The leg is made up of the tibia and fibula bones, the gastrocnemius, soleus, plantaris and peroneal muscles, as well as the arteries, veins and nerves that feed the leg and foot. Disease or injury to any of these structures may cause pain in a person's calf muscles. A regular, moderately-intense exercise program including aerobic and resistance training can help reduce the risks of such conditions and therefore prevent calf muscle pain.
Types
Calf muscle pain may result from an inflammation of a deep vein in the calf or a blood clot in the vein, also called thrombophlebitis. Peripheral artery disease generates aches and pain in the calves, according to MedlinePlus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health. Tight, inflamed and ruptured calf muscles and tendons can be another source of calf muscle pain.
Features
Inflammation of a deep vein may arise from a direct hit to the calf such as from a ball or a kick. An injured person will experience swelling, a dull, aching pain, pale coloring of the calf and possibly a slow or absent pulse in the foot, according to Sandra Shultz and colleagues in their book "Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries." A ruptured plantaris muscle generates a sudden and sharp pain at the back of the leg. A person may experience tenderness under the belly of the gastrocnemius including swelling and discoloration near the ankle. A rupture of the Achilles tendon induces immediate pain and disability. Exceptional swelling and discoloration also occur and a bulge in the calf will be visible.
Effects
A painful blood clot deep within a vein in the calf may break loose and travel to the arteries in a person's lungs, causing him to have chest pains and a cough and have difficulty breathing, according to the Mayoclinic.com. Pain from peripheral artery disease makes it hard to walk fast, walk up a hill and walk for very long periods of time. This pain may be so intense it is difficult to sleep with clothes on or with bed sheets over the calves. A person with pain from a ruptured Achilles tendon or a ruptured plantaris muscle will not be able to walk on the affected calf because it is too painful to push off of or flex the ankle.
Treatments
Pain from deep vein clots may be reduced by using support stockings or by undergoing surgery to remove blood clots or painful veins, according to the MayoClinic.com. Initial treatments for pain from a ruptured calf muscle or tendon include immobilization, anti-inflammatory medicine and ice. Once surgery is performed to reattach the muscle, pain medicine and ice treatments are continued. Heat treatments and progressive stretches and exercises are introduced to continue to repair the injury. A person suffering from peripheral artery disease may be prescribed pain-relieving medicine in addition to medication that prevent clots from forming, further reducing pain.
Prevention
A person can prevent calf muscle pain by warming up and stretching prior to increased activity. Calf muscle pain can be further reduced if high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes-- factors that contribute to the development of peripheral artery disease and deep vein clots--are lowered or controlled.
References
- "Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries"; Sandra Shultz, Peggy Houglum and David Perrin; 2005
- MedlinePlus: Peripheral Artery Disease
- American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine: Running and Your Feet
- MayoClinic.com: Pulmonary Embolism
- MayoClinic.com: Thrombophlebitis--Prevention
