A strained or pulled calf muscle means that you have torn muscle fibers in the calf muscle. It can occur as the result of an injury or blow to the area, from overuse or moving quickly and placing too much force on the muscle. Sports that require a lot of jumping, running, starting and stopping can all lead to a calf muscle pull. If you have this injury, you need to talk to your doctor about available treatments for a pulled calf muscle, so that your injury does not become worse.
R.I.C.E.
Mount Sinai states that the severity of your injury will dictate the exact treatment approach that you will need. You may need to start with rest, ice, compression and elevation. All of these will help to reduce pain and inflammation. You will need to avoid activities that make your symptoms worse until your injury heals. The amount of time that you need to rest will be determined by how severely you pulled your muscle and how you respond to treatment. If your strain is classified as a grade one or mild strain, then this may be all you need for a period of one to two weeks.
Medication and Massage
You may need to take a variety of medications to help manage your symptoms. This includes over-the-counter anti-inflammatory and pain medication. The National Center for Biotechnology Information recommends using moist heat and massage along with medication to help ease pain and swelling.
Exercise
You will need to stretch and strengthen your calf muscles to help regain strength and flexibility, and more importantly, to prevent re-injuring the area. Your doctor or physical therapist will work with you to determine when it is appropriate to start an exercise program and what exercises are best to do. If you have a grade two or moderate strain, you may require a longer period of physical therapy before being able to return to normal activities. It may take 1 to 2 months to fully recover. When you first start exercising again, the Athletes' Performance, Inc. website states that applying heat before exercise may help to loosen and relax your muscles so they are more receptive to stretching.
Surgery
If you have a grade three strain, it means that you have completely torn the muscle. This is a serious injury and may require surgery to fix it. The type of surgery you need will depend on your individual situation.
