Your calves may feel tight for a number of different reasons. The calf is made up of two muscles called the gastrocnemius and the soleus. These muscles are taxed on a daily basis by walking from place to place or participating in strenuous exercise.
tense muscles in lower leg
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If your muscles are cramped, you may feel anything from slight discomfort to severe pain. The muscle may feel hard to the touch and even twitch under the skin. Cramping can last anywhere from just a couple seconds to 15 minutes, or sometimes longer. You may notice cramping right after exercise or up to four to six hours later.
Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) is good for immediate treatment of muscle issues in the first 48 to 72 hours after you notice tightness and pain. Following the RICE method helps reduce damage in the muscles.
Most cases of tight calf muscles respond well to home treatment with stretching or the RICE method. You may not see results immediately, so ease up on the activities that are causing tightness and pain.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), cramps are common in the calves. They also regularly occur in other leg muscles, including the hamstrings and quadriceps in the thigh.
Exercising too vigorously can lead to the calf muscles contracting and abruptly lengthening, and this action produces calf strain. In severe cases, the same action can cause a tear of the calf muscle.
People can avoid overworking the calf muscles by resting for sufficient periods between exercises that put a strain on these muscles. For example, it is best to include at least one rest day between leg strength training sessions at the gym.
Tight calf muscles may have developed gradually over a period of months by not stretching enough before and after training. Tiny micro-tears in the muscles cause them to go into spasms. When they are in spasm or contracted then blood cannot easily get into them.
The muscles have squeezed the blood out like a sponge. If the muscles do not get enough blood then they will not get enough nutrients and so will tighten up to protect themselves and weaken and so on.
Failing to stretch regularly can result in adaptive shortening and one of the most common causes of tight calf muscles is wearing high heels. Wearing heels on a regular basis causes adaptive shortening of the muscles.
Use a plantar fasciitis night splint. This is worn overnight and prevents your muscles tightening up whilst you are asleep. The night splint may take a bit of getting used to but can be very effective for improving calf muscle flexibility.
The calf muscles consist of the larger gastrocnemius muscle and the soleus muscle which is located deeper and lower down the leg. To effectively stretch both muscles, perform exercises with the knee bent as well as straight.
In clinic, we may use kinesiology tape to support and offload the calf muscle and achilles tendon. This can help with pain relief and provide support to allow you to move without hobbling. During recovery it is really important to try not to hobble as that can have a knock on effect to other joints and muscles in your body, e.g hips, back, knees etc.
In many cases, SPS begins slowly over several months or a few years. Affected individuals may initially experience aching discomfort, stiffness, or pain, especially in the lower back or legs (predominantly classic type). Early on, stiffness may come and go, but it gradually becomes fixed. The shoulders, neck, and hips may also be affected. As the disease progresses, stiffness of the leg muscles develops, and is often more pronounced on one side than the other (asymmetrical). This leads to a slow, stiff manner of walking. As stiffness increases, affected individuals may develop a hunched or slouched posture due to outward curving of the upper spine (kyphosis) or an arched back due to inward curving of the lower spine (hyperlordosis). In some individuals, stiffness may progress to involve the arms or face.
In addition to muscular rigidity/stiffness, individuals with SPS also develop muscle spasms, which may occur for no apparent reason (spontaneously) or in response to various triggering events (i.e., stimuli). Spasms can be triggered by unexpected or loud noises, minor physical contact, cold environments, stress or situations that cause a heightened emotional response. Muscle spasms are often very painful and usually worsen existing stiffness. The spasms may involve the entire body or only a specific region. The legs are often involved, which may lead to falls. Spasms of abdominal muscles may lead to individuals feeling full faster than normal (early satiety) leading to unintended weight loss. Spasms involving the chest and respiratory muscles can be serious, potentially requiring emergency medical treatment with ventilatory support. Spasms may last several minutes, but occasionally last for hours. Sudden withdrawal of medication in individuals with SPS may result in a life-threatening situation with overwhelmingly severe muscle spasms. Sleep usually suppresses the frequency of contractions.
