful place, that is a spasm. You will generally find it just a few inches below your knee. You need to keep as much pressure as you can tolerate on the spot for up to 60 seconds at a time. Make sure you don’t go over the ankle with your heel. Stop a couple of inches above the bone. Do this several times, and the entire treatment three or four times during the day.
There are people who really know what they are talking about at
They do self-treatment clinics at a couple of Ironman races each year.
You can also post on their sports injury forum.
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Dont take medical advice from the internet, go see your orthopedic sports specialist.
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Is the pain on the front or back of the 'outside of the calf to the knee?" If I heard your symptoms ‘sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesnt, numb feet, stretches dont work, runs and long distance walking’ I would surely, and surely obviously think of exertional compartment syndrome first. Have you been to a Sports Doc?? Explain your symptoms well. Chose your doc well. Make sure he works with endurance athletes.
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It could also be some sort of vessel occlusion that gets worse with fatigue, but thats something only your doc can evaluate. The fact that your feet go numb following extreme pain is a good sign that something is going on with the circulation down there.
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If it does turn out to be compartment syndrome, rather than a vessel occlusion or something else entirely, then the sooner you treat it, the simpler the healing. Exertional compartment syndrome has the potential to turn into an acute case. With your symptoms, dont wait, go see your doc.
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I used to have the exact symptoms, for 5-6years at least i tried to live with them, tried all sorts of stretches, icing, gradual increase in mileage, avoiding all uphills (really aggravated the pain/numb feet) but nothing helped. Finally went to a real sportsdoc, who tested my compartment pressures. Diagnosis-CS. Had fasciotomies on both legs, almost two years ago, and am now completely healed. It is such a pleasure to run without that kind of pain. Good luck.