Pain in the calf of the right leg than to treat. Why does the calf hurt on the right leg

Calf muscles pull, hurt. What is this? As if there is no reason. But not everything is so simple. There are many reasons that cause discomfort in the calves of the legs. And we will tell you about the most common ones.

Treatment of calves with folk remedies

Reason 1. Increased stress during sports training. Almost everyone experienced pain in the calf muscles after increased physical activity. Here we lie on the couch for years and dream of a beautiful pumped-up figure. And suddenly they decided "I'll take it from Monday." And he took it ... He gave such a load that the body, completely unprepared for such extreme conditions, malfunctioned in all systems. Moreover, you can get serious sprains and rupture of ligaments. Conclusion: loads are necessary, but they need to be increased gradually, and start with the simplest exercises.

Reason 2. Phlebeurysm. If you feel pain under the knee on the back side, which extends down to the calves, you most likely have varicose veins. Vessels, losing their elasticity, cannot cope with the flow of blood and expand. It is this process that responds with pain in the calves. Look at the skin of the legs from behind. We saw swollen veins and bluish-purple stars - the cause of your pain is varicose veins.


Reason 3. Thrombophlebitis. Disease of the cardiovascular system. The disease has recently been rapidly “getting younger”. A blood clot, or thrombus, is fixed on the wall of the vessel and, not only does it create an obstacle to the normal functioning of the circulatory system, it can also come off at any moment and with the blood flow, hitting one of the important arteries, clog it. Which is fraught with very sad consequences. Therefore, if your calves hurt, be sure to examine the vessels of the legs.

Reason 4. Neurology and diseases of the spine. In this case, there is a direct connection. A pinched nerve caused by problems in the spine radiates with pain in the leg. The pain may be concentrated in the lumbar region, in the buttock and often in the leg, including the calf muscle. Moreover, in the muscle of one leg, left or right.

Diseases of the spine

Reason 5. Pregnancy. A growing organism in the womb of a future mother puts a huge load on the whole body as a whole, including the legs. In addition, a woman eats heavily during this period, sometimes she cannot control fluid intake, which provokes swelling of the lower extremities. Doctors say that pulling pains in the calves of the legs during pregnancy is the norm. But still, you can alleviate the condition if you do a light foot massage and a contrast shower every evening. If you take a bath with chamomile decoction before going to bed, this will also reduce discomfort in the legs.

The cause of pain in the muscles of the legs can also be a lack of calcium, magnesium and iron. Eat fish and cheese, vegetables and fruits, drink dairy products.

Treatment with traditional medicine

Compresses and wraps

birch leaves

In the spring, when young leaves appear on the birch, pick a full bag of them, tie them up and put oppression on top. After a while, when the leaf is just beginning to turn, untie the bag and lower your legs into it. Sit like this until you feel your feet start to sweat. Fresh dandelion compresses relieve pain very well. Tear dandelion leaves, crush them, and before going to bed, coat the caviar of the legs with the resulting mass. Tie the top with a waterproof bandage.

Potentilla goose

Goose cinquefoil is used for compresses and wrapping the legs. To cover five tablespoons of chopped grass, pour boiling water, wait until it cools slightly, put the grass on gauze in an even layer and wrap your legs. For compresses, pour four tablespoons of Potentilla into half a liter of water and boil for twenty minutes. Strain after five minutes. In a slightly cooled broth, wet a compress cloth and apply to the calves for half an hour.

Rubbing

Ficus and agave

Prepare a rub for pain in the calf muscles from ficus and agave. Pick a ficus leaf and three agave leaves. Wash them and chop them finely. Also cut five hot peppercorns. Pour everything with half a liter of vodka and leave in a dark place for three weeks. Shake daily. Rub your feet every day. Relieve pain and rubbing, prepared according to the following recipe. Separate the yolk from one raw chicken egg, add a spoonful of turpentine and a tablespoon of natural apple cider vinegar. Whisk everything well. Rub the calves of the legs for pain. A three-day course of treatment according to the following recipe helps to get rid of pain for a long time. Pour unrefined vegetable oil into a glass and, adding a spoonful of fine edible salt, achieve its complete dissolution. Rub the mixture on your feet and lower legs every evening. After the procedure, put plastic bags on your feet, warm socks on top. After half an hour, remove, wash your feet and go to bed immediately.

Chestnut tincture will relieve pain. Grind chestnut fruits and, having weighed fifty grams, fill with a bottle of vodka. After three weeks, strain and use to lubricate sore feet. Prepare chestnuts in the same way as in the previous recipe and fill a glass jar or bottle to the top with them. Pour in ammonia so that it completely covers the chestnuts. Insist in the cabinet for one month, shaking the dishes from time to time. Lubricate the problem muscles with the finished tincture, then tie them with a warm cloth. If you carry out this procedure twice a day, after three days there will be a noticeable relief. By the way, chestnut on ammonia is a very good remedy for bronchitis. Before going to bed, lubricate the chest with tincture and put on warm underwear on top. In seven days, there will be no trace of bronchitis. Eliminate cramps tincture of wormwood. Pick the wormwood, chop it up and fill a half-liter jar. Pour in vodka so that it completely covers the herbal raw materials. After three weeks, strain the tincture, wring it out, and every evening rub the calves of the legs just before going to bed.

Salt water can rub your feet. To do this, dissolve one tablespoon of salt in a glass of heated water. Rub your legs, starting with the feet and ending with the groin. Also, do not wipe, you need to wait until it dries completely. Repeat the procedure twice a week. Apple cider vinegar is used for rubbing and wraps. To wrap, soak a suitable piece of cloth in vinegar and wrap it around the calf muscle. Put a waterproof bandage on top. For rubbing, vinegar is used in its pure form. As soon as you feel a spasm, immediately rub the problem area with apple cider vinegar. Vodka infusion of garlic will relieve convulsions. Peel the garlic and chop twenty-five to thirty cloves. Put the garlic mass in a glass jar and fill with a bottle of vodka. Start treatment after two weeks. Rub the calves every evening with garlic tincture for one month. Instantly acts with cramps in the calf muscles rubbing from black root. Fill fifty grams of herbal raw materials with half a liter of vodka and leave for twelve days.

Blackroot

Also quickly relieves cramps tincture of dope seeds. Put three-quarters of a glass of dope seed for a month and a half to infuse in half a liter of vodka. As soon as you feel cramps, soak a cotton pad in the tincture and wipe the calf of your legs.

Trays

Salt water has a wonderful property of getting rid of cramps in the calf muscles. Dissolve about four handfuls of salt in two liters of warm water. Pour water into a small basin and, lowering your legs into it, sit for ten minutes. Do not wipe your feet, wait until they dry. Do salt baths for three days, then two days later, and so you get to once a week. Every night, just before bedtime, take a foot bath of tansy infusion. Pour five spoons of tansy flowers into a thermos and pour half a liter of boiling water. After three hours, pour into a bowl of warm water. Lower your legs for half an hour. Treat with baths of tansy infusion until the cramps disappear.

A very simple treatment. It is recommended for people aged with atherosclerosis. You will need three standard packs of bay leaves and a bucket of water. Put the water on the fire, lower the bay leaf from one pack into it, bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Wait for it to cool to a comfortable temperature and put your feet in it for twenty minutes. Wipe your feet and put on warm socks. A day later, bring the same water to a boil again, adding a bay leaf from the second pack. Take a foot bath. Save the water until the next day. Repeat the same with the bay leaf from the third pack. The course of treatment is completed, it gives a guaranteed result of getting rid of pain. You can repeat only after six months.

Bay leaf

For oral administration

For pain, regardless of their cause, the internal intake of an infusion of equally divided birch leaves, carrot seeds, bearberry, immortelle, St. John's wort and cherry stalks will help. Pour one spoonful of the collection into a thermos and pour in a glass of boiling water. After ten hours, strain the infusion, and take one spoonful three times a day. For five days in the morning, on an empty stomach, eat a spoonful of honey, drinking it with a glass of kefir. Convulsions should pass, if they appear again, repeat the course. Then, for prevention, carry out course treatment four times a year.

Honey and kefir

We will not cook alcohol tinctures at home - we will buy them at the pharmacy. Hawthorn, peony, valerian, motherwort - you need one hundred ml, eucalyptus - fifty, mint - twenty-five. Mix everything in one glass bottle and add ten grams of clove spice. Infuse for two weeks, shaking occasionally. Then strain and take twenty-five drops half an hour before each meal. Replenish the body with calcium, relieving you of cramps balm, prepared according to the following recipe. Fold in a jar with a volume of one liter, thoroughly washed chicken or quail eggs. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and pour them over the eggs so that they are completely covered with it. Refrigerate for fourteen days. During this time, the shell under the action of citric acid should dissolve. Mix the contents of the jar well and strain. Add one hundred ml of quality cognac and one tablespoon of honey, stir. Before each meal, take one spoonful of balm approximately half an hour before.

onion tea


Make onion tea for yourself every night and drink it before bed. In a glass of boiling water, brew a pinch of onion peel and drink after ten to fifteen minutes. You will sleep peacefully all night. Delicious treatment with raisins. Pour two tablespoons of washed raisins every evening with one glass of boiling water. Leave overnight. In the morning, immediately after waking up, drink the infusion and eat the raisins. Fly agaric should be treated carefully, observing the dosage. This is a very effective tool. Dial fly agarics, chop their hats and fill a glass jar to the top. Close the lid tightly, wrap it in a bag and, if there is a cellar, put it there, if not, just bury it in the ground. A month later, a liquid substance forms in the jar. It must be drained and two hundred and fifty ml add seven hundred and fifty ml of vodka. You need to start treatment with one drop added to half a glass of milk. The next day - two drops, and so up to five drops in half a glass of milk, take once a day at the same time, preferably in the evening. Then drink for five days in descending order, reducing the number of drops one at a time. After five days, start the second course, but with the difference that the number of drops will increase to ten, also adding one per day. Then - descending.

