Popped calf muscle - Health + Injury

Venster

19/01/2013 at 09:22

When would you consider it a sensible time to resume running after a "popped" calf muscle? I pulled it last week and left it 2 days and it was fine yesterday, until 2miles in and it went pop. First time I've experienced that so unsure when to start again. I've been running since November and this is my first injury. Would you say the cold had an effect on this happening? I do run in shorts, even sub-zero. I'm not entirely new to running, I used to run about 6 years ago but gave up ! Maybe, or maybe not OT but what influence would having the wrong shoes have on this problem?

Gary Fatbloke

19/01/2013 at 13:03

Hi Venster

I've just recovered from a calf strain. Like you I didn't give it enough time to heal, I tried running again after 1 week and it went again after 1 minute. Tried again 10 days later and it went after 3 1/2 miles. I then rested for 3 weeks, which included a visit to the physio, before attempting to run again. That was 10 days ago and since then I've had no problems, I started by running at 80% of my normal pace and have slowly built up since then.

The physio did give me stretching and strengthening exrecises to do and also suggested I use a foam roller to ease out any problems.I do the exercises every day and the stretching ones before I run, I have the Grid foam roller and I use that every other day. I can't help you regarding shoes.

Edit to note about cold, I run in shorts in all weathers so can't say whether the cold could have played a part in your injury, when my calf went I had been running for almost a mile and had no significant change of pace to bring it about.

Edited: 19/01/2013 at 13:05

Six Physio

19/01/2013 at 14:15

...any bruising? If so 2 weeks +

Venster

19/01/2013 at 14:42

Luckily no bruising. RICEing best I can. Gutted because I've not been this enthusiastic about running years.

Think I'll leave it a week and let the snow go and give it try...

Valley

23/01/2013 at 13:13

Always 4 weeks for me

Don't forget every time you try it and it goes pop again you're back to square one

RicF

23/01/2013 at 13:56

I suggest the OP has a read up about how muscles and the like repair themselves.

Just waiting around passively for X amount of time is no solution.

Venster

25/01/2013 at 07:34

Well I don't know what it was but did 3miles day before yesterday and it was fine, no niggles at all.

RicF -do you have a particular website that you are thinking of that I could read up on?

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