Calf Pain While Running

If you are a fitness freak, then you must have experienced calf muscle pain sometime or the other. Calf pain during running is a phenomenon where the calf muscles feel strain - the reason for such strain may be manifold and may vary from person to person.

Calf muscle pain can manifest in any of the calf regions, viz. lower calf, outer calf, etc. and pain in the calf while walking is as common among aerobics practitioners as pain during or after running. Let us start by taking a look at the causes and treatment of pain and calf muscle strain.

Exercise Induced Stiffness: Usually, when you are a beginner or if you resume exercising after a gap of some days, your muscles, which were in a relaxed state till now, object to their disturbance and convey their message through a stiffness and pain.

Also, stretching of the calves may cause pulled calf muscle, also known as Grade #1 muscle strains, which are brought about by micro tearing of muscle fibers. Intense or excessive stretching may also induce Grade #2 muscle strains, brought about by partial tearing of muscle fibers.

Muscle Tear: This is Grade #3 muscle strain where the complete muscle fibers of the particular region are torn.

Circulation Disorders: Disorders of the circulatory system such as Varicose Veins, Venuous Insufficiency, Arterial Insufficiency, Arterial and Deep Vein Thrombosis, Intermittent Claudication, Thrombophlebitis, etc. can also be some causes behind painful calves and swollen calf muscles.

These were some of the general causes of this condition. Now, getting down to pain in the calves while doing exercises such as running and walking, let us take a look at the causes responsible for these conditions:

Insufficient Warm-up and Warm-Downs: Calf pain during running and walking are usually experienced due to a lack of or insufficient warm-ups and warm-downs. Before plunging into speed walking or running head on, the leg muscles must be conditioned to tune them for heavy-duty aerobics.

Simple warm up routines like calf-stretches can be effective in preventing muscular strains and pain in the calf during or after running and brisk walking.

Dehydration: Inadequate hydration before running is a cause of painful calves while running, as it makes you sweat & sweating dehydrates the body if you haven't consumed sufficient fluids before starting. This may cause muscle cramps and the muscles that are getting the most exercise, calves in case of running, are much more prone to succumb to dehydration.

Mineral Deficiency: Deficiency or inadequacy of Calcium, trace minerals and Magnesium as a major cause of calf strain. Therefore, intake of mineral and magnesium rich foods or taking multi-mineral supplements are often recommended by sports experts to avoid calf muscle cramps.

Over-Pronation: Over pronation is that condition where the feet roll over too much when you run, which puts excessive pressure on the calf muscles, especially the Achilles Tendon. This is the main factor which causes pain in lower calf while running.

Tight Calves and Weak Shins: A condition known as Anterior Shin Splints is responsible for pain in outer calf while running. The causes responsible for this condition are calf muscle tightness and weak shin muscles.

Running on hard surfaces and wearing hard soled shoes while running can put additional pressure on the front leg muscles, causing strain to the anterior and posterior shins.

Cold Compress: First aid for calf strain should consist of continuous application of ice packs to the affected area for at least 15-20 minutes at a stretch.

Stretching the calves before the exercise and regular calf muscle exercises are good for strengthening the muscles of this area, so that your calves are better equipped to take the pressure of running and walking.

Arresting Inflammation: Anti-inflammatory painkillers such as Ibuprofen may be given to relieve the pain and swelling in the affected area. Care must be taken to give such a drug only after a meal and not on an empty stomach. Alternatively, anti-inflammatory ointments and balms may be gently rubbed on the affected area to provide relief from pain and swelling and encourage blood circulation, leading to faster healing in case of damaged tissues around the strained muscle.

Rest: Complete rest for a few days, depending on the severity of the muscular strain, is advisable to allow the calf muscles to heal. Massaging the calf slightly can also speed up the healing process. However, care must be taken when massaging a muscle injury, as the wrong strokes may worsen the situation. Soliciting the help of a professional sports therapist, masseur attending physiotherapy sessions is ideal.

Consult an Orthopedic: Consult an orthopedic if the pain and swelling is extremely severe and are not alleviated even after applying cold compress or taking anti-inflammatory medication. Also, if the pain is induced due to an evident sports injury and if it poses an obstacle to the mobility of the leg, consulting an orthopedic should be the first course of action.

Agreed that exercising is the right thing to do for a healthy lifestyle, but doing the right thing the right way is also very important. Always make sure you do some warm-up exercises before those aerobic exercises and drink lots of water and fluids to keep your body well-hydrated.

Develop your exercise stamina gradually rather than trying to push your body from-zero-to-ten in a fitness frenzy. This way, you would give your body the opportunity to gradually and comfortably transition towards increased caliber and stamina. This way, calf pain while exercising would be a thing of the past!