Miscellaneous

A very interesting way of traditional medicine, which will save not only the problem we are talking about, but also reduce, if any, dry calluses and remove foot fungus. Every evening, peel and finely chop six onions, put them in a basin and trample on it for twenty to thirty minutes. Then wash your feet and do a light massage using any vegetable oil. A strange but very common way to treat pain in the calf muscles. In order to implement it, you will need a lot of wine corks. Poke holes through the corks, thread the fishing line through them. The length of the fishing line should be such that it can completely tie the calf muscle with it. As soon as you feel pain or cramps, put a cork necklace on your leg, securing its ends with adhesive tape. You can gird your leg with corks once a day for half an hour as a preventive measure.

Wine corks

Aspen is a good helper for problems in the calves of the legs. Take yourself two aspen chocks. Let one lie near the sofa or your favorite chair. When sitting in front of the TV, place your bare feet on it. Another chock should lie in your bed at the feet. You can put a healing chock under the bed on your side, where the legs are. As a remedy for pain and cramps in the calf muscles, an ordinary magnet is recommended. The magnet should be attached to the calf with a bandage or plaster. At first, a sharp pain will be felt, but it will soon subside. The magnet can be left attached all night.

Prevention

Don't put undue stress on your legs. You should alternate them with rest. If you suffer from pain and cramps in the muscles of the legs, put a small roller under your legs at night.

If your work involves sitting for a long time, be sure to put a low stand under your feet.

Footrest

Daily morning exercises are a must! Squat, swing back and forth and to the sides. These exercises are aimed at improving blood circulation.

Do a light massage of the calf muscles daily. But, do not overdo it, a light massage!

Pay attention to shoes. High heels are not your option, your option is no higher than four cm. Wear orthopedic insoles - they relieve stress on the muscles.

It is useful to wear sneakers - for training the calf muscles.

Cold and hot shower

A contrast shower will relieve fatigue. It should start with a hot jet, after a minute - cold. Alternate five times, ending cold.

Diseases, nature and causes of pain in the calf muscles

Diseases The nature of the pain Causes
Atherosclerosis Pain in the muscles of the calves, aggravated by walking. Sealing of the walls of blood vessels.
Thrombophlebitis Constant throbbing pain, turning into a burning sensation. Circulatory disorders.
Myositis The pain is intense, aggravated by movement. Muscle strain. Complications after past illnesses, incl. flu.
Diseases of the spine Radiating pain from the buttocks or lower back. Spinal disorders, incl. disc displacement.
Diseases of the peripheral nerves Intermittent, paroxysmal pain. Damage to the sciatic nerve.
Osteomyelitis Aching pains. Bone disease, pain radiates to the muscles.
fibromyalgia It manifests itself during physical or mental overload. Joint diseases. Physical and mental stress.

Video - Gymnastics for pain in the calves

The gastrocnemius muscle belongs to the category of biceps and is located on the front of the lower leg. Thanks to her, a person can stand, walk, run, rise on his toes, do squats. Let's take a closer look at the cases in which the calf muscles can hurt and what symptoms occur in this case.

The calf muscles often respond with painful sensations. This happens for a number of completely different reasons: diseases, leg fatigue, malnutrition. In any case, such a deviation always requires attention and effective treatment.


Why do calves hurt when walking?

Pain that is felt in the calf muscles are very common. Their appearance is influenced by a fairly large number of factors. The degree of pain itself also varies. In order to accurately understand the cause of the pain that has appeared, you should carefully study the main problems of this part of the body.

While walking, the legs in the calves may hurt because:


If any of these pains occur, you should consult a doctor for detailed advice so that he can prescribe the necessary treatment and be able to exclude the possibility of serious diseases.

Why do the calves of the legs swell and hurt?

Not infrequently, the painful condition of the legs is also complemented by unpleasant swelling. In such cases, you should carefully study all the causes of such unpleasant symptoms and find a decent solution for them. Puffiness can happen to absolutely anyone and there are a number of reasons for this:

Eating a lot of overly salty food and then drinking a lot of water. Salt retains water in muscle tissues, not releasing it from the body. This is what puffiness looks like Violation of the water-salt balance in the body. Such a violation leads to frequent swelling because the body does not have enough water Pregnancy of a woman often leads to the fact that the body accumulates a large supply of fluid.


Other reasons for the appearance of swelling on the legs and in the calf muscles are the presence of diseases such as:

Heart failure. This disease often causes swelling of the lower extremities. Recognizing it is quite simple - swelling begins to appear on the ankle and gradually rises. You should not assume that such swelling can only capture the left leg, because it very often manifests itself on both legs. A characteristic feature of such swelling is the remaining hole, which is very visible when pressing on the leg. This puffiness is especially clearly manifested by the onset of the evening Lymphadrema. This disease very often affects the lower limbs and its main symptom is swelling in the calves. In this case, the fluid accumulates in the lymphatic vessels. A person who is experiencing this disease also experiences a particular heaviness in the legs and even sometimes a feeling of fullness of the limbs. Such puffiness appears in the ankle area and rises up the leg. Such puffiness appears in the evening and tends to disappear in the morning. Poche insufficiency. If a person has this disease, his kidneys do not work normally, which leads to stagnation of fluid in the body and provokes swelling. Such puffiness has a characteristic feature to appear in any part of the body, but the lower limbs are most subject to it. Such puffiness can appear both day and night and you can get rid of it only when the body gets rid of excess fluid. Varicose veins As already mentioned, varicose veins provoke poor outflow of blood in the veins, which leads to increased pressure and swelling as well. It is noticed that puffiness is more pronounced in the evening and more of it is concentrated on the left leg. Thrombophlebitis. This disease is characterized by asymmetric swelling in different parts of the body, which is very easy to notice visually. Such swelling can be accompanied by an increase in temperature and discomfort while walking.


Why do calves hurt after a workout?

Not one person has noticed the peculiarity of feeling pain in the muscles after playing sports. The same applies to the calf muscles. This often happens with athletes and people who want to play sports, but do not know how to give the right load to the legs.

Characteristic muscle pain appears most often one to two days after the workout itself. The reason for this is the partial damage to muscle cells during stress and their subsequent recovery after a while.


The strength and intensity of the pain that appears depends only on how strong your workout was. Keep in mind that the more often you give a load to the muscles, the less often you will have any discomfort at all. It should also be noted that muscle pain becomes less noticeable and not as strong during muscle growth. It is for this reason that many bodybuilders have forgotten what it is.

To reduce calf pain after a workout, the following methods will help:

Warm-up that you will do every time before playing sports. Its principle of operation is very simple - warming up improves blood circulation, which delivers more nutrients to muscle tissue Contrast shower, which also has a positive effect on blood flow and general circulation, which in turn allows calf muscles to recover faster surprisingly, but this method has a positive effect on all processes in the body and thus indirectly helps the muscles recover after training


Why do calf cramps and pain occur at night?

The most common cramp is the one that occurs at night. The reasons for such an unpleasant sensation can be various factors, from the simplest lack of vitamins in the body, to the presence of a serious and complex disease in the body.

The most common spasm can last from a few seconds and can last up to fifteen minutes at a time. Most often, such pain occurs quite suddenly and all the time during a cramp the muscles are in a solid and even “stone” state.


How a seizure manifests itself:

Sharp pain captures not only the calf, but may well capture the muscles of the foot. This can occur when the leg is overstrained, or it may be completely unexpected in a dream, when the leg is in a calm position. It has been noticed that the older a person becomes, the more often this feature manifests itself - experience muscle cramps

A cramp that appears in a dream naturally disturbs sleep. Usually a person wakes up abruptly and grabs a sore spot, trying to eliminate the pain.

Cramps at night can appear for various reasons:

You have a neurological disease that tends to manifest itself with convulsions at night and during the day. Your body is deficient in minerals, in particular calcium and phosphorus. During sleep, the blood circulation process is disrupted and slowed down, which is why the flow of useful elements is hindered Poor blood circulation in older people around the clock is the cause of frequent seizures in sleep Another reason is taking medications that also negatively affect the blood circulation process People who have impaired metabolism Substances People taking diuretics Too much stress on the muscles before bedtime Pregnancy


Why do calves hurt in pregnant women?

Swelling and pain in the calf muscles is a common symptom during pregnancy, especially if the date of birth is not far off.

