Pulled Calf Muscle
Pulled Calf Muscle Treatments You May Want To Know
A pulled calf muscle is not an uncommon injury, especially for athletes and people that are active. Often, if the injury isn’t very bad, surgery isn’t needed and it can be treated at home. Although any time that you have an injury you should consult with your doctor to determine how sever the injury is, if your doctor recommends home treatment there are several ways you can treat a pulled calf muscle.
Reduce the Swelling – With a pulled calf muscle one of the first symptoms will be pain from swelling. To reduce the swelling and help to ease some of the pain, you will have to elevate the leg. The proper way to elevate the leg is to ensure that it is above the heart; the leg should remain elevated for the first twenty four hours after an injury. Although you do not have to keep the leg elevated longer than the first day, you can expect the swelling to last for about two weeks.
Compressing the Injury – If you have a pulled calf muscle, it is necessary to compress the injury by applying a compression bandage. What this does is help to keep the blood from congregating in the foot and the bottom of the leg. Without the compression the foot may swell, causing more complications, as well as pain. When using a compression bandage you will have to make sure that it is not wrapped too tightly so that the blood circulation isn’t totally cut off. It is also important to use the proper procedure when wrapping the leg; always wrap from the bottom upward toward the leg and not the other way, as this will cause blood swelling in the foot.
Anti Inflammatory Medication – An anti inflammatory medication will help to reduce the swelling of the tissue in the leg, plus it will reduce pain. Ask your doctor about the best medication to take for your pulled calf muscle injury. Although the medication may take the pain away and help you to feel better, it is still not a good idea to return to normal activity until the muscle is completely healed.
Use a Heel Pad – If you have a leg injury or pulled calf muscle you may want to think about using a heel pad; this will help to reduce the strain on the leg. If you do decide to wear a heel pad you will need to use one on both sides so that you retain your balance and avoid harming your back.
Use Ice on Your Injury – When you have a pulled calf muscle you will want to use an ice pack at least 4 times per day on the injury. Do not apply the ice pack directly to the skin; wrap it in a towel or other cloth. Ice will help to reduce swelling and avoid the injury becoming worse, plus it helps to relieve pain.
Get Plenty of Rest – One of the most effective methods of treating a pulled calf muscle is getting plenty of rest and not overuse the leg muscle while it is healing. If possible try and use crutches or some other walking aid to help keep the weight off of your injured leg for a few days, and you should not do any running, jumping, or activities of that nature until the tenderness in the muscle is completely gone.
These methods of treating a pulled calf muscle should get you feeling better within a week or two, but if your pain increases or you find it becoming more difficult to walk on your leg, you will want to make an appointment with your healthcare worker so that they can evaluate your situation and ensure that your injury does not need surgical intervention.