Pulled Calf Muscle Symptoms & Causes

The specific symptoms you’ll experience with a pulled calf muscle depend upon the severity of the muscle strain.  They are typically painful and potentially nagging, because you involve your calf with every step.

Common pulled calf muscle symptoms include:

• sudden, sharp pain in the lower leg during exercise - most usually felt during sprinting or bursts of speed and potentially accompanied by a “popping” feeling.
• a spasm or stiffness in the back of the lower leg, especially felt when stretching.
• swelling and tenderness
• bruising in the calf, foot, or ankle (indicates blood vessels have been broken).  Sometimes the bruise may appear below the calf pain.  The bruise is a collection of spilled blood and other toxins, and with gravity it can occur below the source of the actual problem.
• overall weakness in the calf muscles
• irregularity in the muscle (in the event that the muscle fibers ruptured.)

There are numerous possible causes of a pulled calf muscle, however, let’s take a look at some of the most common causes:

• lack of flexibility in the calf muscles
• poor calf strength
• being overtired or not warming up prior to training or a competition
• overstretching the calf (pushing the muscles past their tension threshold)
• sudden stress upon calf muscles
• impact to the calf muscles by an outside force

Additionally, you are at risk for a calf strain if you are exercising during cold weather, while over-tired or if you’ve had a history of calf injuries.

For information on treatment on pulled calf muscle ailment read:
Pulled Calf Muscle Treatment

Related Pulled Calf Muscle Articles:
>> Pulled Calf Muscle
>> Pulled Calf Muscle Severity
>> Pulled Calf Muscle Therapies & Treatment
>> Pulled Calf Muscle Prevention Tips