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A calf muscle strain is a partial or complete tear of the small fibers of the muscles. The calf muscles are located in the back of your lower leg.
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A calf muscle strain can be caused by:
Factors that increase your chance of developing a calf muscle strain:
Symptoms may include:
You will be asked about your symptoms and how your injury occurred. An examination of your calf muscle will be done to assess the injury.
Images may be needed of the area if severe damage is suspected. Images may be taken with MRI scan or ultrasound.
Muscle strains are graded according to their severity:
Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Recovery time ranges depending on the grade of your injury. Treatment steps may include:
Your muscle will need time to heal. A group of actions called RICE is often the main part of treatment:
Prescription or over-the-counter medications may be advised to reduce pain.
A physical therapist will assess the muscle. An exercise program will be created to help recovery and to stretch and strengthen the muscle.
To reduce the chance of calf muscle strain:
American Council on Exercise
Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians
Armfield DR. Sports-related muscle injury in the lower extremity. Clin Sports Med. 2006;25(4):803-42.
Campbell JT. Posterior calf injury. Foot Ankle Clin. 2009 Dec;14(4):761-771.
Douis H, Gillett M, et al. Imaging in the diagnosis, prognostication, and management of lower limb muscle injury. Semin Musculoskelet Radiol. 2011 Feb;15(1):27-41.
Muscle strain (pulled muscle). Johns Hopkins Medicine website. Available at: http://www.hopkinsortho.org/muscle_strain.html. Accessed February 26, 2018.
Sprains, strains, and tears. American College of Sports Medicine website. Available at: http://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/sprains-strains-and-tears.pdf. Published 2011. Accessed February 26, 2018.
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Last reviewed March 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Alan Drabkin, MD Last Updated: 3/18/2013