Hey Hilly,
Due to my work requirements and playing football, I have had several calf strains over the last few years as my bodies getting older.
With yours, if it's still noticeably sore after injuring it in May and you haven't been jogging or doing anything to re aggravate it and you've been getting treatment... Must have been a very significant tear. Serious grade 2 or a 3?? Did they say?
Every strain I've ever had, physios have had me doing strengthening and lengthening works as soon as able, (usually only a few days) and then usually I've returned to full activities after rehab exercises etc in two to three weeks.
When it come to re occurring tears. There are a few main reasons and also key things you can do and not do to help.
Most important and where I and most players I know fail, is trying to return to early. Commonly, you do a bit of physio, stay off it a bit, and it soon feels fine, so you decide to give it a go, and then 20-30 mins in you re tear it and bang your back you where you started. Nothing more frustrating. Ala Chris Doig last year.
Proper recovery.
If you don't build the calf back through stretching and strengthening to being even stronger and more supple than it was before you tore it, then of course your chance of re injury is high. Sounds like pretty simple common sense I know, but most people, and I've certainly been guilty of it, just do a bit of work and feel like once its healed it should be fine. And then you find out the hard way that it still isn't.
Scar tissue. Around a tear you will have some form of scarring. Bigger the tear, the more scar tissue. The problem with this tissue is that it is harder and less flexible, so as a result while the initial tear may heel, the softer tissue edging up to it then gets torn when you try to use the muscle explosively again. This is one of the major reasons people suffer from reoccurring strains.
You either need a loooong break or a good masseuse to really break down the scar tissue (hurts
) but you need them to strip it right out. This has made a massive difference to me in whether a strain will likely re occur or not.
Few other helpful tips.
Icing is always good for recovery and helping remove any inflammation. Even when your just doing general rehab sessions.
Heat packs are good to loosen the muscle - but long hot baths are even better I find.
Epsom salts are good addition to the bath as muscles can become magnesium deficient and more are prone to tears as a result.
Strapping. Many senior players I know all strap their calfs to help provide some support and place a little restriction on the degree of movement. Some use compression bandages - and or the skins (little calf ones) that you mentioned as well.
Finally, shock absorbing heel lifts that sit inside your boot can help, as they slightly lessen the range that your calf muscle stretches too. But you can still get tears with them in too.
But if your like me, I'll do any little thing that helps.
Hope thats of use to you mate.
Best of luck
FP
