- Home
- Conditions
- Leg
- Calf Strain
Calf Strain
A calf strain is a tear in the muscles at the back of the lower leg, typically on a push-off or a sudden acceleration. People often describe feeling as though they were kicked or hit in the back of the leg. It is most common in the over-forties returning to sport. One important early step is ruling out a blood clot, which can mimic it and needs urgent medical attention.
5.0
Does this sound like you?
Most people have several of these, not all of them.
- Sudden sharp pain in the calf, often with the sense of being struck
- Difficulty pushing off, walking normally or going up on tiptoe
- Bruising tracking down towards the ankle over a few days
- Tightness and cramping in the days afterwards
- Swelling, redness, heat or breathlessness — which need urgent medical review
Why it happens
- A sudden push-off, acceleration or jump
- Returning to running or court sport after a break
- Fatigue at the end of a session or game
- Reduced ankle range increasing the load on the calf
- Most common from the forties onwards
What we would do about it
Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.
- Ruling out a blood clot where the presentation is not typical
- Early protected walking, with a heel raise if needed
- Progressive calf loading through range
- Building to single-leg heel raises and then to hopping
- A graded return to running with volume before speed
- Addressing ankle stiffness, which often underlies it
See a doctor first if
- Your pain followed a significant injury
- It is getting worse rather than settling
- It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.
Swelling and warmth need checking urgently
A calf that is swollen, hot or red, or comes with breathlessness, needs same-day medical review rather than physiotherapy. A straightforward strain we can start on immediately. Ask a question first, or call us on 0403 907 587.
Trouble with the form? Open booking in a new tab or call 0403 907 587.
Other leg conditions we treat
Related reading: strains at the back of the thigh, achilles tendon pain and shin pain from running.
General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Calf Strain on Physiopedia.