There are several reasons why women often feel this unpleasant sensation while in position:

a growing fetus and with it a growing body, which increases in volume and weight, gives a double load on the legs, and in a short period of time - this puts pressure on the lower limbs, provokes swelling and pain due to the fact that the weight of a woman increases and changes its center gravity, swelling occurs and excessive load on the legs, the natural elasticity of the ligaments decreases, which leads to pain in the calves; not infrequently, pregnancy provokes the appearance of varicose veins on the legs - the fetus causes pain, presses on the inferior vena cava and provokes the appearance of pain in the lower extremities. the same pinching of the sciatic nerve - hence the pain during pregnancy in the body of a woman there is a violation of the normal water-salt metabolism, as a result of which it lacks calcium and phosphorus. substances in the body


To relieve pain and avoid unpleasant pain will help:

wearing only comfortable and light shoes where the leg will be relaxed wearing special compresses and elastic bandages staying in a horizontal position and being able not to stand for a long time taking regular contrast showers and foot baths daily morning exercises and evening light exercises that improve blood circulation calm sports or swimming

Getting rid of night cramps during pregnancy will help sufficient intake of foods high in calcium and phosphorus.

What to do if the calves of the legs are very sore?

At the moment when you are caught by pain in the calves, you need to know how to remove it so that you can continue your normal life. There are a number of simple but effective home remedies that reduce swelling and eliminate pain:

It is important to know that if the pain has been haunting you for a long time and you cannot eliminate it in any way, you should immediately seek the advice of a specialist. Only a real doctor will be able to prescribe you a number of effective drugs or creams that will be effective in your individual case.


Tips for eliminating pain and swelling in the legs:

Try to wear special compression stockings or stockings regularly or at least at night Avoid high platform shoes or heels if you regularly suffer from pain and cramps in your calves Sign up for a session with a specialist who will give you regular massage of the calf muscles Do contrast legs often shower, douche or bath If you have a "sedentary" job, try to arrange simple walks or workouts as often as possible Balance your diet, include as many foods as possible that contain vitamin E, phosphorus and calcium

Sore calves in men, causes and treatment

The pain that occurs in the calf muscles in men most often appears due to overwork. The male specificity of work, work and lifestyle allows them to always be in motion and often do hard work. As a result, a man overstrains his muscles and they respond with pain after a while. A relaxing massage and a hot bath will help relieve discomfort from the legs.


Sore calves in women, causes, treatment

If a woman regularly has pain in the calf muscles, this may be evidence that she leads an unhealthy lifestyle:

Her muscles are too weak and unable to withstand any weight or load. If so, it is necessary to carry out a small load on the legs every day: walk, climb stairs, go jogging Often, the calves hurt from the fact that a woman wears very uncomfortable shoes - heels, stilettos and platforms. The leg is in constant tension. It is urgent to review all your shoes and regulate the load on your legs, wear comfortable shoes or walk a little in uncomfortable shoes. Another reason for pain in the legs for a woman is overweight. It also affects the fact that the legs of a woman swell and do not allow normal movement. In this case, you should follow the diet, diet, move more often and drink the norm of water per day so that the body does not retain excess fluid in the body.


What to do if the child's calves hurt?

The causes of pain in the legs and calves in a child can be very diverse:

These may be pains associated with growth - that is, the child grows in size, literally stretches in length and the muscles simply are not ready for such a jump. Simply put, such pain is the reason for the rapid growth of tissues: muscle and bone. For the same reason, pain can be nocturnal, because during the day the legs received good blood flow, and at night it slowed down and limited the flow of beneficial trace elements. Such pain can be easily eliminated by not strong stroking to improve blood flow or a gentle massage. Pain can occur as a result of the presence of many pathological developmental diseases in a child: scoliosis, flat feet, osteochondrosis. In such cases, there is a shift in the center of gravity - this affects the fact that the weight of the body does not completely fall on the legs and they hurt. Diseases of the endocrine system also affect the fact that the child feels pain in the calf muscles. Everything happens because the kidneys can show malfunctions, the thyroid gland. The child may have diabetes. All these diseases disrupt the mineral composition of the blood, which should nourish the muscles with microelements Neurocircular dystonia limits the child's physical activity, which leads to the fact that the muscles are not developed and cannot withstand the entire load of the body Congenital pathologies of the cardiovascular system that disrupt normal blood circulation in the body


Other causes of problems and pain in the calf muscles can be physical activity, as well as an unbalanced diet.

In some cases, traditional medicine can provide a particularly strong and effective treatment:

A compress from young birch leaves - for this you need to collect the leaves, pour them over with boiling water and put them on the calves, wrapping them with a bandage. It is necessary to keep such a compress for several hours at least A compress of fresh dandelion leaves is one of the most effective and efficient ways. To do this, you need to pick the leaves, finely crush them and put them on the calves, wrap the legs with a dense cloth. Such a compress lasts all night. Rubbing from ficus leaves also helps. To do this, the leaves are cut, poured with vodka and insisted for a week. After that, sore legs are rubbed daily with the remedy. You can also use chestnut tincture, which must be prepared in advance: a liter jar is completely covered with chestnuts and filled with vodka. Sore feet are rubbed with this rub. Rubbing the feet is also advised with apple cider vinegar - it helps to warm up the muscles and ease pain in them. Daily salt baths that need to be arranged for the legs before bedtime will also help. It is best to use sea salt dissolved in warm water. The same useful foot baths can be done by adding tansy tincture to them.


Preparations and medicines for the treatment of calf muscle cramps

To relieve pain in the calf muscles, drugs such as:

Panangin - (can be replaced with "Asparkam") - this preparation contains a sufficient amount of magnesium and potassium, which can prevent seizures in the lower extremities and eliminate pain Vitamin D and Magnesium B6 - in its pure form or the mineral complex is able to have a preventive effect on muscle and bone tissue, eliminating discomfort External preparations (ointments and creams): Troxevasin, Vasoketom, Diosmin, Venoflebin

In any case, only a processional doctor with sufficient experience can prescribe an effective treatment and prescribe a number of effective drugs. Only he can clearly identify the cause of your pain and understand the nature of their appearance. It is always necessary to treat pain and swelling, if you ignore it, you can achieve complications in the body's work.

Read many interesting articles on our website.

Pain in the calves of the legs a widespread phenomenon. Often it occurs as a result of prolonged physical exertion on the lower limbs and does not signal pathologies. However, the answer to the question "Why do calves hurt?" is not always unambiguous, since the causes can lie in very serious diseases. This applies to those cases where sharp pain and convulsions are repeated regularly or drawing pain in the leg in the calf, does not pass for a long time.

If you are faced with a similar problem, we recommend that you contact the CELT Pain Clinic! This is a division that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of pain syndromes in various locations. The high professional level of our specialists, their extensive experience, along with modern medical equipment and treatment methods, allows them to return our patients to a full life, excluding pain from it.

Causes of calf pain

Causes of pain in the calves of the legs may lie in muscle overwork, but often such a clinical manifestation can signal pathologies of arterial vessels, veins, tissues, surrounding muscles and the spine. If you have constant pain in your left or right calf, or regularly experience leg cramps, you need to seek medical help, as the consequences can be unpredictable.

Diseases of the veins

A pain symptom in diseases of the veins is a valuable signal, since it is thanks to it that serious pathologies can be identified that require immediate medical attention:

  • Varicose veins - characterized by persistent pain in the calf muscles, which are felt in the afternoon and are accompanied by swelling of the ankles. This disease can also be determined visually, since visible vein expansions appear on the lower extremities. The reason that the calf of the right or left leg hurts, in this case, is the development of edema of the leg, as a result of which compression of the nerve endings occurs;
  • Acute vein thrombosis - requires immediate treatment, because blood clots that form in deep veins can enter the vessels of the pulmonary circulation and clog arteries, leading to pulmonary embolism, which is often fatal. Pain in the affected calf covers the inner surface of the lower leg and spreads up to the thigh and down to the foot. They are accompanied by swelling of the lower leg, a feeling of heaviness in the legs and increased pain when trying to bend the foot.

arterial disease

Arterial disease is the cause of inadequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to tissues, which leads to their destruction. Pain in this case is caused by ischemia (lack of blood supply) and with different diseases they are of a different nature:

  • Acute form of obstruction of arterial vessels - characterized by acute pain with a burning sensation, which is accompanied by swelling of the affected leg and its cooling;
  • Chronic arterial insufficiency is characterized by two types of pain: attacks during acute ischemia and constant pain due to chronic lack of blood supply. Both types of pain can be accompanied by convulsions, atrophy of muscle tissue, the appearance of ulcers and gangrene.

Muscle diseases

Nerve fiber damage

One of the symptoms of neuritis and polyneuritis is severe pulling pain that occurs in attacks and can spread along the affected nerve. This manifestation may be caused by compression of the nerve roots. Often, his companions are:

  • trophic disorders in the innervated (i.e., in organs and tissues supplied by nerves) area;
  • feeling of numbness, tingling, or goosebumps;
  • movement disorders in the innervated area;
  • decreased sensitivity.

Other reasons

Pain in the calves of the legs can occur due to damage to neighboring tissues:

  • osteomyelitis of the tibia;
  • diseases of the knee joint;
  • diseases of the ankle joint;
  • skin inflammation.

Reflected pain in the calves of the lower extremities is one of the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.

Our doctors

Diagnosis of pain in the calves of the legs

Particular attention in the CELT Pain Clinic is given to diagnostic studies that allow you to accurately determine the cause of pain in the calves. In addition to examination by a doctor and taking an anamnesis, the following diagnostic methods can be used:

  • ultrasound examination of the arteries and veins of the affected limb;
  • Magnetic resonance imaging ;
  • electroneuromyography;
  • laboratory research.