Jerking stiff-person syndrome is characterized by muscles stiffness and spasms usually affecting the legs. Affected individuals also develop involvement of the brainstem, which can cause myoclonus. Myoclonus is a general term used to describe the sudden, involuntary jerking of a muscle or group of muscles caused by muscle contractions (positive myoclonus) or muscle relaxation (negative myoclonus). The twitching or jerking of muscles cannot be controlled by the person experiencing it. Only a handful of cases of jerking stiff-person syndrome have been described in the medical literature.
Progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM) is characterized by stiffness and painful muscles that are similar to those seen in individuals with classic stiff-person syndrome. PERM is more rapidly progressive than other forms of SPS; onset of symptoms usually occurs over several weeks. Stiffness and spasms may occur along with, before or after the development of other symptoms including vertigo, a lack of coordination of voluntary muscles (ataxia), and difficulty speaking (dysarthria). In some cases, the cranial nerves may also become involved causing paralysis of certain eye muscles (ophthalmoplegia), rapid, involuntary eye movements (nystagmus), difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), and hearing loss. PERM is considered a distinct disorder from classic SPS and some feel that it is a distinct condition all together. There is no evidence that SPS will inevitably evolve into PERM.
A diagnosis of SPS is made based upon identification of characteristic symptoms, a detailed patient history, and a thorough clinical evaluation. Additional tests can be used to support a diagnosis and to rule out other conditions. Such tests include screening tests to detect the presence of antibodies against GAD-65, antibodies against amphiphysin (which are associated with paraneoplastic SPS) and an electromyography (EMG), a test that records electrical activity in skeletal (voluntary) muscles at rest and during muscle contraction. An EMG can demonstrate continuous muscle motor unit firing in stiff muscles, which is characteristic of SPS. High doses of diazepam will suppress the characteristic EMG results.
Be Careful! Take care not to hurt yourself while tensing your muscles. You should never feel intense or shooting pain while completing this exercise. Make the muscle tension deliberate, yet gentle. If you have problems with pulled muscles, broken bones, or any medical issues that would hinder physical activity, consult your doctor first.
A muscle cramp is an involuntary contraction of a muscle that occurs suddenly and does not relax. If you have ever experienced a charley horse, you probably still remember the sudden, tight, and intense pain caused by a muscle locked in spasm.
Muscle cramp. It can strike in your sleep or in the middle of the day. This sudden, tight, intense lower leg pain is sometimes called a "charley horse." When it takes a grip, it can get worse quickly. It happens when your muscles are tired or dehydrated. Drink more water if you're prone to leg cramps.
Shin splints. You can feel this pain right up the front of your calf. The muscles and flesh along the edge of the shin bone become inflamed, so it hurts to walk, run, or jump. Doing activity over and over on hard surfaces can bring this on. You may also be more likely to get shin splints if you have flat feet or your feet turn outward.
Most deep-vein blood clots happen in the lower leg or thigh. They're more likely to happen if you're inactive for long periods, like on a long flight or car ride. You're also at risk if you're overweight, or you smoke, or take certain medications.
Lower-extremity peripheral arterial disease. This can happen when the arteries in your legs become damaged and hardened. When your arteries narrow or become blocked, your legs miss out on the blood flow they need. That can cause your lower leg to cramp and feel pain when you walk, climb stairs, or do other kinds of exercise, because muscles aren't getting enough blood.
Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes. Nerves can be damaged from high blood sugar levels. It can cause pain in both of your legs along with numbness and less sensation in the lower legs.
To stretch your calf muscles, stand with the front half of your feet on a step, with your heels hanging off the edge. Slowly lower your heels so that they are below the level of the step. Hold for a few seconds before lifting your heels back up to the starting position. Repeat a number of times.
Also, tendons naturally shorten over time as a person gets older, which may explain why older people are particularly affected by leg cramps. Tendons are tough bands of tissue that connect muscles to bone. If your tendons become too short, they may cause the muscles connected to them to cramp.
For example, secondary leg cramps that are related to liver disease are caused by high levels of toxins in the blood which trigger muscles spasms. Therefore, muscle relaxants can be used to help prevent your muscles from going into spasm. 2ff7e9595c
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