Symptoms of a calf ligament strain

Leg injuries are common problems that people encounter, which may be caused by strenuous exercise or accidental injuries. Calf disease is usually caused by incorrect movements. Calf ligament strain is a common occurrence among athletes because their exercise style is too intense, which can cause this problem. There are many treatment methods, and you just need to choose the right one. What are the symptoms of a calf ligament strain?

1. Symptoms of calf ligament sprain

Calf ligament strain is also the most common. For example, playing basketball can easily cause calf ligament strain. The symptoms of calf ligament strain are generally tenderness and self-pain. In mild cases, some ligament fibers will rupture, and in severe cases, the ligament fibers will completely rupture, causing joint subluxation or complete dislocation, resulting in joint dysfunction. In case of joint or ligament sprain, cold compress should be applied within 24 hours, and pressure bandage should be applied if necessary. After 24 hours, physical therapy, hot compress, massage, and acupuncture should be used for treatment. Functional exercises can be added after the pain subsides. For acute calf injuries, if severe pain occurs, do not treat it lightly. Let the patient lie flat and send him to the hospital on a stretcher.

2. Treatment of calf strain

2.1. Partial rupture: There is no blood accumulation in the joint, and the X-ray in the valgus position shows that the medial joint space is not large. Local closure and elastic bandage pressure dressing can be performed. Early quadriceps exercise or ankle-long leg plaster brace can be used to fix the knee in varus and slight flexion for 3-4 weeks. After the plaster is completely dry, quadriceps exercise and walking can be started.

2.2. Complete rupture: In principle, surgical treatment should be performed. If the ligament is ruptured, it can be sutured directly; if the bone attachment is torn, it can be fixed with wire penetration or directly sutured to the periosteum and soft tissue. If there is avulsed bone fragment, fix it with wire or screws. If combined with meniscus damage, it should be removed. Patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury should be repaired first. Postoperative plaster fixation for 4-6 weeks.

2.3. Old injuries: Actively and persistently perform quadriceps exercises to increase joint stability. If the joints remain unstable after active exercise, surgical repair can be performed. The medial collateral ligament is replaced by the fascia lata or the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons. Injury to the lateral collateral ligament is rare and rarely requires surgery.

Symptoms of calf ligament sprain

3. Identification of ligament sprain

Ligament rupture: This is usually caused by movements beyond the range of joint movement during activities, which leads to passive traction of the relevant ligaments and causes tearing or complete rupture. Ligament ruptures are often accompanied by sprains and fractures.

Usually caused by performing movements that exceed the range of motion of the joint during activities

Ligament sprain: Ligament sprain refers to damage to the soft tissues of the limb joints or body (such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, etc.) without fractures, dislocations, skin and flesh damage, etc. The main clinical manifestations are pain and swelling at the injured site and limited joint movement, which often occur in the waist, ankle, knee, shoulder, wrist, elbow and hip.

Ligament contusion: It is usually caused by movements beyond the range of joint movement during activities. The degree of ligament injury is not serious, but redness and swelling will occur.

Ligament tear: Partial rupture of the ligament, usually treated conservatively. For ankle ligament tears, surgical treatment may not be better than conservative treatment.

Causes of ligament sprains

1. Age: The bones of adolescents are not yet fully developed, so their ability to resist external forces is weak. Developing bones and cartilage also appear weak compared to those in adults. Older people have reduced flexibility in the spine and joints, and their strength to maintain stability is reduced, so sports injuries are not uncommon.

2. Gender: The average body fat content of yellow men is 13% of their body weight, while that of women is as high as 23%. Women have relatively less muscle content than men, so the incidence of sports injuries to the knee joint is higher in women than in men.

Symptoms of calf ligament sprain

3. Physique and skills: People with high body fat and heavy weight will have less muscle development, so their body flexibility and endurance are correspondingly poorer, making them more susceptible to injuries. Especially when resisting violence that causes trauma, heavy people are at a disadvantage. The strength ratio of the flexor to extensor muscles is a very important factor that can cause muscle tears in many cases. Exercisers with poor technique are also more susceptible to injury.

4. Others: In the case of poor physical condition (chronic fatigue, anemia, colds, dysmenorrhea, lack of sleep, etc.), lack of keen judgment and quick and accurate protective response to unexpected events may lead to sports injuries.

What to do if you have a sprained ligament

1. If you sprain a ligament, you should rest and stop exercising immediately, and do not put any weight on the injured joint.

2. Apply cold compress. Ice or other cold can help reduce pain and swelling because lower temperatures reduce blood circulation. Apply for 15 to 20 minutes per cold, three to four times a day.

3. Oppression. Applying pressure to the injured area with a bandage or other methods can reduce bleeding and bruising. The bandage should be just tight enough that you can feel the pressure but not enough to cause numbness or ischemia in your extremities.

Symptoms of calf ligament sprain

4. Raise the affected limb. The main purpose of elevating the affected limb is to reduce swelling and promote blood return.

Regarding ligament sprain: During exercise, external force causes the joint movement to exceed the normal physiological range, resulting in the ligaments around the joint being sprained, partially ruptured, or completely ruptured. This is called a joint ligament sprain.

Because ligament tissue is not easy to regenerate and recover, if it is not treated properly or misdiagnosed and turns into a chronic disease, it may leave functional impairment and be prone to sprain again in the future. After an acute injury occurs, activities should be stopped immediately to reduce bleeding. Immediately flush the injured area with cold water or apply ice to the affected area to stop the bleeding. Then cover with a bandage and apply pressure to prevent swelling.