How long to heal?

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becnaffine
becnaffine Posts: 55
in Fitness and Exercise
About a month ago I pulled my calf muscle in a step class. Not badly but enough to make me leave the class. It was fine the next day. The following week the same thing happened in step class. This time I iced it and the instructor said to go easy and rest for a couple of weeks. I normally run on the treadmill, do step classes and power walk outside. I ran on the treadmill a few days later and it was ok, only slightly felt it. I haven't gone back to step class. Yesterday I did some hiking (a lot of it uphill) and it twinged again. Not badly.

So my question is should I totally rest it ie no exercise or just do gentle exercise? I'm worried my fitness level will decrease if I rest for 2-3 weeks.

What should I do as this is my first small injury.

Replies

  • EllaIsNotEnchanted
    EllaIsNotEnchanted Posts: 226 Member
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    I am no Physical Trainer/Therapist, but the worse you can do is exacerbate a torn muscle or tendon.

    When either is torn the whole "lost" time and set-backs is just super annoying. So whatever you do prevent. prevent. prevent.
    Do some light dynamic stretching before and static stretching after (for prevention of further injuries).

    Try to avoid over-training (though I'm unsure you are doing that).
    1. You want to avoid putting added pressure on another joint/tendon/muscle group to make up for the joint you are trying to lighten while you are moving through your workout.
    2. Ignoring a pain and trying to work through the pain through your work out is going to cause further damage. That's your body telling you to stop. There is a differance between sore and pain.
    3. It sounds like you have been doing these exercises in the past, but just for everyone else to avoid over-training: make sure to condition up to a fit program. People do not instantly go out and run a marathon. They condition themselves up to that point.

    I would ice 3 times a day. Or ice after a workout where you put a lot of stress on your calf.

    Also I would do some dynamic stretching for your calf prior your work-out so you are increasing blood flow.

    Like calf raises.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGq8YzBsrjw#t=0m59s

    Then I would do lower impact kind of exercise (swimming).
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    This is a great excuse to start doing bicep curls :)

    Work on upper body and don't push yourself because a temporary injury is better than a longer worse permanent injury.
  • nornyb
    nornyb Posts: 224 Member
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    I pulled my hamstring a couple of months ago and couldn't do any treadmill work (running or walking) or use the stair climber, which were my main cardio workouts at the time. I used the elliptical and cycled instead, for whatever amount of time gave me the same calorie burn, and I did not do any lower body strength training at all. It was a full month before I could use the treadmill again without feeling that pulled muscle twinge, it has been about 7 weeks now and I am back up to full speed on everything. So I guess that is a long winded way of suggesting you find alternatives that don't hurt until you heal.
  • nobleammonite
    nobleammonite Posts: 64 Member
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    I had a similar-ish problem, in that my ankle started twinging during my runs. First I would notice it after about 25 minutes, then a week later it was after 20, then 15, then 10, then 7... I decided to stop before it became an actual injury. (The ankle didn't hurt when I stopped running, although I could sometimes feel it going up stairs.) I think it may be related to my shoes - as in, I need new ones. Still, I wanted whatever it was - it felt like a tendon, but I have no idea - to heal, so I didn't run for about a month and a half. I kept up my fitness with HIIT, which I had slacked off on when I was running regularly. Just two days ago I ran about 2/3 what I normally would and my ankle didn't hurt! I was VERY surprised at how easy I found running for that long. My time sucked, but my body didn't complain at all. I've only been running "regularly" for two-ish years, and the last time I stopped due to nasty weather and general laziness, I was wiped when I tried to start again. That time I didn't do much other exercise.

    So I guess this was my long-winded way of saying find some exercises that don't stress your calf and keep up with them while you let it heal. You don't want it to become worse!
  • twelfty
    twelfty Posts: 576 Member
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    if you're in reasonable health, a weeks rest with high protein intake will see you repaired in no time, the more you pull/tear it the worse it will get, keep it active, light walking, few gentle stretches and like i say it should heal up in a week, to be on the safe side the following week don't push too hard, or do over complicated leg work, instead of step class and blasting it on the treadmill do a morderate-brisk paced walk for X amount of time (say an hour?) factor in some incline but not too strenuous maybe incorperate an extra session then the end of week two see how it is if not rinse and repeat and by week three you should be back to 100%

    i wouldn't worry about your fitness level dropping, by doing the above this would more than maintain it
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    A calf muscle injury like you describe is often a muscle tear, not a "pull". If you try to work out on it too soon, you will just continue to re-tear it.

    In this case, "no working out" means
    no working out (at least nothing that involves the lower body).

    I have had this injury last anywhere from 5 days to 6 weeks. You have to be very careful--even over aggressive stretching can reinjure it.

    Take the time off. Do not resume exercise until you are completely symptom free and then just do a tiny amount of low-level movement to see if it is OK. At that point, add some heel raises or other calf-strengthening exercises, along with mild stretching.
  • jbruced
    jbruced Posts: 210 Member
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    4 to 6 weeks for healing time then gently and gradually add back the work load on the injured part.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    A calf muscle injury like you describe is often a muscle tear, not a "pull". If you try to work out on it too soon, you will just continue to re-tear it.

    In this case, "no working out" means
    no working out (at least nothing that involves the lower body).

    I have had this injury last anywhere from 5 days to 6 weeks. You have to be very careful--even over aggressive stretching can reinjure it.

    Take the time off. Do not resume exercise until you are completely symptom free and then just do a tiny amount of low-level movement to see if it is OK. At that point, add some heel raises or other calf-strengthening exercises, along with mild stretching.

    Learned this the hard way. Don't try anything till there's no pain or stiffness in the calf. Trying to run even a little, prematurely, just prolongs the problem.
  • becnaffine
    becnaffine Posts: 55
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    Thanks everyone. I did a very slow 15 minute jog today on the treadmill and there was no pulling or pain. I will def take it easy for a few weeks. Elliptical and bike I think :)

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