Tightness /Pain in one calf

tablefor5now

Hi all. I broke my right ankle at the beginning of the year (simple distal fibula fracture) and was stuck in a moon boot for six weeks. Prior to this, I walked a lot, often up stairs in a local bush track. The boot came off in March.
Since then I'm back walking but whenever I walk stair tracks, the left calf muscle becomes very tight and sore enough to make me limp a little. I have to keep stopping to try and stretch it out again. It been a few months and is getting tiresome. I assume it's happening because my gait was altered in the moon boot. Any suggestions to alleviate this? Specific stretches or exercises?

heybales

Both.

Strengthen right side so it can carry it's load compared to left.
Stretch left side since it's been major used and probably still compensating and taking more load.

And indeed walk on treadmill in front of mirror if possible - or video yourself from side and back - and look for what was probably an altered gate.

You can do a test at home to compare strength.
Sit in chair with a couple 2 liter bottles of liquid in a box on left knee first.
Piece of wood under ball of foot so heel drops.
See how many lifts of heel when it gets to memorable level of hurt.
Now compare right side.

While that is only testing the soleus muscle - it's a good indication if big mismatch that probably applies to gastroc too.
Besides - doing toe stands on 1 leg might be a bit much to test the gastroc muscle differences.
But you can certainly do that as workout, though I'd use stairs or such to get full range of motion.
Do as many on weak leg as possible, 3 sets every other day. Do same number on strong leg.
Add another 2 liter bottle to do the sitting workouts.

tablefor5now

That's a good idea to test the strength difference first. Thank you!