Treatment of pain in the calves of the legs

The treatment of calf pain in our Pain Clinic often begins with the elimination of painful symptoms, if they are pronounced. Systemic therapy involves taking pills or intravenous injections according to an individually designed scheme. The process involves modern drugs that inhibit the transmission of pain along the nerves or block their perception in the central nervous system.

In addition, all the efforts of our specialists are aimed at eliminating the cause due to which it arose. The method of treatment is developed after all diagnostic studies have been carried out and the diagnosis has been correctly made. It takes into account the individual characteristics of the patient's body and the root cause of the disease.

So, acute vascular pathologies often require urgent surgical intervention; in chronic forms, conservative treatment is carried out in a hospital. If it does not bring the desired results, surgical correction of the vascular defect can be performed.

Surgical intervention is also indicated for diseases of the spine: neoplasms, prolapsed discs with severe neurological disorders.

Get treatment at the CELT Pain Clinic and return to your usual way of life!

Let's take a closer look at the cases in which the calf muscles can hurt and what symptoms occur in this case.

The calf muscles often respond with painful sensations. This happens for a number of completely different reasons: diseases, leg fatigue, malnutrition. In any case, such a deviation always requires attention and effective treatment.

Why do calves hurt when walking?

Pain that is felt in the calf muscles are very common. Their appearance is influenced by a fairly large number of factors. The degree of pain itself also varies. In order to accurately understand the cause of the pain that has appeared, you should carefully study the main problems of this part of the body.

While walking, the legs in the calves may hurt because:

Why do the calves of the legs swell and hurt?

Not infrequently, the painful condition of the legs is also complemented by unpleasant swelling. In such cases, you should carefully study all the causes of such unpleasant symptoms and find a decent solution for them. Puffiness can happen to absolutely anyone and there are a number of reasons for this:

  • Eating a lot of overly salty food and then drinking a lot of water. Salt retains water in muscle tissues, not releasing it from the body. This is what puffiness looks like
  • Violation of the water-salt balance in the body. Such a violation leads to frequent swelling because the body does not have enough water.
  • A woman's pregnancy often causes the body to accumulate a large supply of fluid.

Other reasons for the appearance of swelling on the legs and in the calf muscles are the presence of diseases such as:

  • Heart failure. This disease often causes swelling of the lower extremities. Recognizing it is quite simple - swelling begins to appear on the ankle and gradually rises. You should not assume that such swelling can only capture the left leg, because it very often manifests itself on both legs. A characteristic feature of such swelling is the remaining hole, which is very visible when pressing on the leg. Especially clearly this puffiness is manifested by the onset of the evening.
  • Lymphadrema. This disease very often affects the lower limbs and its main symptom is swelling in the calf area. In this case, the fluid accumulates in the lymphatic vessels. A person who is experiencing this disease also experiences a particular heaviness in the legs and even sometimes a feeling of fullness of the limbs. Such puffiness appears in the ankle area and rises up the leg. Such puffiness appears in the evening and tends to disappear in the morning.
  • Postural insufficiency. If a person has this disease, his kidneys do not work normally, which leads to stagnation of fluid in the body and provokes swelling. Such puffiness has a characteristic feature to appear in any part of the body, but the lower limbs are most subject to it. Such puffiness can appear both day and night and you can get rid of it only when the body gets rid of excess fluid.
  • Varicose veins. As already mentioned, varicose veins provoke poor outflow of blood in the veins, which leads to increased pressure and swelling as well. It is noticed that puffiness is more pronounced in the evening and more of it is concentrated on the left leg.
  • Thrombophlebitis. This disease is characterized by asymmetric swelling in different parts of the body, which is very easy to notice visually. Such swelling can be accompanied by an increase in temperature and discomfort while walking.

Why do calves hurt after a workout?

Not one person has noticed the peculiarity of feeling pain in the muscles after playing sports. The same applies to the calf muscles. This often happens with athletes and people who want to play sports, but do not know how to give the right load to the legs.

Characteristic muscle pain appears most often one to two days after the workout itself. The reason for this is the partial damage to muscle cells during stress and their subsequent recovery after a while.

The strength and intensity of the pain that appears depends only on how strong your workout was. Keep in mind that the more often you give a load to the muscles, the less often you will have any discomfort at all. It should also be noted that muscle pain becomes less noticeable and not as strong during muscle growth. It is for this reason that many bodybuilders have forgotten what it is.

To reduce calf pain after a workout, the following methods will help:

  • Warm-up that you will do every time before playing sports. Its principle of operation is very simple - warming up allows you to improve blood circulation, which delivers more nutrients to muscle tissue.
  • A contrast shower - which also has a positive effect on blood flow and general circulation, which in turn allows the calf muscles to recover faster
  • Massage - which is able to relax the muscle and at the same time improve blood circulation
  • Sleep during the day - surprisingly, this method has a positive effect on all processes in the body and thus indirectly helps the muscles recover after training

Why do calf cramps and pain occur at night?

The most common cramp is the one that occurs at night. The reasons for such an unpleasant sensation can be various factors, from the simplest lack of vitamins in the body, to the presence of a serious and complex disease in the body.

The most common spasm can last from a few seconds and can last up to fifteen minutes at a time. Most often, such pain occurs quite suddenly and all the time during a cramp the muscles are in a solid and even “stone” state.

How a seizure manifests itself:

  • Sharp pain captures not only the calf, but may well capture the muscles of the foot
  • This can happen when the leg is overstretched, or it can happen completely unexpectedly in a dream when the leg is in a calm position.
  • It has been noticed that the older a person becomes, the more often this feature manifests itself - to experience muscle cramps.

A cramp that appears in a dream naturally disturbs sleep. Usually a person wakes up abruptly and grabs a sore spot, trying to eliminate the pain.

Cramps at night can appear for various reasons:

  • You have a neurological disease that tends to manifest itself with seizures at night and during the day
  • Your body is deficient in minerals, in particular calcium and phosphorus. During sleep, the blood circulation process is disturbed and slowed down, and that is why the flow of useful elements is hindered.
  • Poor circulation in the elderly around the clock - the cause of frequent seizures in sleep
  • Another reason is taking medications that also negatively affect the blood circulation process.
  • People with metabolic disorders
  • People taking diuretics
  • Pregnancy

Why do calves hurt in pregnant women?

Swelling and pain in the calf muscles is a common symptom during pregnancy, especially if the date of birth is not far off.

There are several reasons why women often feel this unpleasant sensation while in position:

  • a growing fetus and with it a growing body, which increases in volume and weight, gives a double load on the legs, and in a short period of time - this puts pressure on the lower limbs, provokes swelling and pain
  • due to the fact that the weight of a woman increases and changes its center of gravity, swelling and excessive load on the legs occur
  • the natural elasticity of the ligaments decreases, which leads to pain in the calves
  • not infrequently, pregnancy provokes the appearance of varicose veins on the legs - it leads to pain
  • the fetus presses on the inferior vena cava and provokes the appearance of pain in the lower extremities
  • it is also possible that the sciatic nerve is pinched - hence the pain
  • during pregnancy in the body of a woman there is a violation of the normal water-salt metabolism, as a result of which it lacks calcium and phosphorus
  • during the burden of pregnancy, a significant change in the hormonal background occurs, which also leads to restructuring and shortages of nutrients in the body

To relieve pain and avoid unpleasant pain will help:

  • wearing only comfortable and light shoes where the foot will be relaxed
  • wearing special compresses and elastic bandages
  • stay in a horizontal state and the ability not to stand for a long time on your feet
  • taking regular contrast showers and foot baths
  • daily morning exercises and evening light exercises that improve blood circulation
  • calm sports or swimming

Getting rid of night cramps during pregnancy will help sufficient intake of foods high in calcium and phosphorus.

What to do if the calves of the legs are very sore?

At the moment when you are caught by pain in the calves, you need to know how to remove it so that you can continue your normal life. There are a number of simple but effective home remedies that reduce swelling and eliminate pain:

It is important to know that if the pain has been haunting you for a long time and you cannot eliminate it in any way, you should immediately seek the advice of a specialist. Only a real doctor will be able to prescribe you a number of effective drugs or creams that will be effective in your individual case.

Tips for eliminating pain and swelling in the legs:

  • Try to wear special compression stockings or stockings regularly or at least at night.
  • Avoid high platform shoes or heels if you regularly suffer from pain and cramps in your calves.
  • Sign up for a session with a specialist who will give you a regular massage of the calf muscles
  • Do frequent contrast showers, soaks, or foot baths
  • If you have a “sedentary” job, try to arrange simple walks or workouts as often as possible.
  • Balance your diet, include as much food as possible that contains vitamin E, phosphorus and calcium

Sore calves in men, causes and treatment

  • The pain that occurs in the calf muscles in men most often appears due to overwork. The male specificity of work, work and lifestyle allows them to always be on the move and often do hard work.
  • The entire load that a man takes on is reflected in the condition of his legs, since it is the calf muscles that are responsible for the emphasis of the torso. As a result, a man overstrains his muscles and they respond to him with pain after a while.
  • A relaxing massage and a hot bath will help relieve discomfort from the legs.
  • After that, it is recommended to apply a number of auxiliary preparations to the skin - deep-acting ointments and creams that penetrate the tissues and have an antispasmodic effect.

