All Information About Calf Pain After Running Of 2024

Calf pain after running is something that all athletes have experienced, whether you are an ambitious athlete or just a beginner. It refers to an injury, which is the most common that runners have. Calf pain is usually caused by unnecessary strain based on hard training, an increase of running distance quickly, or alteration in the running style. As a result, you have aching muscles, cramps, pulled muscles, and tight calves.

If your calves hurt after running, you need to take a break from it for allowing muscles to recover. For improving performance and preventing pain, you need to strengthen the calf muscles and train them properly for the accompanying strain. Watch out for the causes of calf pain and different aids for faster and longer runs.

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Assess Where the Pain

Before you look for treating this problem, you need to assess it first. When we talk about assessing a calf muscle injury, you need to be very specific. If you cannot identify the main source of your pain and which muscles are actually tight, you cannot fix it properly and cannot even prevent such future injuries. So, let’s figure out where you are experiencing pain!

Is the pain near your knee?
Are you experiencing it above the ankle, near the achilles’ tendon?
Is it closer to your shin bone, on the inside?
Is it hurting on the outer lateral aspect?
Maybe, is it not even a calf injury? Or could it be something related to other areas of your leg? Or a shin splint?

After you have identified on which the pain is inhabiting, you can look at some common potential causes. For instance, if you are experiencing pain around the sides of your ankle, it can be due to a foot collapse in the foot strike. If it is more central at the back, perhaps near the achilles, or below the calf’s largest part, you can be putting more weight on the toes while running and also, your shoes’ heels could not be hitting the floor at all. As a result, you experience stiffness in your ankle’s front and very tight calves. Check out this video to know about the common issues behind sore calves after running.

How to Fix Calf Pain After Running

While the treatment of calf pain could vary by the underlying cause, performing stretches tends to fix most symptoms if you perform them correctly. Here’s an activity that you can perform to stretch the muscles of your calf.

First, you need to take a kettlebell.
Then, rest it on the ground and extend your legs in front of you. Now, you need to rest one of your legs on top of the kettlebell’s handle.
Begin with the lower calf on that handle and then, roll laterally side to side.
Now, add in several ankle circles in both the directions for a minute.
Once done, adjust your leg so that the calf’s middle rests on the handle.
Now, you have to repeat that rolling and circles for another minute.
Next, repeat the same thing on the calf’s upper part.
Of course, you need to repeat everything with the other leg too.

Another fix to help with your calf injury is stated here. So, let’s have a look at it!

Take a lacrosse ball, yoga tune-up ball, or other similar ones.
Look for a kneeling posture on the floor.
Now, you need to place that ball under your hamstring, right between your knee’s back and the calf’s bulk.
Sit back on the ball into the kneeling position.
Now, spend around two minutes while rolling side to side, working on the tight areas.
Next, repeat the same with the other leg. This is going to help you with pain reduction and blood circulation.
So, it does not matter where you are actually experiencing the pain in the calf, there is a possibility that all tight areas are contributing to the same.
Ensure mobilizing through every part of your calf on a regular basis.

How to Prevent Calf Injury When Running

Tight calf muscles are usually often the result of insufficient stretching complicated by a gait or underlying foot abnormality. To prevent a calf injury from occurring, you can do certain things as follows.

It is advisable to stretch before running and cool down after you have finished. It works for cold weather conditions.
It is simple to do it on a hilly run, where you bound on the toes and hyperextend the calves. Either take breaks or slow down when you move to a steep incline.
If the calves had gone through a hectic workout, do not follow the same routine the next day. Repeated stress will more likely to cause an injury or charley horse.
If you are running on hot days, it is important to rehydrate regularly using electrolyte-rich drinks.
Stretching and yoga help a lot. Even simple heel and toe raises could keep the muscles of your calf from seizing up.
If you are a passionate runner, wear properly fitted running shoes. If you have flat feet or high arches, buy shoes designed especially for them or ask podiatrists for custom insoles or orthotics.

Conclusion

So, this is all about how to assess, treat, and prevent calf pain after running. Use these exercises and tips for better addressing all calf injuries in runners. Self-massage after and before your long runs could assist prime the muscles for running and improve blood flow to prevent sore calves after running. You can even go for easy, light running and some strides or fast repeats either in your running shoes or barefoot to dodge the soreness in your calves. So, go for regular stretching to prevent tightening of the calves. Share this article with other passionate runners who would like it. Also, if you have any queries, post it in the comment section. Will get back to you soon!

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Assess Where the Pain

How to Fix Calf Pain After Running

How to Prevent Calf Injury When Running

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