Combating Calf Pain with Stretching

Calf soreness is a common issue. Many of us will have felt the tight soreness in our calves when we have taken a step, after hard workouts or when we have started moving again after a period of inactivity. Calf tightness can lead to issue throughout the body like shin splints and unbalanced rotations of the feet and ankles.

An article on Well + Good looked at what exactly the calf is and how movement impacts it. The gastrocnemius and the soleus or two muscles in your calf. The gastrocnemius starts around the ankle and crosses at the back of the knee, while the soleus starts at the ankle as well, and runs underneath the gastrocnemius until it stops right below the knee.

In terms of how these two muscles work when you are moving, Cameron Apt, the director of athletic performance at the University of Rochester Medical Center, explains in the article that “When the knee is bent, the soleus is more of the primary mover, and when the knee is straight the gastrocnemius is”. The type of movement you do will impact which muscle is used more often throughout the exercise.

Stretching is key in reducing pain and tightness in the calves. To target both muscles stretches should be done with both the knee bent and the knee straight. Kimberly Caspare, a physical therapist, notes that even just going into downward dog, and bending one knee while keeping the weight in the leg, will shift the stretch from the gastrocnemius to the soleus.

Assisted stretching can be beneficial for stretching the calf. A trained Stretch Therapist can ensure that both the muscles in the calf will be targeted and will help facilitate a deep stretch. Working stretch therapy appointments into your routine can also help to ensure that you maintain consistency with your stretching routine, so that sore calves and bodies can be eased.

Source:

https://www.wellandgood.com/how-to-stretch-your-calves/