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Our user asked: "Suffering from a calf strain for a couple of weeks. I have been using the stick once a day but doesn't seem like it's getting any better. Had a massage and it kind of transferred the pain elsewhere. Any advice would be great, thank you."
Ask a PT Response: "I'll need a little more information in order to attempt to answer your question.
What is the mechanism of injury? - How did you hurt your calf?
How do you know it is a strain? Can you describe your pain? What aggravates and what alleviates?
Where was the original pain and where is the new pain? ..............."
Our user replied: "I felt my calf "pop" when playing basketball. I figured it was a strain from the fact I could still walk on it & reading only about the injury. It has a big knot in the upper calf area & I feel the most pain when walking when I have to push off walking forward. Ice helps with the pain & I have had massages on the calf but then it gets pretty sore the next day. The original pain was in my upper calf towards the outside of my calf but now seems more below my calf muscle. I also take ibuprofen but doesn't really seem to help that much. I hope this helped you out more. Thank you for your time."
Ask a PT Response: "The popping sensation is usually not a good thing. It may suggest a tear - especially with the knot. How many weeks has it been since the injury now? Injury to the gastrocnemius or soleus (muscles that comprise the calf) would result in difficulty with push off with gait. Since you have been dealing with this injury for quite awhile now, it may be a good idea to seek out further medical attention from a PT or MD to determine what is going on and to assist you in a faster recovery."
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