Common And Less Common Causes Of Calf Pain
Usually when we suffer calf pain, it's the result of running, or some other physical activity, where the muscle has become stressed or strained. Sometimes the pain comes in the form of a cramp, which can be very uncomfortable indeed. Cramps often result from dehydration or a deficiency of potassium, but in the case of the calf, prior physical activity is almost always the underlying cause. The pain can be due to a fast game of tennis, a long run or jog, or simply going up and down a ladder several times, especially when the use of a ladder is a seldom event.
In the instances cited, the calf pain is caused by an injury, though the injury is often slight, sometimes microscopic, as muscle tissue has been stressed or in some cases torn. The tear may be tiny, but the effects can often be felt, as soreness if nothing more. Other instances of calf pain have nothing to do with injury, but come about due to such things as circulatory system disorders. Circulatory issues can sometimes be serious, so let’s deal with these first.
Too Much Blood, Too Little Blood - Calf muscles often become sore when they don't get enough blood, or in some rare instances, too much. Muscles usually hurt because of a buildup of lactic acid, a normal condition we at times experience when exercising. When the blood supply to the muscle is out of whack though, this can be a much more serious problem. If the calf muscles start to hurt during the normal course of events, say when one is simply walking along, a general deficiency in the supply of blood to the calf muscles may be the problem. If the heart and arteries are not supplying the calf muscles with the blood they need, calf pain can be the result. The underlying cause is quite often atherosclerosis, more commonly known as hardening of the arteries. At other times, the calf muscles may be getting too much blood, and calf pain will result from that condition as well. When too much blood is the issue, it is usually a result a problem in the veins, where the blood, while circulating, is not being moved away from the calf muscles fast enough, and backs up into the muscle.
Claudation - An insufficient supply of blood is the far more common of the two and is called claudation, which we experience as cramping, and which is for all practical purposes a heart attack, but in the calf. Unlike a true heart attack, this condition usually goes away shortly with no damage done, though the pain may be severe for a few minutes. Immediate resting of the calf muscle is the best treatment. If claudation occurs at rest, and occurs frequently, then something more serious is in the works. A condition called thrombophlebitis—an inflammation and clotting in the veins, may have developed, and is potentially quite serious, as clots can break free form the area of the legs or calf, and travel elsewhere in the body.
Calf Strains - Athletic injuries are fortunately more common than the aforementioned causes of calf pain, though still can hurt. There are three defined levels of calf strain. A level one strain involves microscopic tearing of muscle tissue. Some calf pain or soreness will be experienced at this level, with rest and ice being the prescribed course of treatment. A level two strain is a more serious tear, much more painful, and often takes a month or two to completely heal. A level three calf strain is one we don't even want to think about. There is a general tearing of muscle or tendon, and the associated calf pain can be almost unbearable at first. Whatever the level, rest and ice make up the usual treatment, though at level 3, surgery may be necessary.
Hopefully, if you ever experience calf pain, it will be the result of going up and down a ladder a dozen times or so, and with a little luck, the pain will not be accompanied by cramping.