Calf Muscle Tear

Two months ago I suffered what appeared to be a simple injury that I thought would be better soon enough. Turns out it wasn't a minor. Specially since I was lifting heavy weights on it which worsened it. When I realized I went to the doc first time and he told me it was a strain. He gave me some painkillers, I took em and told me to use ice and some gel to massage it in. Weeks after hardly any much progress. Now its been two months and I still have some of the injury. I need some ideas on how yo speed up recovery or what to do to it. I don't feel pain when I walk but when it involves running and jumping i easily get pain in my calves. I went to a second doc by the way which told me it was the fibers that were torn. I've been sitting on my butt for 2 months and I've become out of shape I'm 16 I operate best at weigths between 145 and 149 right now im in my 150s cause I can't work out. I shouldn't have tried deadlife concrete blocks on an iron bar, so any tips please help me.

Rest it. Don't continue to work on it, you'll only worsen it.

See another Doc or a Physio for more indepth help.

Muscle tears take forever to heal. Don't make it worse by over-doing it. Let it heal.

I don't have money to go to anymore docs right now i notice when i massaged it feels a bit painful. I wonder if im doing the proper things. Is there any treatment i can give it to speed it up a bit and can i work my other muscles.

You need to treat your rehab as a workout in itself. Its not glamorous, nor is it fun, but if you are to get back to activities at 100%, its something you need to do.

1. high impact work like running and skipping causes pain to the injury - SO DONT DO THEM!!! all you are doing is preventing yourself from healing.

2. If the injury happened during deadlifts, then the chances are that you have torn the soleus muscle. Again, avoid deadlift and squats at this stage, as they put great strain on this calve muscle.

3. Introduce contrast therapy to the injury every day (preferably 2-3 sessions a day)

This involves heating the area (heat pack or hot water bottle - not chemical spray or linament) for 10 mins, followed by cold for 5 mins (ice pack, or bag of frozen peas). Within the 10 mins heat, you can do gentle soleus stretches, and some manual massage of the area (yes, it will hurt).

each session should take 45 mins (3 hot/cold transitions).

Whilst dealing with this injury, there is no reason why you cant keep working out around the injury. Lighter resistance cycling for cardio and to keep you legs working, combined with non weight baring upper body work (machines and seated work).

You should give it a full 3 weeks of the above, and then test the leg by using a treadmill- warm up throughly with a brisk walk, then increase the gradient slowly(this puts strain on the calves). If it feels comfortable, then phase out the cycling in favour of hill walking for cardio. If the hill walk causes pain or 'twinges', stop immediately, and continue with your rehab plan.

If this is not completely healed after 4 weeks of rehab, you need a specialist medical diagnosis and treatment.

thanks Cord but how does the soleus stretch go and won't going from hot to cold like make me catch a cold or something?

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thanks Cord but how does the soleus stretch go and won't going from hot to cold like make me catch a cold or something?

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Well, no that wouldnt make you get a cold anyway, but the contrast therapy is localised- that means that you rest the injured calve on a hot water bottle, or heat pack, and then when its time for the cold, you rest the calve on a bag of frozen peas or an ice pack. The rest of you remains at ambient room temperature

Soleus stretch (all you had to do was google)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=1i8QwoscojU

You have been making this injury worse for 2 months now, so if you havent improved dramaticaly in the next 1-2 weeks, you are going to have to find the cash for medical assistance.