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Anyone torn the (gastrocemiuos) calf muscle?


novice cushie shooter
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Currently on crutches and trying to figure out if my shooting season is done for. Anyone torn this before? Looking for a rough idea of healing time as the hospital were very vague. 

Any tips or help greatly appreciated. Currently resting it above waist height and icing a d deepheat 3 times a day

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Depends how bad the tear is and how good your physio is. I tore mine off the top of the Achilles’ tendon about 15 years ago. I was a good 3 months before walking properly, and it still gives me gyp now. I still remember the sadistic physio saying “ooh that’s a big tear, I can get 3 fingers in there” and then proceeded to demonstrate. It was not comfortable! I was reasonably mobile after about 5 weeks, but uncomfortable, and the leg would swell up and require icing.

Edited by Sussexboy
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Yes, did that and my foot turned black.  I bound the whole lower leg for support with elastic bandage, took it off and replaced every 4hrs ...keep it elevated and it then took around 5 weeks to start to feel I could put weight on it fully.  I knew what I had done having done the other leg a few years before trying to lift the front of my ATV off a tree stump.   That time I had a sports therapist come in every day for two weeks as I was booked to fly to the USA three weeks after the injury. I made it with a walking stick   I just did what he did this time and  I honestly do not know if it did any good, but did no harm but I gently massaged green lipped muscle extract lotion into the lower leg / calf muscle, anyway it is now fully healed and in full use.

Good advise above, is do not rush it or you will have a worse problem. It's Christmas, take it easy and let others bring your glass of amber or whatever.

Edited by Walker570
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Cant take it too easy as i rely on my income. However i can make do with doing easier jobs at work. I can get lifts back and forward from work do i wont be planning to drive for a few weeks yet. 

Thanks for the replies evreyone. There has been no bruising and thats been 6 days and there is a little swelling but nothing major. 

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I slipped on some ice under fresh snow tore my knee and calf muscle. Calf still has a lump where the year was and still gives me pain now and again 

Took a few months before I could excersise properly again.

Time rest and the right excersise is key

 

Edited by figgy
Sodding phone word changer
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Traction is just another form of movement, but more walking orientated. I think the basis for METH is to keep the blood, with all its healing properties, flowing into the injured area and to stop the newly healed soft tissue from becoming too stiff. 

Another thing is if you need pain relief, no ibuprofen for first 72 hrs. 

Disclaimer: all the above is based of conversation with physio mate, and the Internet researchof a very bored man. Please seek professional medical help if needed! 

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Yep tore it badly stepping backward off a stile when shooting, then had to go about 500 yds up a very steep field to vehicle and drive to my Dad's( 3rd gear all the way in Navara), getting the muck boot off in casualty was fun, he did offer to cut it off but i am a tight one lol.

Took about 8 weeks to heal to a reasonable condition,  keeping it warm helped with the pain,  and don't overdo things or it will take longer, my calf's look different sizes these days, and strangely apart from a bruise like someone had kicked me in the calf there was nothing else, my mate who did his had a massive bruise right down to his foot.

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I'm no weirdo when it comes to alternative medicines etc., but a number of years ago now when I was struggling to make it 5yrds from bedroom to bathroom because of a very painful ankle, I saw some details of green lipped mussel tablets and ordered some.   I took the course as instructed but within a week I could walk normally and within three weeks had no pain at all.  I mentioned this to a friend and he tried it on some painfull artritis in his wrist / hand and it sorted that.  I have since used the gel with great success. My wife had a painful knee and massaged it with this gel twice daily for a week .... pain gone.     The trade name is PERNATON ....  not cheap but for me it has made life bearable a number of times. 

 

The green lipped mussel is only found on the coasts of New Zealand and the natives there knew about it's relieving qualities way before we arrived.  Check it out.

 

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12 minutes ago, Delwint said:

I did mine whilst playing squash it went with a pop and I actually thought the other player had hit me with his racket. Took weeks to heal something like. With lots of ice and rest 

Don't remind me of that POP sound/sensation. Fortunately on both occasions I managed to get it bound up straight away as I always carry bandages in my 1st aid kit in the Landie.

