calf strain (gastroc)
(2 discussions)
I have recently strained my right gastroc muscle, I am going to thearpy but would like to find out if I should wear a calf sleeve.
This is the second time I have done this.
The first time it was my left leg and it was alot worse then this one.
I am a martial artist and would like to find out if this would help prevent this type of injury again.
2 comments
Rob Bechard
Recurring running injuries can and do end careers, the single most important issue to a runner are compliant muscles, the single biggest problem to runners are non-compliant muscles. The most common and most hated are the non-compliant calf muscles. The calf becomes tender, sometimes knotty, after hard training (usually intervals); then a few days later, while out on a run you feel a sharp pain very deep in the gastroc, and bingo, you are out of business. The injury responds to massage and rest, and after a few days, it seems to be fine. You start back running after a few days off, things go well for a mile or so, and then, yikes! The sharp pain comes back! The root cause of this injury, is compartment syndrome, which means that the sheath around the calf muscle isnt flexible enough, and when the muscle swells up during exercise, it can’t expand enough to accommodate the necessary blood flow. The muscle becomes constricted, and eventually some fibers tear. Even after it heals, scar tissue often remains, which makes the site a prime candidate for reinjury, thus the cyclical nature of this problem.
grant
So how do you deal with the “compartment syndrome” and make the the sheath around the calf muscle flexible enough once you’ve repeated the cycle a time or two?