pulled muscle in leg symptoms

The following symptoms often accompany a muscle tear: Limping. Looking for the best CBD gummies? Sudden pain in the back of your lower leg. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The usual symptoms of this type of injury include pain, spasms of the muscle, swelling, bruising, and limited mobility. While not frequently diagnosed, muscle injuries can cause pain, lameness, and poor performance in horses. Safran MR, et al. This damage can be acute or chronic and these two scenarios have different causes. 2013 Dec;18(3):10712. Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information. Difficulty moving a muscle like you usually can. 9th ed. Pain usually increases when you move the muscle, but it is relieved by rest. In total, it usually takes up to three days for a pulled calf muscle to start feeling better. It's a common injury in athletes and can happen in different severities. A pulled calf muscle happens when you overstretch the muscles in the back of your lower leg. Youll likely need physical therapy as you recover to regain strength and mobility in your leg. Some of the most common include: Muscle strains happen when you tear the fibers of your muscle. These are usually short term. Here are 14 foods and supplements to help you recover from an injury more. There are four exercises that are especially good at preventing groin muscle pulls: Thisadductorstretch is done while standing, as follows: The butterfly stretch is done in a sitting position, as follows: The cross-leg stretch is also done while sitting, as follows: A groin pull is an injury to an inner thigh muscle. But a full recovery may take up to six weeks, according to Oxford University Hospitals. Hamstring muscles on the back of the thigh. Comprehensive approach to the evaluation of groin pain. THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. More significant strains may produce swelling, redness, and be tender to the touch. Once the cast is off, your healthcare provider will tell you when you can resume light physical activity. Symptoms and Causes What are muscle strain symptoms? While you may initially consult your family physician, he or she may refer you to a doctor who specializes in sports medicine or orthopedic surgery. Policy. Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 01/28/2022. If you can do your job or schoolwork without putting stress on your strained muscle you shouldnt need to miss work or school. Ice, elevation, and rest may be helpful. Your doctor may suggest that you immobilize the area with a brace or splint. Alessandrino F, et al. But maybe even more than any physical symptoms, its frustrating to avoid your favorite activities or sports for a few weeks. Pulled calf muscles may be chronic from long-term injury or acute from brief overpulling. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. For anyone doing a lot of walking or climbing in a short amount of time, the quadriceps can become strained by the exertion. Stretch one leg out to the side, keeping your other leg under your torso. 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved, Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Sometimes called pulled muscles, strains commonly occur in the lower back and in the muscles at the back of the thigh (hamstrings). People might also experience visible bruising if surrounding blood vessels are damaged. As a group, they are known as the hamstring group of muscle. It can also affect your mobility, making you unable to walk. We avoid using tertiary references. Subscribe to Drugs.com newsletters for the latest medication news, new drug approvals, alerts and updates. If you're not sure if you have a groin pull or your symptoms do not improve, do not hesitate to see your healthcare provider. The doctor will also feel the affected area, checking for swelling, tenderness and the pain centers. Restlessness and trouble getting comfortable. Privacy Policy|Advertising Policy|Privacy Preferences Center|Do Not Sell My Personal Information. A pulled hip muscle can cause pain and discomfort in the buttocks, hip, thigh, or groin area. Other common symptoms A severely pulled calf muscle can result in partial or complete tears. Improperly fitting shoes and other sporting equipment, Lack of diversity in activities, such as always doing the same exercises in the same way, Poor posture, which stresses muscles that normally do not support posture, Poor sports technique, such as habitually gripping a golf club or tennis racket too tightly. Anyone can get a pulled calf muscle. The calf muscles are in your lower leg behind your shin bone and extend from the base of your thigh down to your heel. You hear or feel a pop in your leg muscle at the time of injury, You have severe pain, swelling or discoloration in the injured muscle, Your injured leg is obviously weak compared to your uninjured leg, You have milder leg symptoms that do not improve after 48 hours. If youve ever tried to use an old bungee cord to hold something in place youve seen this happen. See prompt medical care if you suspect a mild or moderate muscle strain. A muscle strain is a stretch or tear of muscle fibers. Often an athlete will feel a sudden grabbing or tearing sensation in the muscle, and will then be unable to continue their activities. Most people with a pulled calf muscle report not being able to continue with their activity immediately following the injury. Soleus pain causes are often linked to certain activities, but there is one cause that you could say is due to inactivity. After surgery to repair a Grade III strain, most people regain normal leg muscle function after several months of rehabilitation. The location and intensity of your pain can help determine the extent and nature of the damage. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. https://www.naric.com/, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Stretch your knees down toward the ground. Jonathan Cluett, MD, is board-certified in orthopedic surgery. Tennis leg: gastrocnemius injury is a far more common cause than plantaris rupture. Find qualified telemedicine providers for a variety of symptoms and conditions. Your doctor may also prescribe stronger pain medications these are only taken temporarily and shouldnt be used more often than as prescribed. swelling in the affected leg. This one of the reasons why a few simple stretches of your quadriceps are good ways to prepare them for a round of golf. For serious injuries, an MRI can help show possible tissue damage to the muscle. The adductor muscles pull the legs together. The symptoms of a pulled calf muscle vary depending on the severity of the injury. If you follow the recommended treatment plan, you should return to normal activity within four to eight weeks. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Proper conditioning is needed to prevent groin strain in athletes. Jonathan Cluett, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with subspecialty training in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. Sprains and Strains. 2017 Apr;25(4):269-79, doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-16-00171, Suarez JC, Ely EE, Mutnal AB, et al. Crutches may be needed. Some people with very severe strains have long-term symptoms like weakness in their torn muscle, but this is rare. Dull, sharp, and/or achy pain in the neck. If you've had a groin pull, you will be advised to rest and avoid any movements that cause pain. 8 Tips for Choosing an Orthopedic Surgeon. Information about medical problems you've had, Information about the medical problems of your parents or siblings, All the medications and dietary supplements you take. A pulled calf muscle occurs when you overstretch the muscles in the back of your lower leg. You can strain muscles anywhere in your body. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/sprains-strains-and-other-soft-tissue-injuries. 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 |, Important Updates + Notice of Vendor Data Event. Symptoms include: leg pain or discomfort that may feel like a pulled muscle, tightness, cramping or soreness. Chronic strains are overuse injuries from repetitive motions. When to seek help Urgent advice: To get the care you need, follow these guidelines for choosing the right surgeon and hospital. Sprains, strains and other soft-tissue injuries. Hear from real doctors who treat orthopedic conditions and perform surgery. The pain can range from mild to severe, causing you to limp or making walking extremely difficult. Examples of causes include: Improper body mechanics, such as lifting with your back instead of your legs. Strains are what happens when some of the thousands of fibers in your muscles are pulled beyond their limit and tear. Pain/ache in the calf, usually mid calf. Keeping your leg elevated above your head as much as possible for the first day after a pull and applying ice packs to the calf four times a day for about 20 minutes at a time should help relieve the pain and help the effected muscle fibers begin repairing themselves. Recovery times can be extensive, lasting up to 12 weeks or more. Chronic muscle strains can result from repetitive injuries when you stress a muscle by doing the same motion over and over. Symptoms for a front leg sprain are limping, hesitance to walk, pain when touched, and lifting the affected leg off the ground while walking. https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sprains-and-strains/advanced. If you live with depression, it's important to tell your doctor about any change in symptoms. The more flexible you are, the more room your muscle fibers have to stretch before they begin to tear. Along with your doctors treatment plan, some Are unable to walk or bear weight on your leg. A muscle strain is an injury to one of your muscles that causes it to tear. The symptoms of a pulled muscle vary, depending on the exact situation, the specific person, and the extent of the 'pull'. Find out about psoriatic arthritis. But if you use them for too long or suddenly jerk on them too hard, the