Novice, sounds like you are doing it to the book. Take it easy and hope it heals quickly for you.  One plus  is I have never had a problem with either leg as a result since the injury. If it heals well it should be OK.

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29 minutes ago, Delwint said:

I did mine whilst playing squash it went with a pop and I actually thought the other player had hit me with his racket. Took weeks to heal something like. With lots of ice and rest 

Thats how i done it! 

38 minutes ago, treetree said:

Traction is just another form of movement, but more walking orientated. I think the basis for METH is to keep the blood, with all its healing properties, flowing into the injured area and to stop the newly healed soft tissue from becoming too stiff. 

Another thing is if you need pain relief, no ibuprofen for first 72 hrs. 

Disclaimer: all the above is based of conversation with physio mate, and the Internet researchof a very bored man. Please seek professional medical help if needed! 

I was told by hospital to take ibuprofen and paracetemol. Geezo. Thanks for info. 

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19 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Don't remind me of that POP sound/sensation. Fortunately on both occasions I managed to get it bound up straight away as I always carry bandages in my 1st aid kit in the Landie.

Novice, sounds like you are doing it to the book. Take it easy and hope it heals quickly for you.  One plus  is I have never had a problem with either leg as a result since the injury. If it heals well it should be OK.

Should i be strapping it up too? Daily? 

 

Will try the pernaton gel tomorrow. Mrs is a dispenser so will get it asap. Thanks

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49 minutes ago, welsh1 said:

Yep tore it badly stepping backward off a stile when shooting, then had to go about 500 yds up a very steep field to vehicle and drive to my Dad's( 3rd gear all the way in Navara), getting the muck boot off in casualty was fun, he did offer to cut it off but i am a tight one lol.

Took about 8 weeks to heal to a reasonable condition,  keeping it warm helped with the pain,  and don't overdo things or it will take longer, my calf's look different sizes these days, and strangely apart from a bruise like someone had kicked me in the calf there was nothing else, my mate who did his had a massive bruise right down to his foot.

I can only imagine the look as they brought the huge scissors to cut the muckboot... NNNOOOOOOOOO!! 

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Strap it

ice it, but keep it warm when it feels right ( only ice it to reduce it) 

rest it, rest it rest it

 

i had a full blue boot thing ( like a temp plaster cast)

 

youll ll know when it's reet,

 

rest rest rest, no pressure on it (  6- 8 weeks)

 

flynny

Edited by flynny
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1 hour ago, novice cushie shooter said:

Should i be strapping it up too? Daily? 

 

Will try the pernaton gel tomorrow. Mrs is a dispenser so will get it asap. Thanks

I lightly strapped mine just enough to give it support.  Took it off at night for bed and of course to gently massage it. The Pro Sports Tech actually used a 'sonic' type unit which I am sure helped the healing on the first time. I just iced it for about five days and then went to heat and as I said used the Pernaton purely to help with the gentle massage.  Pernaton is really designed to help lubricate joints but it certainly didn't do any harm.  Keep it elevated as much as possible.  Used to kill me when I got up in the morning and had to put the leg out of the bed.

As said above by flynny is spot on,  sit back and let the others do the running about otherwise you will only make things worse.  We all have different healing times, I'm looking and seem to heal fairly quickly but I think 5 to 6 weeks is minimum.

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Alternating between hot and cold works wonders because it stimulates the blood supply which in turn stimulates healing. Kinetic tape helps support the muscles but make sure the back of your calf is hair free!!! Massaging some sort of ointment into the muscle will he’ll almost regardless of what it is as the action of massaging the muscle will promote healing, break down any ‘knots’ and discourage scar tissue forming in the muscle. Neville’s greenlipped muscle juice sounds good stuff, apparently another kiwi export - deer velvet tablets are also very good for promoting healing. I’ve always used ibruprofen gels for muscle damage, I’m not a doctor but I always thought paracetamol for breaks and ibruprofen for muscles because it slows down bone formation. But really the key is take it as easy as you can, strap it up for support, take pain killers so it doesn’t hurt too much and give it time. 

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