Sore calves in women, causes, treatment

If a woman regularly has pain in the calf muscles, this may be evidence that she leads an unhealthy lifestyle:

  • Her muscles are too weak and unable to withstand any weight or load. If so, it is necessary to carry out a small load on the legs every day: walk, climb stairs, go jogging
  • Often the calves hurt from the fact that a woman wears very uncomfortable shoes - heels, stilettos and platforms. The leg is in constant tension. It is urgent to review all your shoes and adjust the load on your feet, wear comfortable shoes or move a little in uncomfortable shoes on foot
  • Another reason for pain in the legs for a woman is overweight. It also affects the fact that the legs of a woman swell and do not allow normal movement. In this case, you should follow the diet, diet, move more often and drink the norm of water per day so that the body does not retain excess fluid in the body.

What to do if the child's calves hurt?

The causes of pain in the legs and calves in a child can be very diverse:

  • These may be pains associated with growth - that is, the child grows in size, literally stretches in length and the muscles simply are not ready for such a jump. Simply put, such pain is the reason for the rapid growth of tissues: muscle and bone
  • For the same reason, pain can be nocturnal, because during the day the legs received good blood flow, and at night it slowed down and limited the flow of useful trace elements. Such pain can be easily eliminated with gentle stroking to improve blood flow or with a gentle massage.
  • Pain can occur as a result of the presence of many pathological developmental diseases in a child: scoliosis, flat feet, osteochondrosis. In such cases, the center of gravity shifts - this affects the fact that the weight of the body does not completely fall on the legs and they hurt
  • Diseases of the endocrine system also affect the fact that the child feels pain in the calf muscles. Everything happens because the kidneys can show malfunctions, the thyroid gland. The child may have diabetes. All these diseases disrupt the mineral composition of the blood, which should nourish the muscles with microelements.
  • Neurocircular dystonia limits the child's physical activity, which leads to the fact that the muscles are not developed and cannot withstand the entire load of the body
  • Congenital pathologies of the cardiovascular system that disrupt normal blood circulation in the body

Other causes of problems and pain in the calf muscles can be physical activity, as well as an unbalanced diet.

The calves of the legs hurt, treatment with folk remedies

In some cases, traditional medicine can provide a particularly strong and effective treatment:

  • A compress from young birch leaves - for this you need to collect the leaves, pour them over with boiling water and put them on the calves, wrapping them with a bandage. It is necessary to keep such a compress for several hours at least.
  • A compress of fresh dandelion leaves is one of the most effective and effective ways. To do this, you need to pick the leaves, finely crush them and put them on the calves, wrap the legs with a dense cloth. This compress lasts all night.
  • Rubbing from ficus leaves also helps. For this, the leaves are cut, poured with vodka and insisted for a week. After that, sore feet are rubbed daily with the remedy.
  • You can also use chestnut tincture, which must be prepared in advance: a liter jar is completely covered with chestnuts and filled with vodka. Sore feet are wiped with such rubbing
  • Rubbing your feet is also advised with apple cider vinegar - this helps to warm up the muscles and ease pain in them.
  • Daily salt baths, which must be arranged for the legs before bedtime, will also help. It is best to use sea salt dissolved in warm water.
  • The same useful baths can be done for the feet by adding tansy tincture to them.

Preparations and medicines for the treatment of calf muscle cramps

To relieve pain in the calf muscles, drugs such as:

  • Panangin - (can be replaced with "Asparkam") - this preparation contains a sufficient amount of magnesium and potassium, which can prevent seizures in the lower extremities and eliminate pain
  • Vitamin D and Magnesium B6 - in its pure form or a mineral complex is able to have a preventive effect on muscle and bone tissue, eliminating discomfort
  • External preparations (ointments and creams): Troxevasin, Vasoketom, Diosmin, Venoflebin

In any case, only a processional doctor with sufficient experience can prescribe an effective treatment and prescribe a number of effective drugs. Only he can clearly identify the cause of your pain and understand the nature of their appearance. It is always necessary to treat pain and swelling, if you ignore it, you can achieve complications in the body's work.

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Why do calves hurt in women

People often experience pain in the calf muscles. The reasons are different - a temporary bruise, quickly passing with massage and gymnastics, inflammation, disease. In women, this problem is more common. The article describes the causes of pain in the calves in women, methods of treatment.

Causes of pain

For women and girls, the causes are not only diseases and injuries. During puberty, menstruation, menopause, there is a pulling pain in the calves, associated with muscle strengthening, disturbances in the hormonal system. Why the calves of the legs hurt, you will understand after being examined by a doctor. Pain is removed with the help of massage, therapeutic exercises.

Children, with growth, feel pain and cramps at night - the child develops and grows. Buy a warming ointment, apply to the calf muscles before bed.

Causes of injury and disease

The causes of pain in the calf muscles vary. Pain provokes diseases associated with a weak outflow of blood, thickening of the walls of blood vessels.

  1. Contusion, overload during physical activity. Muscles and tendons are stretched under loads, improperly performed exercises, diseases accompanied by inflammation develop.

In case of pain, swelling, consult a doctor immediately. It is harmful to delay treatment, ignoring the pain!

Pain in pregnancy

Pregnant women are more likely to experience calf pain. In order not to get sick in the future (not to develop stronger), follow the factors:

  • It is important for pregnant women to monitor nutrition. Pain inside the calf muscles occurs due to a lack of trace elements needed by the body. Consult your doctor - he will prescribe drugs that increase the content of calcium, potassium, magnesium.
  • During physical activity - walking, standing on your feet without interruption, sudden movements, you feel a pulling, sharp pain, cramps in the calves of the legs, due to the loss of useful trace elements.
  • With the growth and formation of the child, the weight increases dramatically, affects the calves of the legs, worsening the outflow of blood, provoking cramps and pain in the back of the leg. Aching sensations appear below the knee.
  • During sleep, cramps occur in the knee, due to a weak outflow of blood in the veins.

Types of diseases of the calf muscles

Types of diseases of the calves of the legs are divided according to causes and syndromes. If the calves of the legs hurt, it is important to understand the cause.

Puffiness is a sign of thrombophlebitis. It occurs due to inactivity and problems with the blood. The cause is varicose veins in women. The leg is swollen in the lower part of the knee - a sign of thrombophlebitis. The area of ​​the affected veins turns red, thickens, pulling pain appears.

Obliterating atherosclerosis occurs as a result of bad habits, an unhealthy lifestyle. Arteries thicken, disrupting blood circulation, lameness, numbness and convulsions occur when walking, later on and at rest.

As a result of diabetes, vein pathologies occur, blood outflow worsens. Heaviness in the lower leg and knee, with diabetes, means a disease.

Peripheral nerve neuropathies affect the lower legs in the back and calf muscles. The disease manifests itself with sharp pain, swelling within a few minutes. Pain disappears, does not occur during movement, at rest.

Which doctors to contact?

If there is pain in the calves of the legs - pulling pain, cramps, sharp pain when walking in the muscles and joints of the knee - immediately consult a doctor.

A phlebologist treats venous diseases. It will help to remove varicose veins, phlebitis, and other disorders of the veins. A neurologist specializes in the treatment of muscle pain, problems with functioning.

A traumatologist will help treat injuries, diseases caused by injuries. An infectious disease specialist treats diseases associated with infections. The angiosurgeon will treat diseases of the veins and blood vessels.

Ways to treat inflammation

With inflammation, bed rest is recommended. Activity during illness develops inflammation. Try to drink more water if there are no diseases that prohibit the use of large amounts of fluid. 2-3 liters per day is the optimal amount of water to speed up the treatment.

The doctor prescribes antibiotics, ointments, drugs that reduce inflammation. These include milgamma. Sold in the form of tablets and solution, it helps to relieve inflammation due to the presence of B vitamins.

With the consent of the attending physician, they are treated with folk remedies, after a preliminary consultation.

Folk methods that relieve inflammation

  1. With a tumor below the lower leg and knee, with tendonitis, a therapeutic bandage is used to provide peace to the muscles. Beat the egg white, a tablespoon of vodka and a tablespoon of flour. Apply the mixture to an elastic bandage. Bandage bandage below the knee, in the area of ​​injury. Change the bandage daily until complete recovery.
  2. Colostrum contains useful elements, helps to get rid of injuries, bumps, inflammation. Milk has similar properties. It is necessary to use, warm and make warm bandages on the knee.
  3. Chop the onion until you get a pulp. Add a tablespoon of sea salt. Put the mixture on gauze or breathable fabric, wrap the affected area or injury. Apply bandages on the shins or knees, in the area behind the legs. Hold for 4-5 hours, then remove. Treatment should be carried out for several days.

Folk methods for the treatment of bruises

Often bruises are the cause of the pain. When falling or overloading, the shin, knee, calves of the legs are damaged. Ways to treat bruises with folk remedies:

  1. Green plants contain chlorophyll, which has beneficial properties that can heal bruises and reduce injuries. Grind or grind the green plant until juice is formed. Rub the bruise with the solution. There will be healing, a sharp burning pain will appear, then it will pass. Do the procedure until complete recovery.
  2. Wormwood herb and medical petroleum jelly treat bruised knee or shin. Mix the ingredients in a ratio of 1 to 1, put to languish in the oven. Apply the resulting ointment to the places of bruises of the lower leg, knees or calves.
  3. Fresh herbs, wormwood or plantain, are suitable in the form of an ointment or preparation for healing bruises.

