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Possible Calf Strain?

18, Male, Healthy
So around three days ago my right calf and foot started feeling odd. In what I can only describe as the muscle feeling tense, tingling, and stiff with the foot and calf muscles feeling barely numb.
It doesn’t hurt exactly, but it makes me wanna stretch or exercise, which helps a little bit. I also noticed slight muscular spasms, like the ones you get when lacking potassium. Going off my own knowledge, I believe this to be the result of an injury, though I don’t recall any recent major leg injuries. Although, I do take daily walks. Here’s the kicker- I take roughly 28-44 minute walks on even ground at a fast pace, without stretching beforehand, while wearing flip-flops, and usually without a break. By the end my legs and feet will be aching.
I think this poor walking conduct is the contributor to my leg issue. I believe this to either be a mild torn calf muscle or a strain, as I can also feel a slight swelling.  Note my thigh feels normal. I first tried treating with a heatpack, which made the numbness in my foot feel slightly worse, so I though maybe the heat was worsening the swelling, which might slow blood flow, so I tried a cold pack which helped.

Thoughts?
One thing is definitely certain: I’m going to improve how I exercise from now on.
2 Responses
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973741 tn?1342342773
Hi there.  So, I have kids in high school that are athletes and one in particular is a runner.  One of the biggest things is good shoes.  The soles can be worn out even slightly and it will impact your legs.  In the US, we have a lot of running shops and those are great places to go to be 'fitted' with a shoe.  They have my boys run the parking lot in several pairs to find the ones that feel the best.  And if they soles break down at all, it can lead to pain like you describe.  Stretching is really key.  Lots of stretching daily even when you don't run/walk.  Try to maybe do it before you got to bed.  Are you in school?  Most schools have an athletic trainer that anyone can stop in and see.  They can give you suggestions as well.  

There are menthol sticking strips that you can put on your calves and my kids use these before they go to sleep.  It helps relax the muscle.  A tennis ball rolling it on the area can help.  And ice.  

good luck and let us know what you think.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I agree with using the menthol. I used to think that BenGay was just a gimmick, but it turns out to be real medicine.

"The  anti-inflammatory  activity  of  the  monoterpene  l-menthol... significantly reduced the production of LTB4... and PGE2"
http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/18/1/1227/pdf

I'd think that any generic version would do. Plus they have the aspirin-like salicylate,  and camphor.

There are also creams with the capsaicin from hot peppers. But at 18, recuperative powers are so strong that medicine might not be needed, just rest and avoiding re-injury. Otherwise, a person who continues training could maybe use the intervention/medicine.

I believe that Normalguy is correct all through in his analysis. It's a muscle pull and when injured a muscle often tightens up, like a cramp. The flip-flops make your feet tense up to try and grip them, so that contributes to overuse. I also have personally experienced that using heat can make an injury worse, while ice never does.
363281 tn?1643235611
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hello~First, I think you need a good, supportive pair of walking shoes, walking in flip-flops certainly won't give you lower back any support. Second, I think seeing a chiropractor will help. You probably have some pinched nerves and misaligned vertebrae in the lower back and hip and that is also contributing to the pain. Chiropractors are trained to find areas that can be causing issues, especially in the back region and hips.
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