muscle strain

[badgerboy]

I pulled a muscle in my calf - only very, very slightly - while doing nothing more than standing on my toes to stretch after getting out of bed in the morning.
It does not actually hurt, but just feels a bit tight. I have read in a few places that "minor" muscle strains take at least three weeks to heal. Is this so even with really minor ones?
When can I start jogging again? How do I know when it is healed?
Any help gratefully accepted!

[Godofredo MD]

Hi.

On the average, it could possibly take that long for a muscle strain to heal. Although there might not be any apparent pain, the feeling of tightness could indeed indicate a muscle strain.

Here's something you could do. After a few days, you could try flexing and extending your foot a little more vigorously to check for any pain in the calf. If there is none, you could try some brisk walking. If there is still tightness or if pain presents, stop and let the calf heal for some more days, then repeat the process. If there is no tightness and pain, you could try jogging a short distance then assess your calf's condition.

If there is pain, you can also take analgesic/anti-inflammatory drugs to lessen the pain.

Hope this helps.