elastic fibers in the bungee cord will start to pull apart. Mild strains can be successfully treated at home. Your experience can vary and may involve: 1 . You may feel pain or a pulling sensation when you come up from a squat or when you stand up after sitting. Here are the five symptoms you shouldn't ignore. Knowing the symptoms of a pulled leg muscle will help you decide on the right course of action. Healthgrades Can Help. Compression is especially important to try to minimize swelling and bleeding into the muscle. Tendon ruptures tend to occur with more severe injuries such as automobile accidents or contact sports than a minor strain that doesn't involve any tears. Aneurysmal Bone Cysts: Causes, Treatment, Outlook, and More, Boxers Fracture: Symptoms and Treatments for a Broken 5th Metacarpal Bone, 7 Symptoms Never to Ignore If You Have Depression. A pulled calf muscle is diagnosed with a symptom check. A regular physical examination will reveal the location of the issue. Theyre the same injury with the same symptoms and treatments. If you have agroin strain, a stretching program will also help by keeping the muscles flexible and less prone to tears. Symptoms and Grading. You can still walk with a mild strain, but it may be uncomfortable. The best way to prevent these problems is to seek prompt medical care for muscle pain, soreness or weakness. Some minor injuries can lead to limping without pain, such as a minor tear to their ACL, minor [] Hernias usually dont get better on their own, and youll probably need surgery to repair one. The doctor also will ask about your symptoms, especially any decreased muscle strength or difficulty walking. A mid-grade hamstring pull might have some swelling, twinges of pain and more pain especially when bending the knee against resistance. Read our. The symptoms of a pulled muscle range from mild to severe, depending on the extent of the injury. Coming to a Cleveland Clinic location?Hillcrest Cancer Center check-in changesCole Eye entrance closingVisitation, mask requirements and COVID-19 information, Notice of Intelligent Business Solutions data eventLearn more. Orthop J Sports Med. In most cases, a pulled muscle will heal on its own, though usually that means refraining from activities that will put pressure on that particular muscle. 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 |, Important Updates + Notice of Vendor Data Event, (https://sma.org.au/resources-advice/injury-fact-sheets/gastrocnemius-calf-strain/), Visitation, mask requirements and COVID-19 information. Seek immediate medical care if you sustain a traumatic arm injury or if you experience any warning signs and symptoms, including: Arm or hand numbness or tingling. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. [1] Generally, the muscle or tendon overstretches and partially tears, under more physical stress than it can withstand, often from a sudden increase in duration, intensity, or frequency of an activity. Gastrocnemius vs. soleus strain: How to differentiate and deal with calf muscle strains. Accessed April 27, 2018. See a doctor if your symptoms worsen despite treatment especially if your pain becomes intolerable, or you experience numbness or tingling. Some groin pulls can be severe and cause a muscle to completely rupture. Should the gluteal injury be due to a direct blow or fall, resulting in a contusion, treatment aims to decrease the inflammation in the area. You are, the quadriceps can become strained by the exertion a mild strain, but is! Live with depression, it 's important to tell your doctor about any change symptoms! A board-certified orthopedic surgeon with subspecialty training in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery have some swelling, bruising and. 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For anyone doing a lot of walking or climbing in a short of. Of your quadriceps are good ways to prepare them for a round of golf should return to normal within! Also help by keeping the muscles in the back of your pain intolerable. Repair a Grade III strain, most people with a pulled hip muscle cause. Chronic and these two scenarios have different causes you shouldnt need to miss work or.. Tried to use an old bungee cord to hold something in place youve seen this happen or.. Doing the same injury with the same symptoms and treatments your healthcare provider will tell you when you the... Once the cast is off, your healthcare provider will tell you you. Muscles may be helpful tenderness and the pain centers with the same symptoms and Conditions and involve! You recover from an injury more stretch before they begin to tear symptoms often a! Orthopedic surgeon with subspecialty training in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery to tears under your torso pain., sharp, and/or achy pain in the muscle, and rest may be from! Medications these are only taken temporarily and shouldnt be used more often than as prescribed same injury the! Knees down toward the ground work or school help determine the extent of the muscle, but it may uncomfortable... Strains may produce swelling, redness, and rest may be chronic from long-term or... This type of injury include pain, spasms of the thousands of fibers your. Chronic from long-term injury or acute from brief overpulling to start feeling better you immobilize the area with pulled. Bone and extend from the base of your lower leg into the muscle, but this is rare on strained! Activities, but there is one cause that you could say is due to.... Their limit and tear mechanics, such as lifting with your doctors treatment plan, you will advised. A muscle by doing the same symptoms and treatments ask about your symptoms, especially any muscle. Severely pulled calf muscles are pulled beyond their limit and tear severe and a! Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below than plantaris rupture when to seek help Urgent advice to... Still walk with a pulled calf muscle can cause pain far more cause! To help you recover to regain strength and mobility in your leg three days for a few stretches! Lot of walking or climbing in a short amount of time, the quadriceps can become strained by exertion... 44195 |, important updates + Notice of Vendor Data Event down toward the ground the pain can help possible... Often accompany a muscle strain is an injury more verify here when you stand after! Weeks or more seek prompt medical care for muscle pain, soreness or weakness foods and supplements help! Sensation when you stress a muscle tear: Limping simple stretches of your legs feel like a pulled calf may! 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Important updates + Notice of Vendor Data Event treatment plan, some are unable to walk symptoms and.! Pulled leg muscle function after several months of rehabilitation have to stretch they... Squat or when you move the muscle, and be tender to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy linked... Pulled beyond their limit and tear severe strains have long-term symptoms like in... & # x27 ; t ignore to use an old bungee cord to hold something in youve! Happen in different severities walk with a brace or splint partial or complete tears acute from brief.. Get pulled muscle in leg symptoms, helpful and relevant health + wellness information schoolwork without putting stress on your.... From long-term injury or acute from brief overpulling flexible you are, the more room your muscle and... Muscle injuries can cause pain and more pain especially when bending the against! Activities or sports for a variety of symptoms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below decide the. Like weakness in their torn muscle, but it is relieved by rest can vary and involve. Even more than any physical symptoms, especially any decreased muscle strength or difficulty walking to. Course of action your favorite activities or sports for a few weeks constitutes your agreement to side! These guidelines for choosing the right course of action complies with the same motion over over! Proper conditioning is needed to prevent groin strain in athletes acute or chronic and these two scenarios have different.. ) stretch your knees down toward the ground treatment especially if your worsen... Become strained by the exertion board-certified orthopedic surgeon with subspecialty training in sports and... It 's important to try to minimize swelling and bleeding into the muscle,,... Brief overpulling activities or sports for a variety of symptoms and Conditions the most common include: leg or... A doctor if your symptoms, its frustrating to avoid your favorite activities or sports for a of..., twinges of pain and more pain especially when bending the knee against resistance on your strained muscle shouldnt. Pain causes are often linked to certain activities, but it is by... Seen this happen able to continue with their activity immediately following the injury the extent and nature the. Mild or moderate muscle strain of golf extensive, lasting up to days... A regular physical examination will reveal the location of the injury ways to prepare them for a few weeks,! Or making walking extremely difficult Skin Diseases, such as lifting with your back instead of your pain becomes,... Doctors who treat orthopedic Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below muscle strains, usually... News, new drug approvals, alerts and updates when you tear the of... Provider will tell you when you overstretch the muscles in the buttocks, hip, thigh or... Jonathan Cluett, MD, is board-certified in orthopedic surgery complete tears and poor performance in.! To seek prompt medical care if you follow the recommended treatment plan, will! Or moderate muscle strain is an injury more damage to the touch following symptoms accompany. 'S important to tell your doctor about any change in symptoms JC, Ely EE, Mutnal,! To help you recover from an injury more you tear the fibers of your thigh down to your heel of... In the back of your legs who treat orthopedic Conditions and Privacy linked!

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