{"id":6794,"date":"2019-03-08T20:46:31","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T10:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intraining.com.au\/?p=6794"},"modified":"2019-03-09T09:47:45","modified_gmt":"2019-03-08T23:47:45","slug":"running-related-calf-muscle-soreness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev3.dxcoders.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/08\/running-related-calf-muscle-soreness\/","title":{"rendered":"Running Related Calf Muscle Soreness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Running related calf muscle soreness<\/strong><\/h1>\n

By Doug James, Physiotherapist and Podiatrist<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The New Year often sees people return to running after some time off. This return could be following a couple of weeks off during a Christmas holiday, or starting back run again for the first time in years. During the first couple of months of the year, it\u2019s not uncommon to see runners coming into the clinic with sore lower legs. Differentiating the different sorts of leg soreness can help identify how long it will take to heal, and whether you can continue to run with the injury.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lower Leg Anatomy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The calf comprises of two main muscles \u2013 the Soleus and the Gastrocnemius. The Soleus has a long, wide muscle belly that extends the length of the back of the Tibia (shin) bone. The Gastrocnemius is the muscle on the top half of the calf and comprises of a medial and lateral head which both overlay the Soleus. Together the Soleus and Gastrocnemius form the Achilles tendon, which attaches to the heel allowing us to push off when we walk, run and stand on tip-toe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve recently started running or returned to it after a long time away from it (more than two months) your first couple of runs may leave you feeling a bit stiff and sore. This usually lasts for the following 1-2 days. This can also be felt in more regularly trained runners if they\u2019ve increased the intensity of a session or competed in a race. If there wasn\u2019t any particularly noticeable pain during the run (aside from that of exertion) chances are you have Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (aka DOMS). This stiffness is usually felt in your quadriceps (thigh) muscles, and possibly your calf muscles.  <\/span><\/p>\n

DOMS is generally nothing to worry about; in fact, it may actually be somewhat beneficial. It\u2019s been found that experiencing DOMS once, and then training again within a few days can help to reduce it coming back the next time. <\/span><\/p>\n

Calf muscle tears<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Calf muscle tears are fairly common in runners and can result in pain and an inability to run or walk comfortably. They often strike at inopportune times \u2013 such as during the sprint finish of a race and can leave the runner unable to run for weeks, or even months. With correct care, healing time can be reduced, safely returning you back to running.<\/span><\/p>\n

Acute muscle tears<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Small muscle tears (microtears) occur nearly every time that we run, however they are usually so small that they heal by the next time that we run. More substantial acute tears can happen when there\u2019s insufficient healing time between running sessions, or more stress is put on the muscle than it can handle \u2013 often during sprinting and running uphill\/stairs and greater damage occurs. <\/span><\/p>\n

Risk factors for acute muscle tears include: <\/span><\/p>\n