Methods for the treatment of pain in pregnant women

More often, pain problems occur in pregnant women, during the formation of a child. For treatment, drugs are taken that increase the content of missing elements in the body for the formation of a child. If the problem is associated with edema, a massage is necessary. If you experience pain or cramps, see your doctor. The doctor will prescribe the necessary to start treatment.

First of all, take care of your lifestyle - you can’t be on your feet for a long time and work, do not forget about stretching and special gymnastics. Without them, pulling pain and cramps will not go away.

To relieve cramps and heaviness in the lower leg area, do twisting. Standing, slowly turn the body to the sides, without bending the knees, without shifting parts of the leg. Slow squats with support will tone the shins and calf muscles. Pain in the calves of the legs will pass if you lean on the wall, sit down deeply, lifting your heels off the floor.

Calf and calf massages will help you relax. Sign up for a course, see a doctor. If the doctor allows, do self-massage. It is performed using oils, in stages. Suitable for pregnant women and women suffering from varicose veins or muscle strain.

Massage is not allowed after hot baths. The skin loses its ability to absorb massage oil, and it will not work to achieve a suitable effect. When self-massage, you can not put much pressure on the veins, it is better to gently slide your hands around. The procedure accelerates the blood, saturates the body with oxygen. Leg muscles are relaxed. For complete relaxation, massage to do minutes.

Pain in the calves of the legs during pregnancy is treated with folk remedies. Heat a glass of water, dissolve a spoonful of salt. Rub the sore muscle with water, starting from the foot. Do not wash off the salt - wait until it dries.

Cramps are removed by taking honey and kefir. In the morning, before eating, eat a tablespoon of honey, drink it with a glass of kefir. Take products for five days, pain and cramps will pass.

Calf hurts: what to do?

Painful sensation in the calves of the legs is a fairly common occurrence, the occurrence of which can have different factors. Very often, a person is in no hurry to go to a specialist, trying to cope with the disease on his own and endure the pain - this is the wrong tactic, which in turn can lead to unpleasant consequences.

Causes of pain in the calves:

1. Excessive load on the calf joints, caused by strong physical overload, unusual for a person;

2. Strong weight gain and obesity;

3. Injuries and muscle damage;

4. A sharp change in the load on the legs, for example, long walking or running, uncharacteristic for a person.

These are only those factors that do not entail serious diseases, and are also not a guarantee of an ailment that requires immediate intervention. In this case, you just need to understand the main reason why there are unpleasant pain in the calves and eliminate it: reduce the load, try to lose weight and stretch the tense leg muscles. But there are a number of diseases in which muscle pain is a symptom.

Diseases characterized by pain in the calves:

2. Diseases of the spine, such as: osteochondrosis, displacement of the vertebral discs, tumor, tuberculosis of the spinal column. All these pathologies can cause pain in the calf muscles.

3. Atherosclerosis. In this case, the disease occurs in the thickening of the walls of blood vessels, they shrink and thicken, thus, the muscles of the lower leg begin to hurt. The pain gets worse with long walking. A symptom characteristic of this disease is cold feet, regardless of the temperature regime.

4. Inflammation of the calf muscle. This disease is called myositis. This is the most common cause of pain in leg games. It can be caused by complications of viral and infectious diseases, as well as due to muscle strain and injuries. Myositis is a very serious disease that requires mandatory treatment, only on the recommendation of a specialist. In this case, the pain is aching in nature and increases with walking and physical exertion.

5. Diseases of the peripheral nerves. Pain in the calves with neuralgia, as a rule, is constant, but can also be paroxysmal in nature.

6. Thrombophlebitis - a vascular disease that causes throbbing pain in the calves.

7. Diseases of the veins: thrombosis, varicose veins.

8. Rupture of the Achilles tendon.

9. Infectious diseases of the bones, such as osteomyelitis. In this case, the pain is long and sharp.

All these diseases are very serious and without timely intervention can lead to disastrous consequences, dangerous to health, and some to human life.

Calf hurts: what to do? First, establish the cause of the pain and consult with a specialist. He diagnoses the disease and prescribes treatment. After that, strictly follow the recommendations of the doctor and observe a number of preventive measures.

A specialist should treat pain in the calf, regardless of the factors that provoke them, but pain can be reduced with the help of traditional medicine.

Calf hurts: what to do? 10 folk remedies for calf pain:

1. Chestnut tincture

A tincture made from chestnut fruits can be used not only externally, but also internally. To prepare it, you need half a liter of vodka and 50 grams of chestnut. The mixture should be infused for 2-3 weeks in a dark, cool place. After the specified time, wipe the feet with the resulting product every day. For oral administration: dilute a teaspoon of tincture with a glass of water and take before meals. The course of treatment is two weeks.

2. Baths with sea salt

In order to improve blood circulation, it is useful to make baths with sea salt and immerse your feet in them for a minute, and also perform contrast procedures during the shower, directing a stream of water to the calves, alternately changing hot and cold water.

Honey compresses will help relieve the inflammatory process and relieve pain, as well as improve blood flow. To do this, honey, slightly poached in a water bath, lubricates the calves and bandages them with an elastic bandage or thick cloth. Such lotions should be on the legs throughout the day. Before going to bed, they need to be changed and left overnight.

4. Baths with decoctions of nettle, coltsfoot, plantain

From heaviness in the legs, baths from a decoction of nettle, coltsfoot and plantain will help. All components are taken in equal quantities (4 tablespoons each) and poured with three liters of boiling water. The mixture is slightly cooled and filtered.

Essential oils can be used as a remedy to help relieve the feeling of heat and heaviness. To do this, mix a couple of drops of essential oil with two tablespoons of any vegetable oil and apply to sore spots twice a day. The best oils for this are: lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree, lemon.

Cold compresses have an analgesic effect. You can wrap ordinary ice in a thick cloth and apply to the calves, or you can prepare herbal ice, which will enhance the effect. Lime blossom pour boiling water and cool, then freeze in molds.

A very effective remedy for pain in the legs are baths, with the addition of pine needles. 100 grams of needles are poured with a liter of water and brought to a boil, after which the broth is placed in a water bath for half an hour.

8. Peppermint tincture

Peppermint helps relieve swelling and reduce pain. Mint and black elderberry flowers are taken in three teaspoons, and lime and chamomile flowers are taken in two. All components are poured with a third of a liter of boiling water. Leave for a minute and take 15 minutes before meals.

Honey massage has a beneficial effect on blood circulation and relaxes tense muscles. Massage is carried out according to the principle of a sharp lowering of the palm dipped in honey dissolved in a water bath.

Peppermint balm will help with fever and pain. For the recipe you will need: grape seed oil and peppermint essential oil. The components are taken in proportions: a teaspoon of grape seed oil to 4 drops of essential oil. Rub the resulting balm into the calves of the legs.

Treatment with folk remedies at home

Calves hurt - what to do. For what reason the calves of the legs hurt and how to correctly diagnose and treat.

Is it any wonder that your calves hurt if the day before you finally got out on a ski trip or danced with rapture all night in high heels? Unaccustomed to such loads, the legs indignantly reproach with painful sensations in the morning and resolutely refuse to obey.

However, pain in the calves can occur suddenly and for no apparent reason, bother for a long time, or be accompanied by additional unpleasant symptoms. And this is already a signal of trouble, to which you need to pay the closest attention.

Calves hurt - causes

The variety of reasons why the calves of the legs hurt does not allow even an experienced doctor to make a diagnosis during the examination. Only additional methods of examination can confirm his assumptions. Excessive activity or unnoticed injury, vascular problems or spinal disorders - the nature of the pain and the accompanying symptoms will tell you what could have caused the trouble. Let's consider some of them.

1. Myositis - inflammation of the calf muscles

The disease can be the result of a flu, injury, hypothermia, or too much stress. Initially, the pain is aching, not sharp, felt only when feeling and walking. However, it gradually intensifies and annoys even at rest. If myositis has developed against the background of an injury, an infection may be attached and the disease turns into a purulent form. In this case, in addition to local hyperthermia, general hyperthermia develops, with fever and signs of intoxication of the body.

Attacks last from a few seconds to 2-5 minutes, in the intervals between them the pain is completely absent. Soreness is felt along the peripheral nerve fibers, it disappears as suddenly as it began.

3. Varicose veins

The calves of the legs hurt in a special way when the outflow of venous blood is disturbed. Long stay in one position - standing or sitting - leads to stagnation of blood, due to which the nerve endings become inflamed. Dull aching pain and a feeling of heaviness in the legs is characteristic of a gradually developing varicose veins. Unpleasant sensations are associated with an increase in pressure in the vessels. The appearance of cramps in the calf muscles and bluish veins is a confirmation of the development of the disease.

An extremely dangerous consequence of varicose veins is the formation of a blood clot in a vein, thrombophlebitis. With this disease, the calves of the legs almost constantly hurt - at first the pain is throbbing, later burning. If the process affects only superficial veins, the skin above them is reddened and painfully thickened. Involvement of deep - manifested by significant swelling of the lower leg. Inflammation is dangerous with the risk of a blood clot breaking off, which threatens with unpredictable consequences.

An uncomfortable feeling of constriction, calves of the legs hurt and even in summer ice feet - such complaints are typical for those suffering from atherosclerosis. The reason is the thickening of the walls of blood vessels. Pain is aggravated by walking.

6. Diseases of the spine

Various disc pathologies, inflammation of the sciatic nerve (sciatica) or its infringement, cause pain that radiates to the calf muscles. At the same time, the spine itself does not bother.

