Please Help-Calf injuries & heel raisers

I just came across your message while looking for answers for my own recurrent calf injury problems, which have now been recurrent over 8 years, and come from a variety of accelerative sports, but especially running uphill, squash, basketball, weight training calf exercises, and to a lesser extent, tennis.

You've been given lots of advice it seems, is any of it working? What kind of a rehab regimen have you decided to follow? Did you find the Runners World article? I need some advice myself!

Mark Fromberg, M.D.

I just came across your message while looking for answers for my own recurrent calf injury problems, which have now been recurrent over 8 years, and come from a variety of accelerative sports, but especially running uphill, squash, basketball, weight training calf exercises, and to a lesser extent, tennis.

You've been given lots of advice it seems, is any of it working? What kind of a rehab regimen have you decided to follow? Did you find the Runners World article? I need some advice myself!

Mark Fromberg, M.D.

I just came across your message while looking for answers for my own recurrent calf injury problems, which have now been recurrent over 8 years, and come from a variety of accelerative sports, but especially running uphill, squash, basketball, weight training calf exercises, and to a lesser extent, tennis.

You've been given lots of advice it seems, is any of it working? What kind of a rehab regimen have you decided to follow? Did you find the Runners World article? I need some advice myself!

Mark Fromberg, M.D.

Sorry Mark,

I just noticed your reply.

Ok...It has been 3-4 weeks since I started putting in any serious mileage with the "heel raisers". Took a little getting used to at first but I was able to adapt to them. I would run most of my runs with them but a couple times a week, on a recovery grass-run, I would go without them.

I used to be a "heel-striker" before but after using the inserts I have become more of a "mid-foot" striker. (which is not necessarily a bad thing). It’s a great way the learn the “POSE” method running style without even trying.

I decided to do my first interval workout after coming back from my injury. I should have waited a couple more weeks but I had a race coming up. I ran the workout on soft grass and made it a longer session ( 1 X mile and 4 X 800 ) My pace was about 5:00 per mile. The mistake I made was that I wore my Nike XC racing flats with very little, if any, heel. This was a BAD IDEA. No prob. during the workout but the next day, on my recovery run, my calves were really sore. The right calf recovered but the left was knotted up and remained sore. It’s been almost 2 weeks and it is still slightly sore. I am hoping to start running again in a few days. I should have used the inserts in my flats! Oh, well I have now learned!

Other than the mishap while wearing my racing flats I feel that the heel inserts are working. The real test however will come after about 8-10 weeks of solid training since . in the past year I have not been able to get past this point without getting injured.

Hope this helps.

OldSchooler

This program was a BIG help; I just followed the Steps and now I'm back to an hour non-stop. I love the heart attack analogy- that's exactly what it felt like. Thanks!

A treatment that works.

Been dealing with this for so many years - a decade really....and after having given up on running and done all sorts of diagnostic testing and PT, etc I finally found a treatment that works . Trigger point injections or dry needling right into the calves. Bilateral heart attacks for me just as Parker describes and this treatment, 1x a week has me jogging daily. I honestly didn’t think this would happen again.

Anyone else with this calf pain also get relief from

This? Or, worse, stop responding to it?

Resurrecting this post because its exactly what seems to be going on with me and I had a question:

does compression on the calf seem to help you guys? Trying to make sure that wearing compression sleeves/socks are aiding in my recovery and not hindering it. TIA

What helps me is running with some lower heel drop shoes and high ones and rotating, (and some inbetweeners), never two in a row. But the extremes (mainly the lower drop ones), build up very very slowly, don't run far at first. I tend to think variation and flexibility is key. Running (or even walking) all the time in one form as you get older isn't so good.

Keep it varied, keep it fresh, don't overdo any one shoe. Gentle stretches. Give yourself a day off after longer runs, especially at first, or if being out of action for a while.

I live in bare feet and flip flops. A couple of years ago, while walking on a beach, I pulled a muscle/tendon in my upper calf just below the back of the knee. It was excruciating and took a long time to heal. Recently, it happened again while I was out walking my dogs in flip flops and I had to schlep home like Quasimodo for over half a mile, whimpering the whole way. Again, it's been several weeks and I'm still afraid to walk my dogs. I've noticed I can walk in heels without a limp, and so I'm looking for some walking shoes with higher heels. So, I don't see how walking in heels is so "damaging" since I keep hurting myself in flats.

When you’re on the toes you’re not stretching the soleus, that’s most likely why you are feeling no pain. Flip flops, or even high drop shoes with cushioning (Hokas) tend to stress the gastrocnemius and soleus, that’s why you are seeing recommendations for low drop also. However the main reason could be lack of flexibility and strength in your lower leg. Search YouTube for calf exercises for injury prevention, lots of PT pros giving good advice.

Note: this is a good thread no matter how old, I remember reviewing it for a calf injury previously.