Your calf is actually a combination of strong muscles and tendons. The gastrocnemius muscle runs from the back of your knee to the back of your heel and is divided into the lateral and medial heads. The soleus muscle attaches to the back of your...
The Achilles tendon, also called the calcaneal tendon, is the largest tendon in your body, and attaches your calf to your heel. It is integral in helping you perform activities such as jogging and jumping. Because it is used so often, however, the...
Tendons attach muscles to bones. Major tendons in the leg enable you to bend the knee, jump, walk and run. Exercise not only strengthens the muscles in the leg but also tendons and ligaments found in the ankle, calf, knee and thigh. When you're...
Tendons are tough but flexible connective tissues that attach muscles of the body to bones. When a muscle contracts, or shortens, it is the corresponding tendon that pulls on the bone of the muscle attachment to create movement. In other words,...
Tight calf muscles can prevent you from flexing your ankle. This can cause you to turn the toe out as you steps down, which puts more pressure onto the big toe instead of all the toes equally, says Kevin Colling, DC in his article, "How to Prevent...
The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles and heel, providing support for many activities of the foot and leg. This important structure often incurs damage because of overuse or injury, hampering a person's ability to carry out daily tasks....
The Achilles tendon, more technically known as the calcaneal tendon, extends from your heel into your calf on the rear of your leg. It is possible to strain, tear or even rupture your Achilles tendon, so be sure to stretch this tendon, along with...
Using cold and heat therapies correctly can help speed the healing of injuries such as a strained Achilles tendon. Using them incorrectly won't cause serious damage, but doing so can increase pain and swelling, rather than reduce them....
Tendons are tough bands of inelastic fibrous tissue that connect muscle to bone. Every movement in the body depends on the ability of tendons to stretch and retract on demand. Tendons create motion. Tendons are not to be confused with ligaments,...
Strength-training exercises typically focus on building overall muscle strength, and often neglect tendon strength. Made from a tough band of fibrous connective tissue, tendons connect skeletal muscles to bone and play a vital role in weight...
Achilles exercises strengthen the Achilles tendon and calf muscles. They also prevent tendonitis in the Achilles. The Achilles tendon is what connects the heel to the gastrocnemius. The gastrocnemius is the largest muscle of the calf. The heel is...
Performing stretching and strengthening exercises may aid in the healing process for any condition or injury that causes calf muscle pain, including a cramp, exercise-induced soreness, or a partial or full tear, just to name a few. Seek advice...
Track spikes are worn by runners to maximize their grip during competition and training. The spikes, usually made of metal, screw into the sole of the shoe and the length and configuration of the spikes depends on the running surface and event....
The Achilles tendon, also called the calcaneal tendon, attaches the calf muscles -- the gastrocnemius and soleus -- to the back of the calcaneus, or heel bone. A strain or tear of the tendon requires appropriate rehabilitation to prevent...
The gastrocnemius muscles, also known as the calves, are located on the back of your lower legs, attaching just above your knee joint on one end, and on the other end, to the calcaneus bone on the back of your foot via the calcaneal tendon. The...
The Achilles tendon, also called the calcaneal tendon, connects the calf muscle to the heel and is one of the strongest and thickest tendons in the body. Each Achilles tendon is subject to a person's entire body weight with each step. Despite its...
Tightness in the calf is often caused by too much neural stimulation to the muscles and connective tissues, which cause weakness to the opposing muscle group (tibialis complex). To decrease the tightness, you should first find the cause, stretch...
Your calf muscles are part of a movement system that produces power and speed by pushing against the ground, such as in jump roping, sprinting and stair-climbing. They also help your body decelerate its speed and momentum, such as when climbing...
The Achilles is the largest tendon in the body and is located at the back of the lower leg. The American Academy of Family Physicians warns that the Achilles tendon is also the most susceptible to injury and damage due to over-use and its limited...
Severe discomfort in the back of the heel may indicate the presence of a calcaneal or Achilles tendon spur, which according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, ACFAS, is known as Haglund's Deformity. The spur is a calcified...
Sever's disease, or calcaneal apophysitis, is a condition characterized by inflammation of the achilles tendon at its point of attachment on the calcaneus, or heel bone. This disease strikes adolescents that participate in sports requiring...
Sore heels can be the result of many factors--trauma, overuse, obesity, disease conditions and heredity, to name some. They can contribute to ineffective exercise routines and lost work days. The mere act of walking can be significantly altered...
Foot problems are common among runners. Sources of foot problems are numerous and include the pronation of your feet--how far they roll inward from heel strike to toe off while you’re running--the biomechanics of your running stride and the...
P90X is an intense, 90-day home exercise routine. By alternating between 12 workout DVDs, you continually fatigue your muscles in new ways, which prevents your body from acclimating to any given exercise. Many of the workouts combine strength...
Plantar Fasciitis (PF) is a common source of heel pain. PF pain is located at the front of the base of the heel and is more prevalent in the morning when first getting out of bed. The excruciating pain is described by patients as, "It feels like a...
Disorders of the feet and ankles are common conditions in the United States. About 75 percent of Americans experience foot pain at some time during their lives, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Poorly fitting shoes, trauma...
Achilles tendinitis affects both the young and the old, but it is often due to overuse or repetitive stress, such as jumping and running. Symptoms include pain and swelling in the lower leg and back of the heel that worsens during the day and with...
The gastrocnemius, the most prominent muscle of the lower leg, gives the calf its curvy shape. On athletes, the gastrocnemius may appear as two bulbous shapes that meet in the middle of the lower leg to form an inverted "V" shape. In tandem with...
Running can put a lot of stress on the feet. Over time, all that pounding on the road can irritate the bottom of the feet. According to the American Foot and Ankle Society, heel pain is the most common condition of the foot and ankle. The good...
