A sudden sharp pain or pulling feeling in your calf, often while running, jumping or pushing off quickly. Some people describe it as feeling like being kicked in the back of the leg. A calf strain can make walking uncomfortable, but most heal well, and starting gentle movement early can help.

What a calf strain is

Your calf is made up of two main muscles that join into your Achilles tendon at the back of your heel. One crosses your knee and works hard in fast, powerful movements. The other sits deeper and works with every step you take.

A strain means some of the muscle fibres have been overstretched or torn. Strains range from mild, where you feel tightness and discomfort, to more significant, where walking is painful and there may be bruising.

Calf strains are common in runners, racket sports and sports with sudden bursts of speed, especially from your 30s onwards.

The early days

In the first few days, the area may be painful, tight and sometimes bruised. The aim is to protect it while keeping it gently active. Some things to try:

• Use a wrapped cold pack for 10 to 15 minutes at a time to ease pain.
• Walk as normally as you comfortably can, taking shorter steps if needed.
• Wear shoes with a small heel, which can take some load off the calf.
• Raise your leg on a cushion when sitting, to help with swelling.

If you have been given advice by a physiotherapist, keep following that.

Why starting early helps

Research suggests starting gentle exercise early helps muscle strains recover more quickly than resting for a long time. In one trial of people with recent thigh or calf muscle strains, those who started gentle exercise two days after their injury, rather than nine, got back to their usual activity around three weeks sooner.

Muscles heal best when they are gently loaded, as this helps the new fibres line up and get stronger.

Walking comfortably

Walking is a good way to keep your calf gently active. Some ideas:

• Start with shorter walks on flat ground.
• Try to walk with a normal heel-to-toe pattern, rather than limping, as much as is comfortable.
• Build up the distance gradually as it feels easier.
• Leave the hills and fast walking until later.

Gentle loading

As the initial pain settles, gentle exercises help your calf start to rebuild. Something to try a few times a day:

• Ankle pumps. Sitting or lying down, point your foot away from you, then bring it back towards you.
• Seated heel raises. Sit with your feet flat on the floor and lift your heels, then lower slowly.
• Gentle calf stretch. Face a wall with your hands on it, step your sore leg back and keep the heel down. Lean gently until you feel a mild stretch, and hold for 20 to 30 seconds.

Keep these comfortable. If you would like a guided stretch, VIDA has short videos you can follow at your own pace.

Building back calf strength

As your calf feels stronger, standing exercises help it get ready for everyday life and activity. Something to try three or four times a week:

• Heel raises on both feet. Hold onto a worktop, rise onto your toes, pause, then lower slowly.
• Single-leg heel raises, as both-leg raises feel easy.
• Bent-knee heel raises, with your knees slightly bent, to work the deeper calf muscle.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of heel raises you can use at your own pace. Start with a comfortable number and build up over weeks.

Returning to running and sport

A step by step return helps reduce the chance of another strain. Something like this tends to work well:

• Walk briskly without pain.
• Do 20 or more single-leg heel raises comfortably.
• Start with gentle jogging on flat ground, then build up.
• Add faster running, hills and sport-specific movements last.

Calf strains can come back if you return too quickly, so keeping calf strength work going, even after you feel recovered, helps.

When to get it checked

If your calf becomes more swollen, warm and red over time, rather than settling, it is worth speaking to a doctor straight away.

Your VIDA pain check-in can help you notice how your calf improves as you build back up.

What to take away

• Most calf strains heal well.
• Starting gentle exercise early can help you recover more quickly.
• Walk as normally as you comfortably can, building up gradually.
• Rebuild calf strength with heel raises.
• Return to running and sport step by step.

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