Sore Calves When Running
Are you experiencing pains in your calves associated with running, but have not had a specific sporting injury to cause it? This can be referred to as non-traumatic calf pain, and it can be mighty frustrating!
Most runners face this problem at some point. Calf pain that does not have an obvious starting point often fluctuates in a pattern. You might experience pain and tightness when running, which often increases the further and longer you run. After ceasing to run, the discomfort typically lessens but doesn’t completely resolve. Our calves are significant elements when it comes to running, which makes them both important for a positive performance and susceptible to problems.
It makes sense that you can experience pain after sporting injuries, but what can you do when you have seemingly unexplained discomfort in your calves and why has it occurred? Read on to find out more about this issue and how we can help.
Assessing Sore Calves
Although sore claves can put a spanner in the works, the good news is there are steps you can take towards improvement. Firstly, seeking professional assistance can be significantly beneficial. The Muscle Joint Bone team is experienced in treating sore calves, and we begin this process with a thorough assessment of your issue.
There can be several causes for non-traumatic calf pain, so there are a few factors to consider when trying to find the underlying issue. One main point to focus on is the location of the pain. Calf pain generally presents in these areas:
- The outer or inner areas of the calf.
- Above the ankle.
- Near the Achilles’ tendon.
- Near the knee.
Other factors include:
- Is the discomfort an acute ache or severe pain?
- Could the calf pain be referred pain from a different issue?
Knowing the location and intensity of the pain helps us to identify the cause and decide on a suitable treatment plan.
What Causes Sore Calves?
Non-traumatic calf pain is often a result of an element that is ongoing. Fortunately, once the cause or causes are identified, you can often do things to improve the situation. Factors that might be influencing your calf pain when running may include the following.
Your calves are being overloaded.
Stress on your calves may occur due to a change connected to your running. This may be alterations to your training, such as running larger distances or increasing the intensity of your runs, new shoes, or inadequate rest periods. We can help you identify what might be overloading your calves and assist in finding a solution.
Tight Buttock Or Back Muscles
If you have tight muscles, they can press on your nerves and decrease their moveability and functionality. The issue often occurs in people who sit down for long periods of time. Flexibility exercises and stretches can be advantageous for improvement and prevention.
Small Muscle Tears
Significant muscle issues usually cause sudden, sharp pain that is generally hard to ignore. However, small tears can occur and worsen over time. Rest and exercise that does not put stress on the muscle, such as swimming, usually help to improve the issue. We can create a personalised rehabilitation plan for you to get you back to running.
The calf muscles are weak or lack endurance
Running is not an exercise you can undertake without preparation and maintenance. To this end, you should carry out strengthening and flexibility exercises. We can create a program for you, which may include exercises such as single calf raises and foam rolling.
Training Methods
Humans may be designed to run, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a need to learn the best techniques. We can review your running style, gait, and routine to explore how the way you run is affecting your calves.
We Can Help You Return To The Running Track Without Calf Pain
When patients come to see us about sore calves, one of the most common questions we get is whether they can keep running. Ultimately, this depends on the degree of pain you are experiencing, the cause, and how it is affecting your running. Generally, we recommend reducing your training, but we will discuss this with you during your appointment and regularly review the situation.
If you have issues due to sore calves and sporting injuries when running, please make an appointment with us and we can begin treatment.