Injured Calf Muscle: How the Muscle is Injured, Prevention and Treatment

The calf muscle  muscle is the common name for the triceps surae muscles of the leg. These can be torn, detached, or or partly detected from the tendons that hold them to bones when the foot bent suddenly and with extensive force. The triceps surae actually comprises a pair of muscles whose role is to flex the foot. The two muscles are soleus and the gastrocnemius, both of which insert into the calcaneus bone (the bone of the heal) by way of the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon is named for Achilles, the Greek hero of Homeric fame.

Flexion is defined as the position that the foot takes when the toes are pointed. The opposite movement is called extension, which stretches the calf muscles and the Achilles tendon as well. Often, the meanings of flexion and extension of the foot are reversed in common language, particularly in the case of dancers. However, in medicine and anatomy this is not correct. To avoid confusion, flexion often is called plantarflexion, while extension is known as dorsiflexion. Thus, it is a fast or powerful extension, or dorsiflexion, of the foot which pulls the calf muscles to the point of causing injury.

Calf muscle injury can happen during sporting events. If a foot is dorsiflexed suddenly, such as might happen in landing an under-rotated back somersault on a very hard surface, the Achilles tendon is pulled. If the tendon itself is not damaged but the muscle rips away, the liberated parts of the muscle may curl up. This is known as muscle rupture, or collapse. Symptoms of this condition include pain in the back of the calf, pain when the foot is plantarflexed against resistance (somebody holding the foot to make plantarflexion more difficult), and severed tightness of the calf for several days.

The risk of injuring the triceps surae can be reduced by doing a good warmup prior to exercising, with stretches that include the triceps surae and other muscle groups of the lower extremities.
If you believe that you may have injured your triceps surae, you should consult with your physician, athletic trainer, or with somebody with expertise in sports medicine. Initial treatment should begin with what is known in sports medicine by the acronym RICE -rest, ice, compression, elevation. Sit or lie down and have somebody bring you ice or a cold pack and apply it to the injured muscle for at least fifteen minutes. This will help to reduce swelling. Swelling can be reduced further with the application of a compression bandage. This is a stretchy bandage that wraps around around the leg. Wrap it tightly enough to feel snug, but not so tight that cuts off circulation. Elevating the leg, slightly above the ground, also will help to reduce the swelling. Finally, it is very important to rest the muscle. Do this by avoiding activity that is physically stressful.