7. Endarteritis - inflammation of arterial vessels

The calves of the legs hurt, weakness is felt in them when walking - this symptom is called "intermittent claudication". It is often accompanied by seizures and is a sign of inflammatory vascular disease.

The lack of certain elements often causes calves to hurt, and cramps often occur. This is especially true for future mothers, because they actively feed the baby with their own reserves. Yes, and not everything is in order with the weight, it has increased significantly due to the presence of the baby. Usually there is a lack of calcium or potassium, or several trace elements at the same time. This contributes to the appearance of night cramps and pain in the calf muscles. The nutrition of a pregnant woman should be balanced, but calcium supplements should not be prescribed to yourself, it is better to consult a doctor.

The occurrence of muscle pain in the calves is a rather serious symptom that requires consultation with a specialist. They can be a phlebologist, an infectious disease specialist, a traumatologist, an angiosurgeon or a neurologist.

Sore calves - diagnosis

Diagnosis of pathology, in which the calves of the legs hurt, includes clinical and instrumental studies. First of all, the doctor tries to exclude causes that are life-threatening - thrombophlebitis, arterial obstruction, thrombosis, cancer and various infections. Thrombophlebitis and varicose veins are not difficult to determine - Doppler ultrasound determines whether there are obstacles to blood flow, and transillumination shines through the superficial veins and unmistakably indicates the damaged one. Ultrasonic duplex angioscanning detects a thrombus, assesses its nature and "age", tells about the state of the lumen of the veins.

If it is suspected that the calves of the legs hurt because of the spine, the doctor makes an x-ray of the spine, hip joint and pelvic-sacral joints in several projections. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging help to make a diagnosis. A deficiency of microelements reliably allows you to determine a blood test, and myositis is accurately diagnosed by a neuropathologist.

Which doctor to contact when the calves of the legs hurt, you can try to determine yourself:

The pain becomes weaker when the legs are raised - problems with the veins;

Tingling and numbness indicate problems with the spine;

The pain gradually lets go when lowering the legs down - the arteries are to blame;

Frequent cramps - a lack of iron, calcium or magnesium in the body.

Sore calves - treatment

If the reason why the calves of the legs hurt is established, the doctor prescribes conservative or surgical treatment:

Acute arterial insufficiency - urgent surgical intervention is required;

Deep vein thrombosis - inpatient treatment;

Prolapse of intervertebral discs and tumors of the spine - surgery is indicated;

Varicose veins - the use of special ointments and gels, drug treatment, the use of laser coagulation and sclerotherapy, phlebectomy.

However, the appointment of the necessary treatment is the prerogative of physicians. Regardless of why the calves of the legs hurt, doctors give general advice on alleviating the patient's condition and preventing the development of the disease:

2. Complete nutrition with salt restriction.

3. Compliance with the regimen, sufficient sleep, unhurried walks.

4. Ruthless struggle with excess weight.

5. Therapeutic gymnastics and contrast shower.

6. Rest with legs slightly raised, you can put a pillow or a comfortable cushion.

The calves of the legs hurt - treatment with folk remedies

Not all diseases allow the use of folk remedies. Thrombosis, for example, requires immediate medical attention. However, sometimes it will not be superfluous to use grandmother's secrets, especially in the initial stage of the disease and for prevention purposes.

1. When the calves of the legs hurt from standing for a long time and a feeling of heaviness appears, foot baths will help remove discomfort. To prepare them, pour a handful of mint and lime blossom into 1 liter of boiling water. After half an hour, pour the infusion into a bowl of water and hold your feet in it for about fifteen minutes. This will perfectly relieve fatigue, a feeling of heaviness and will serve as a prevention of the occurrence of varicose veins.

2. An infusion of plantain, nettle and coltsfoot helps from a feeling of fullness and heaviness. For 3 liters of boiling water, you need 4 tablespoons of herbal mixture. Keep the legs in the infusion for a minute.

3. The calves of the legs do not hurt and swelling disappears after applying ice wrapped in a cloth to sore spots.

4. Quickly relieve pain in the calf muscles of the bath with the addition of a decoction of pine needles. Pour one hundred grams of healing needles with a liter of cold water, bring to a boil and hold in a water bath for half an hour. After pouring into a basin of water, allow the sore legs to relax in the solution for about fifteen minutes.

5. If the muscles of the legs hurt during spasms or after injuries, a mixture of aloe with various oils sold in a pharmacy helps a lot. Take clove, menthol, eucalyptus and camphor oil, mix with an equal amount of aloe juice. Twice a day, the mixture is gently rubbed into sore calves and covered with a woolen cloth. The duration of the procedure is not limited.

Sore calves - prevention

Some preventive measures not only help prevent dangerous diseases, but also greatly alleviate the patient's condition, stop the development of the disease.

For normal blood circulation in the legs, it is good to do contrast foot baths, they also help with frequent cramps;

Shoes should be as comfortable and of high quality as possible; you should not get carried away with too high heels;

The vascular, muscular and articular systems react extremely painfully to overweight;

Good nutrition, a diet rich in protein with salt restriction, a sufficient amount of fluid intake are excellent prevention of a convulsive symptom;

Complete parting with cigarettes and alcohol, exclusion from the diet of too fatty foods;

Daily gymnastics, reasonable alternation of loads and rest;

The use of compression stockings and stockings, it is better to refuse to wear ordinary ones that are too tight;

Take care of the presence of vitamin E in the diet, on which the tone of the vascular wall depends;

Calm walking, swimming and running are excellent helpers in the prevention of pain in the calves.

It is extremely important to understand that the calves of the legs hurt for a reason, they try to give a signal about the presence of possible malfunctions in the body. No need to try to find a suitable remedy in the home first aid kit or ask Aunt Tanya from the fifth floor for advice. You should not use folk remedies until the doctor makes a diagnosis.

If your calves constantly hurt, put aside all your affairs and consult a specialist. If severe pain occurs suddenly, and you are diagnosed with endarteritis, call an ambulance immediately, blockage of the artery is possible.

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Portal Editor-in-Chief: Ekaterina Danilova

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The gastrocnemius muscle belongs to the category of biceps and is located on the front of the lower leg. Thanks to her, a person can stand, walk, run, rise on his toes, do squats. Let's take a closer look at the cases in which the calf muscles can hurt and what symptoms occur in this case.

The calf muscles often respond with painful sensations. This happens for a number of completely different reasons: diseases, leg fatigue, malnutrition. In any case, such a deviation always requires attention and effective treatment.

Why do calves hurt when walking?

Pain that is felt in the calf muscles are very common. Their appearance is influenced by a fairly large number of factors. The degree of pain itself also varies. In order to accurately understand the cause of the pain that has appeared, you should carefully study the main problems of this part of the body.

If any of these pains occur, you should consult a doctor for detailed advice so that he can prescribe the necessary treatment and be able to exclude the possibility of serious diseases.

Why do the calves of the legs swell and hurt?

Not infrequently, the painful condition of the legs is also complemented by unpleasant swelling. In such cases, you should carefully study all the causes of such unpleasant symptoms and find a decent solution for them. Puffiness can happen to absolutely anyone and there are a number of reasons for this:

  • Eating a lot of overly salty food and then drinking a lot of water. Salt retains water in muscle tissues, not releasing it from the body. This is what puffiness looks like
  • Violation of the water-salt balance in the body. Such a violation leads to frequent swelling because the body does not have enough water.
  • A woman's pregnancy often causes the body to accumulate a large supply of fluid.

Other reasons for the appearance of swelling on the legs and in the calf muscles are the presence of diseases such as:

  • Heart failure. This disease often causes swelling of the lower extremities. Recognizing it is quite simple - swelling begins to appear on the ankle and gradually rises. You should not assume that such swelling can only capture the left leg, because it very often manifests itself on both legs. A characteristic feature of such swelling is the remaining hole, which is very visible when pressing on the leg. Especially clearly this puffiness is manifested by the onset of the evening.
  • Lymphadrema. This disease very often affects the lower extremities and its main symptom is swelling in the calf area. In this case, the fluid accumulates in the lymphatic vessels. A person who is experiencing this disease also experiences a particular heaviness in the legs and even sometimes a feeling of fullness of the limbs. Such puffiness appears in the ankle area and rises up the leg. Such puffiness appears in the evening and tends to disappear in the morning.
  • Insufficiency of scratching. If a person has this disease, his kidneys do not work normally, which leads to stagnation of fluid in the body and provokes swelling. Such puffiness has a characteristic feature to appear in any part of the body, but the lower limbs are most subject to it. Such puffiness can appear both day and night and you can get rid of it only when the body gets rid of excess fluid.
  • Varicose veins . As already mentioned, varicose veins provoke poor outflow of blood in the veins, which leads to increased pressure and swelling as well. It is noticed that puffiness is more pronounced in the evening and more of it is concentrated on the left leg.
  • Thrombophlebitis. This disease is characterized by asymmetric swelling in different parts of the body, which is very easy to notice visually. Such swelling can be accompanied by an increase in temperature and discomfort while walking.

Why do calves hurt after a workout?

Not one person has noticed the peculiarity of feeling pain in the muscles after playing sports. The same applies to the calf muscles. This often happens with athletes and people who want to play sports, but do not know how to give the right load to the legs.

