Strange Calf Problems...

[susieq]

I cannot figure out what is wrong with me! For the last few months I have only been able to do low impact step (LM - LIC - LIS) and only once in while. Everytime I do other step workouts, one of my calves starts to feel as if I've pulled something. Then it takes a few days to feel better. I"m getting frustrated! I can even feel them while walking. It feels like the sorness you get after having a charlie horse, which I haven't had in years.

Anyone have any ideas?

I'm having major step withdrawl!

Thanks!
Susan

 

[atiman]

I pulled my calf muscle about year and something ago. It only hurt during step, especially anything that was fast and kind of a toe-heel move.

You may have the same thing. It took about 3 weeks to (almost) heal or before I could step. It still took another 2 weeks after that before I regained my confidence and felt comfortable again.

I could still walk and use the ellipitcal machine. As hard as it is, you need to let it heal before it gets worse....which will kept you off your feet longer.

 

[Sunshine1528]

Are you stretching it well before you step?

What about icing when you are done - and possibly some self massage in the area?

Can't say I have ever "pulled" a calf muscle, but have had very sore ones and some tightness down near the achilles insertion before.

If you have laid off for a couple of weeks and it isn't getting better, then you may need to get a doctor's opinion. It's one of those hard areas to heal since you need it to walk.

 

[susieq]

Thanks for the ideas.

I have been doing extra calf stretching and not stepping. It's just such so strange that it gets better and then it will happen in the other calf, seems like one is always sore. I know I'm not describing it very well. I can usually figure out things like this, but this has me baffled!

 

[fitover40]

Is it possible that when one calf is sore you are over compensating in the other calf and that is why the other calf then gets sore?

I kinda get the same problem in my glutes sometimes where my left (non dominant side) glute will have DOMS and right one doesn't. It doesn't happen all the time but when it does I've wondered if maybe I had used my left side more when doing squats or something like that either by accident or because I favored my right side for some reason.

 

[Boingo1]

This happened to me in February, and I got some advice to take a full 4 weeks OFF of stressing it. So I stopped doing STEP for 4 weeks. I would do other cardio, and did some step workouts on the floor, without the step (if I pushed it hard enough, i still got a good workout). FINALLY it healed and it's been okay since.

~Chris