Calf pain can develop suddenly during running, jumping or sport, or following a direct impact to the lower leg. A calf strain and a corked muscle are different injuries and may require different approaches to management and rehabilitation. At Living Health Group, we assess how the injury occurred, your symptoms and activity demands before developing an individualised management plan based on your needs and goals.
A calf strain involves injury to the muscle fibres and can occur during activities such as running, accelerating, jumping or changing direction. The severity and location of the strain can vary, which can influence symptoms and rehabilitation.
A corked muscle, or muscle contusion, occurs following a direct impact to the muscle, such as a collision during sport. Although the symptoms can sometimes feel similar to a strain, the way the injury occurred and the early management may be different.
Understanding how the injury happened, where your symptoms are located and how the calf is functioning can help guide an appropriate management and rehabilitation plan.
Calf pain can have a number of different causes, so an assessment can help determine the nature of the injury and guide an appropriate management and rehabilitation plan.
Your care starts with understanding how your injury occurred, your symptoms and the activities you need to return to. From there, we develop an individualised management and rehabilitation plan based on your assessment, activity demands and goals.
We assess how the injury occurred, the location and severity of your symptoms, your calf function and strength, and the activity or training demands relevant to your injury.
Depending on the type and stage of your injury, management may include advice around activity and appropriate loading, alongside hands-on treatment where appropriate.
Progressive calf and lower-limb strengthening may be incorporated into your rehabilitation. Where appropriate, we may use VALD testing to objectively measure strength and compare differences between sides as part of your rehabilitation.
For people returning to running or sport, rehabilitation may include graded running and sport-specific activities, with progression based on your symptoms, strength, function and the demands of your activity.
Calf strain treatment at Living Health Group covers both a calf injury from running or sport and a corked thigh or calf from impact. If you have a corky, our article on the quickest recovery from a corky is a useful starting point before your appointment.
Assessment, calf strengthening and a graded return to sport at our Wheelers Hill clinic, near Glen Waverley.
Book an appointment at our Wheelers Hill clinic, near Glen Waverley. We’ll take the time to understand your concerns, assess what may be contributing to your symptoms and tailor your care to your individual needs and goals.