Characteristic muscle pain appears most often one to two days after the workout itself. The reason for this is the partial damage to muscle cells during stress and their subsequent recovery after a while.

The strength and intensity of the pain that appears depends only on how strong your workout was. Keep in mind that the more often you give a load to the muscles, the less often you will have any discomfort at all. It should also be noted that muscle pain becomes less noticeable and not as strong during muscle growth. It is for this reason that many bodybuilders have forgotten what it is.

To reduce calf pain after a workout, the following methods will help:

  • Warm up , which you will carry out every time before playing sports. Its principle of operation is very simple - warming up allows you to improve blood circulation, which delivers more nutrients to muscle tissue.
  • Cold and hot shower - which also has a positive effect on blood flow and general circulation, which in turn allows the calf muscles to recover faster
  • Massage - which is able to relax the muscle and at the same time improve blood circulation
  • Daytime sleep - surprisingly, this method has a positive effect on all processes in the body and thus indirectly helps muscles recover after training

Why do calf cramps and pain occur at night?

The most common cramp is the one that occurs at night. The reasons for such an unpleasant sensation can be various factors, from the simplest lack of vitamins in the body, to the presence of a serious and complex disease in the body.

The most common spasm can last from a few seconds and can last up to fifteen minutes at a time. Most often, such pain occurs quite suddenly and all the time during a cramp the muscles are in a solid and even “stone” state.

How a seizure manifests itself:

  • Sharp pain captures not only the calf, but may well capture the muscles of the foot
  • This can happen when the leg is overstretched, or it can happen completely unexpectedly in a dream when the leg is in a calm position.
  • It has been noticed that the older a person becomes, the more often this feature manifests itself - to experience muscle cramps.

A cramp that appears in a dream naturally disturbs sleep. Usually a person wakes up abruptly and grabs a sore spot, trying to eliminate the pain.

Cramps at night can appear for various reasons:

  • You have a neurological disease that tends to manifest itself with seizures at night and during the day
  • Your body is deficient in minerals, in particular calcium and phosphorus. During sleep, the blood circulation process is disturbed and slowed down, and that is why the flow of useful elements is hindered.
  • Poor circulation in the elderly around the clock - the cause of frequent seizures in sleep
  • Another reason is taking medications that also negatively affect the blood circulation process.
  • People with metabolic disorders
  • People taking diuretics
  • Pregnancy

Why do calves hurt in pregnant women?

Swelling and pain in the calf muscles is a common symptom during pregnancy, especially if the date of birth is not far off.

There are several reasons why women often feel this unpleasant sensation while in position:

  • a growing fetus and with it a growing body, which increases in volume and weight, gives a double load on the legs, and in a short period of time - this puts pressure on the lower limbs, provokes swelling and pain
  • due to the fact that the weight of a woman increases and changes its center of gravity, swelling and excessive load on the legs occur
  • the natural elasticity of the ligaments decreases, which leads to pain in the calves
  • not infrequently, pregnancy provokes the appearance of varicose veins on the legs - it leads to pain
  • the fetus presses on the inferior vena cava and provokes the appearance of pain in the lower extremities
  • it is also possible that the sciatic nerve is pinched - hence the pain
  • during pregnancy in the body of a woman there is a violation of the normal water-salt metabolism, as a result of which it lacks calcium and phosphorus
  • during the burden of pregnancy, a significant change in the hormonal background occurs, which also leads to restructuring and shortages of nutrients in the body

To relieve pain and avoid unpleasant pain will help:

  • wearing only comfortable and light shoes where the foot will be relaxed
  • wearing special compresses and elastic bandages
  • stay in a horizontal state and the ability not to stand for a long time on your feet
  • taking regular contrast showers and foot baths
  • daily morning exercises and evening light exercises that improve blood circulation
  • calm sports or swimming

Getting rid of night cramps during pregnancy will help sufficient intake of foods high in calcium and phosphorus.

What to do if the calves of the legs are very sore?

At the moment when you are caught by pain in the calves, you need to know how to remove it so that you can continue your normal life. There are a number of simple but effective home remedies that reduce swelling and eliminate pain:

It is important to know that if the pain has been haunting you for a long time and you cannot eliminate it in any way, you should immediately seek the advice of a specialist. Only a real doctor will be able to prescribe you a number of effective drugs or creams that will be effective in your individual case.

Tips for eliminating pain and swelling in the legs:

  • Try to wear special compression stockings or stockings regularly or at least at night.
  • Avoid high platform shoes or heels if you regularly suffer from pain and cramps in your calves.
  • Sign up for a session with a specialist who will give you a regular massage of the calf muscles
  • Do frequent contrast showers, soaks, or foot baths
  • If you have a “sedentary” job, try to arrange simple walks or workouts as often as possible.
  • Balance your diet, include as much food as possible that contains vitamin E, phosphorus and calcium

Sore calves in men, causes and treatment

  • The pain that occurs in the calf muscles in men most often appears due to overwork. The male specificity of work, work and lifestyle allows them to always be on the move and often do hard work.
  • The entire load that a man takes on is reflected in the condition of his legs, since it is the calf muscles that are responsible for the emphasis of the torso. As a result, a man overstrains his muscles and they respond to him with pain after a while.
  • A relaxing massage and a hot bath will help relieve discomfort from the legs.
  • After that, it is recommended to apply a number of auxiliary preparations to the skin - deep-acting ointments and creams that penetrate the tissues and have an antispasmodic effect.

Sore calves in women, causes, treatment

If a woman regularly has pain in the calf muscles, this may be evidence that she leads an unhealthy lifestyle:

  • Her muscles are too weak and unable to withstand any weight or load. If so, it is necessary to carry out a small load on the legs every day: walk, climb stairs, go jogging
  • Often the calves hurt from the fact that a woman wears very uncomfortable shoes - heels, stilettos and platforms. The leg is in constant tension. It is urgent to review all your shoes and adjust the load on your feet, wear comfortable shoes or move a little in uncomfortable shoes on foot
  • Another reason for pain in the legs for a woman is overweight. It also affects the fact that the legs of a woman swell and do not allow normal movement. In this case, you should follow the diet, diet, move more often and drink the norm of water per day so that the body does not retain excess fluid in the body.

What to do if the child's calves hurt?

The causes of pain in the legs and calves in a child can be very diverse:

  • These may be pains associated with growth - that is, the child grows in size, literally stretches in length and the muscles simply are not ready for such a jump. Simply put, such pain is the reason for the rapid growth of tissues: muscle and bone
  • For the same reason, pain can be nocturnal, because during the day the legs received good blood flow, and at night it slowed down and limited the flow of useful trace elements. Such pain can be easily eliminated with gentle stroking to improve blood flow or with a gentle massage.
  • Pain can occur as a result of the presence of many pathological developmental diseases in a child: scoliosis, flat feet, osteochondrosis. In such cases, the center of gravity shifts - this affects the fact that the weight of the body does not completely fall on the legs and they hurt
  • Diseases of the endocrine system also affect the fact that the child feels pain in the calf muscles. Everything happens because the kidneys can show malfunctions, the thyroid gland. The child may have diabetes. All these diseases disrupt the mineral composition of the blood, which should nourish the muscles with microelements.
  • Neurocircular dystonia limits the child's physical activity, which leads to the fact that the muscles are not developed and cannot withstand the entire load of the body
  • Congenital pathologies of the cardiovascular system that disrupt normal blood circulation in the body

Other causes of problems and pain in the calf muscles can be physical activity, as well as an unbalanced diet.

The calves of the legs hurt, treatment with folk remedies

In some cases, traditional medicine can provide a particularly strong and effective treatment:

  • A compress from young birch leaves - for this you need to collect the leaves, pour them over with boiling water and put them on the calves, wrapping them with a bandage. It is necessary to keep such a compress for several hours at least.
  • A compress of fresh dandelion leaves is one of the most effective and effective ways. To do this, you need to pick the leaves, finely crush them and put them on the calves, wrap the legs with a dense cloth. This compress lasts all night.
  • Rubbing from ficus leaves also helps. For this, the leaves are cut, poured with vodka and insisted for a week. After that, sore feet are rubbed daily with the remedy.
  • You can also use chestnut tincture, which must be prepared in advance: a liter jar is completely covered with chestnuts and filled with vodka. Sore feet are wiped with such rubbing
  • Rubbing your feet is also advised with apple cider vinegar - this helps to warm up the muscles and ease pain in them.
  • Daily salt baths, which must be arranged for the legs before bedtime, will also help. It is best to use sea salt dissolved in warm water.
  • The same useful baths can be done for the feet by adding tansy tincture to them.

Preparations and medicines for the treatment of calf muscle cramps

To relieve pain in the calf muscles, drugs such as:

  • Panangin - (can be replaced with "Asparkam") - this preparation contains a sufficient amount of magnesium and potassium, which can prevent seizures in the lower extremities and eliminate pain
  • Vitamin D and Magnesium B6 - in its pure form or a mineral complex is able to have a preventive effect on muscle and bone tissue, eliminating discomfort
  • External preparations (ointments and creams): Troxevasin, Vasoketom, Diosmin, Venoflebin

In any case, only a processional doctor with sufficient experience can prescribe an effective treatment and prescribe a number of effective drugs. Only he can clearly identify the cause of your pain and understand the nature of their appearance. It is always necessary to treat pain and swelling, if you ignore it, you can achieve complications in the body's work.

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