How do you relieve sore calves?
Care and Treatment
- Rest: Avoid walking or running with calf muscle pain.
- Ice: Put an ice pack or cold compress on your calf muscles for 20 minutes every two hours.
- Compression: Apply a compression bandage or wrap to your calf.
- Elevation: Lift your leg into an elevated position, preferably above the level of your heart.
What is the fastest way to heal sore calves?
To help relieve muscle soreness, try:
- Gentle stretching.
- Muscle massage.
- Rest.
- Ice to help reduce inflammation.
- Heat to help increase blood flow to your muscles.
- Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicine, such as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like ibuprofen (brand name: Advil).
Should I exercise with sore calves?
In most cases, gentle recovery exercises like walking or swimming are safe if you’re sore after working out. They may even be beneficial and help you recover faster. But it’s important to rest if you’re experiencing symptoms of fatigue or are in pain.
Should I rest a sore calf?
As a rule of thumb, if you have a calf strain, you can do activities that don’t make your injury worse. Rest until you are pain-free. This will allow the injured muscle to heal. If you don’t get enough rest, it may take longer to recover.
How do you loosen tight calves?
Stretches to relieve tight calves
- Stand near a wall with one foot in front of the other, front knee slightly bent.
- Keep your back knee straight, your heel on the ground, and lean toward the wall.
- Feel the stretch all along the calf of your back leg.
- Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds.
How long do sore calves last?
2 Calf strains may be minor or severe, and most commonly occur in the gastrocnemius muscle. Grade 1: The type of strain happens when a stretch causes small micro-tears in the muscle fibers. This type of injury causes pain, but usually doesn’t interfere with activity. Full recovery takes about two weeks.
Does walking help sore calves?
Dr. Knepper says walking encourages small arteries in the legs to enlarge, which increases blood flow. “Keep in mind that the pain you might feel while walking is not causing further damage,” he says. If your doctor approves, you can begin a simple walking routine that will start to improve your leg health.
Is walking good for calf strain?
For the first few days, reduce the amount of walking you do. Gently move your ankle regularly to avoid stiffness. Avoid forceful and strenuous activity such as running and jumping until you can walk without it causing any pain.
Should I massage a calf strain?
Getting a massage is also very beneficial right after the initial injury (just not at the site of the tear!) Massage can lengthen the entire posterior chain while increasing circulation around the strain through the whole leg. Rubbing the bottom of your foot over a tennis ball can also ease the pain felt in the calf.
How do you soften hard calves?
Self-massaging the soles of your feet: loosens up hardened calves. Stand in a relaxed position or sit on a chair. Place a MINI under the sole of your foot. Apply as much pressure as you can tolerate and slowly move your foot back and forth on the roll.
Why do calf muscles get so tight?
Tight calves can be caused by: Overuse – sudden start/increase in activity or change in activity. Underuse – not moving enough. Muscle wasting (atrophy) – see underuse but also common in older age. Muscle tears – these would also be acutely painful as well as tight.