Any calf strain/pain experts in the house?

Why when a mile or two into a run do I get a stabbing pain that doesn’t go away in the very back of my right lower leg about 10″ off of the ground, just at the base of my calf muscle?

It hurts then for a couple of days afterwards, last night it appeared within 1/2 a mile, I can run through it but it takes the enjoyment out of the run.

I warm up before hand, I’ve tried resting it but that doesn’t work, do I strap it up and run through it? or go to the Doctors?

I have been buiding up my mileage btw

I get a stabbing pain that doesn’t go away in the very back of my right lower leg about 10″ off of the ground, just at the base of my calf muscle?

On the inside? if it is it sounds like you’ve a slight tear in the soleus muscle near where it joins the tendon.

get it checked by a physiotherapist. There’s a possibility it could get worse very quickly.

Kev

i get this – have to take a week off to let it fully recover – although it feels better after a couple of days running on it again quickly retears it as its not fully repaired.

compression clothing made a huge difference to recovery last time it happened …. about 12 hours later i had no pain but still left it a week before i went out on it ….

ive learnt the hard way not to keep running through it

Sounds a bit like achilles tendonitis – hard to diagnose over the net though, so as Keva says go and see a physio (you’ll need to pay to see a proper sports one unless you’ve won the postcode lottery on NHS provision). I also recommend seeing a podiatrist, as any injury down there is likely to be related to foot mechanics issues, which can be vastly improved with orthotics of one sort or another. The physio will fix the symptoms and go some way to sorting out the underlying issues, but IME the podiatrist provides a more permanent fix. You may also find as I did that you can carry on running with appropriate treatment and exercise regime, rather than having to just rest and recover.

Don’t bother with your GP – as my physio said when I mentioned that I’d have probably gone to mine on Monday if I hadn’t got an appointment lined up with her, they’ll just tell you to rest and proscribe anti-inflammatories.

sounds as though it could be a small tear either in soleus or of insertion of gastrocs into the achilles.

Internet diagnosis is never any good so get yourself to a physio / GP to have a looksie and they will be best placed to advise you on what to do..

I wouldn’t run or cycle on it until you’ve seen someone (if you can get there in reasonable time), otherwise rest it for a week or two and look into stretching and strengthening exercises – again physio is best to advise.

aracer – thats how i learnt the hardway … achillies tendonitus is for life not just for christmas 🙁

Now i seem to spend my life stretching and foam rollering

JohnClimber… Go and see a Doc. Does it feel a bit like a cramp? It sounds as if your doing all the right things so far. You could try an insert in your trainer (put one in each shoe) about 5mm to 7mm deep under your heels, this will relieve the stress in your achillies. Problem is pain in your calves like that could be something called ‘intermittent claudication’. This is a narrowing or blockage in the blood supply to the part of the muscle that is in pain. The treatment for that is completely the opposite of the treatment for achillies tendonitis. It needs a definative diagnosis now. Googling it may scare you silly…. As a Podiatrist im aware that the wrong treatment for this could cause real problems……

Now i seem to spend my life stretching and foam rollering

Have you seen a podiatrist? Correct orthotics largely fixed my issues for years until recently, only requiring me to do a bit of stretching (and I wasn’t always too good at that).