Pop In The Calf Muscle - What Happens & How To Treat It

In this video, Maryke explains what happens when you feel a pop in your calf muscle. She also discusses why it may pop and not show a bruise, while other times your calf muscle tears and then only a week later you see a bruise. She concludes with how to treat a torn calf muscle.

Related videos:

Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:41 What happens when your calf muscle pops?
00:02:05 Pop in calf muscle - no bruising
00:03:23 Torn calf muscle - bruising a week later
00:03:53 Popped calf muscle treatment

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References:
1. Bryan Dixon J. Gastrocnemius vs. soleus strain: how to differentiate and deal with calf muscle injuries. Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine 2009;2(2):74-77. doi: 10.1007/s12178-009-9045-8

[GaugePadawan]

This is great advice. I had a second degree tear of my gastrocnemius almost a month ago in a tennis match. It felt like I’d been kicked or hit with a ball. 😩 I had to ice it and elevate it for three days and was on crutches. Compression socks really helped me move around, carefully, while protecting the calf for the first two weeks. Almost a month later, I can almost slow run and am doing strength and flexibility exercises. The human body is amazing so hang in there. And get well soon! 👍🏻😃

[unhombrealado]

Sadly, this video made me realize I do in fact have a torn calf.

Thank you, though, great video

[btugrul]

Very useful and easy to understand! Just had a popping sensation this evening when accelerated a little bit in my long run session and all indicates that I've torn my calf muscle! Desperate times begin again! :(

[michelle]

Thanks very informative I heard the pop and thought I was gonna lose my leg until I saw this..😊

[Robert_Douglass]

Thank you, doc, for the information, this should immensely help my recovery since I just popped my gastrocnemius earlier this afternoon.

[laurenp]

Very informative! Thank you so much, you answered all of my questions! Great video

[RGV]

Im going to post my experience for anyone facing this kind of injury.
I tore my left inner calf muscle at the beginning of december last year. I was doing some flips in the beach with a friend, and at the end of the session i suffered the injury. Heard/felt a loud pop, then a lot of pain, couldn't walk back home after that. I couldn't go to the doc after one week past the injury due to doc schedule constraints, same with the physio, couldn't start earlier, so i started it at the third week past the injury. So it went like this, one week off, the second week went to the doc, started taking something for the pain and most important (or that's what i thought) vitamin c and vitamin b complex (b1, b2, b6, b12). At the third week, i started physiotherapy and it was miraculous, i got better every day of that week, and by the end of it, i could walk normally (i was using crutches at the beginning of this week). Some antecedents: i train like 5 times a week, and i was walking a lot before the injury, so my calves were kinda chronically fatigued; By the second week, the tear length was 36 mm, a little bit too big, according to the doc; The injury occurred while my muscles were contracting, so before jumping, during the "thrusting". I was trying something new and it was a little aggressive to make the jump possible.
The most painful of this aside from the evident physical pain, was that i couldn't move for two weeks, so i could barely train (just upper body), and i quit walking my dogs for this brief period of time that felt like months.

[Esoxfan]

Good video thank you, I just felt a pop in my upper calf skiing and I am elevating and icing now

[susanhildreth]

I felt a pop in my right calf 3 weeks ago while going down stairs. Not getting better, limping and my calf hurts and it is now moving down my leg. No bruises. When I walk now, my knee pops. I have an appt on Friday to see an ortho doc.

[stevendunlop]

Very well described and has helped me recover. Thank you 🙏

[jnwano]

Excellent advice. Your videos are helpful to me to understand what is happening post strain and what I need to do and how long this will take.

[SwiftieFam]

Had Soleus strain for 3 years in left calf. Just can’t get over it, tried strengthening for months, no improvement.

[onlignebridge]

Yes, very useful. Thanks doc. Could you please post a link to specific exercises for a mild calf tear? It is possible to walk but not to run or kick..

[betsyclarke]

Happened to me today. Felt pop at top of my calf behind knee doing machine calf raises at the gym. They were already warmed up. I guess it’s because I’m getting old (49) 😞. Currently limping 🙁

[EDWARDTHEEAUTHOR]

It felt like someone hit me in the back of my calf with a tennis ball while I was driving to the hole playing basketball

[pabloetchepare]

You are the greatest!. Your explanation and dedication on this is so good! I wish I had you and your videos a week ago when I had my calf / Aquiles tendon issue skiing 🥲😢
Thank you for your kind support and help. You are very good!

[lout]

Thanks for the info. It just happened to me a day ago.

[jtiger]

Great work thanks for the insights and tips

[NoneOfYourBuisness]

Thank you for the information here. You’re describing exactly what happened to me.

Very useful, you are very informative. thank you