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Calf pain – muscular, neural or vascular?
Our calves are the unsung heroes of our lower legs, helping us walk, run and stand. When we’re balancing on one leg, or running after our kids, it’s the calf muscle making it all possible.
So when calf pain strikes, it can leave you sidelined from your usual activities, which is why keeping your calves front of mind can make all the difference and keep you running, jumping and balancing!
In this month’s blog we take a closer look at what could be going on when your calves start to complain.
Anatomy of the calf
The calf muscle is made up of two major muscles: the gastrocnemius and the soleus. These muscles work as a team to control your movement and provide strength to the rest of your leg when you walk, run and jump. The other important part of the calf region is the Achilles tendon, which connects these two muscles to your heel bone. When used together, these muscles provide stability for the leg and allow us to perform movements like powerful push-offs to sprint and standing on your tiptoes.
But you don’t need to be a professional on the track and field, or an expert at the barre or stage to know, a calf injury can be painful and long-lasting if not treated correctly. [1]
Calf pain symptoms
Your calf pain will depend on the type of injury or issue you’re experiencing. Some common symptoms include:
- A dull ache in the calf
- A sharp pain
- A loud pop sound
- Tightness in the calf
You should see a doctor if you have more severe symptoms like:
- Tingling or numbness in your leg
- A feeling of weakness in your legs
- Swelling
- An unusually cool or pale calf
- Fluid retention
- A red, warm or tender calf [1]
Depending on what’s causing your pain, there are a number of treatment options available to you, including physiotherapy.
Types of calf pain
Because the calf is such a vital structure and integral to our everyday movement, it is often placed under significant strain and can become injured easily.
There are three main types of calf pain:
- Muscular – damage or strain to the muscles and tendons
- Neural – damage to the nerves or an issue with the nervous system
- Vascular – issue with your vascular system and movement of blood to the area
If you are unsure what’s causing your calf pain, book in to see a physiotherapist for a full assessment.
Muscular calf pain
Cramps, tears, and sprains can all occur to those two important muscles in the calf. And because we’re using them all day, every day, it’s common to experience calf muscle pain every now and then.
Some of the signs of mild and moderate calf pain are things like:
- Sudden calf cramp when sitting
- Tightness of the calf when exercising
- Uncontrolled twitching of the calf muscle
If your calf muscle is in pain, it can often be caused by exercise, lack of stretching, dehydration or sometimes deficiencies, such as a lack of magnesium in your diet. [1]
Muscle cramps often resolve quickly on their own, but can sometimes result in mild pain for a few days after. You can speak to a physio about how to strengthen your calf to hopefully prevent cramps.
Not only can your calf cramp, it can also sprain or tear. This will cause sudden pain, and can sometimes result in a ‘pop’ noise. These injuries will limit your range of movement and feel sore and tender for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. You’ll likely experience calf pain when walking and calf pain at night after extended use during the day after the injury. If you sprain or tear your calf muscle, it’s important to see a physio for manual treatment and stretching.
Neural calf pain
Neural pain relates to your nervous system or the nerves surrounding or supporting the calf and leg. We have nerves throughout our entire body, but our legs are home to some of our most important, and easily disrupted nerves, including the sciatic nerve.
The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in our body and is unfortunately very easy to upset. Some of the common causes of sciatic pain are:
- Pregnancy
- Pelvic injury or strain
- Slipped disc
- Tightness in the lower back
Although almost all of these ‘causes’ don’t begin in the calf, the sciatic nerve runs down the leg and can refer pain to the calf area. These issues can be treated with physiotherapy.
The other neural cause of calf pain is a condition called peripheral neuropathy, which is damage to the nerves in your calf from an accident, injury or medical condition. [2]If you think your calf pain is related to a medical condition, including diabetes, it is important to speak to your doctor to understand the root cause and treat the issue.
Vascular calf pain
Vascular pain is caused by issues with blood flow. There are some specific symptoms which present with vascular issues, including swelling, numbness of the legs, tingling sensations and discolouration of the legs and feet.
Vascular-induced calf pain is often caused by an issue with your vascular system and a lack of adequate blood flow to your limbs. If you believe you have vascular-induced calf pain, speak to a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment plan.
The Brisbane Spine Clinic can help
When you visit our clinic with calf pain, we’ll undertake a full assessment to analyse the issue, diagnose the cause and treat the pain. If we need to, we’ll also refer you for additional imaging or to other medical professionals, such as doctors.
Treatments from a physiotherapist for calf pain include stretches, manual treatment and dry needling. We’ll also work with you to determine the cause of your pain and whether other areas of your body, such as your back, are causing the tightness of your calf.
You can book an appointment with one of our friendly, qualified physiotherapists today.
Disclaimers:
DISCLAIMER FOR GENERAL/BROAD HEALTH CARE ADVICE THAT DOESN’T INVOLVE A TREATMENT OR PROCEDURE
All information is general and is not intended to be a supstitute for professional medical advice. The Brisbane Spine Clinic can consult with you regarding your individual health needs.
Sources, links and date of access. Scientific references only required for large medical device or if specifically requested.
[1] Healthdirect, Calf Pain, accessed 25 November 2024, https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/calf-pain\ [2] Mayo Clinic, Peripheral Neuropathy, accessed 25 November 2024, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20352061