Wonderful... About three possessions into my first game of basketball this morning I strongly jumped for a rebound, and my right calf responded by exploding in pain- and that was the end of my morning basketball. I might have been a bit dehydrated and tired because I stayed up late last night and I didn't drink enough water before playing, but maybe that has nothing to do with it. Online searches for 'calf strain' that turn up passages like the following, are quite dismaying...
Quote:
A calf strain (torn calf muscle) occurs when part of the muscle of the lower leg (gastrocnemius or soleus) is pulled from the Achilles tendon. It is similar to an Achilles tendon tear or rupture, but occurs higher up in the back of the leg. A sign of a calf strain is similar to that of an Achilles tendon rupture - you may think you've just been hit in the leg and hear a "pop." There is sudden pain at the back of the leg, pain, swelling or bruising in the calf muscle, and you have difficulty standing on the toes.
This injury happens during acceleration or changes in direction. The torn calf muscle may spasm, and contract forcefully. The toes will point down. Bruises show up in the foot and ankle due to pooling of blood from internal bleeding.
Calf strains may be minor or very severe and physician grade the injury according:
* Grade 1 Calf Strain : The muscle is stretched causing some small micro tears in the muscle fibers. Full recovery takes approximately two weeks.
* Grade 2 Calf Strain : There is partial tearing of muscle fibers. Full recovery takes approximately 5-8 weeks.
* Grade 3 Calf Strain : This is the most severe calf strain with a complete tearing or rupture of muscle fibers in the lower leg. Full recovery can take 3-4 months and, in some instances, surgery may be needed.
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Hopefully, I haven't torn anything loose from my achilles tendon, but gosh-darned it, the way my right calf feels, and the fact that the back of my right calf is starting to look awfully bruised, even though I didn't bump anything or anyone whilst playing, indicates that I probably did... Dang it... If this doesn't feel better by tonight or tomorrow, I'll bet that it is likely that if I want to continue working out next month, I'll probably be forced to do something tedious like having to ride an exercise bike for an hour every day, just because my possibly seperated calf won't allow me to work out on the elliptical machine or run stairs or play pickup balll... Dang it, again...