The gastrocnemius muscle is one of the biggest muscles in the human body, not to mention the fact that it is one of the most used muscles since it’s engaged in all leg movement. The muscle is located in the back of the lower leg with ramifications just above the knee and to the heel and along with the soleus muscle it completes the calf muscle.

This particular muscle is primarily involved in fast walking, running and other types of fast movements such as jumping but can be slightly engaged in other activities that imply moving the lower part of the body.

The muscle is one of the most common injured muscles and the pain that is felt in this area may be different every time depending on the causes. The following part describes the numerous types of pain that occur during calf injuries.

Calf cramps are very common and they feel like a sharp and very intense pain in the calf that starts after heavy physical activity or often in the middle of your sleep with unknown reason. They mostly occur in athletes and older people but they are common among young people who start exercising without proper conditioning or when using bad posture when exercising. These cramps can come and go and can even start at night after an exhausting day.

People can easily relieve pain with massage and stretching or even applying heat on their tight muscles to relax them. When you want to see a massage therapist for gastrocnemius muscle issue, you need to choose a remedial massage therapist, sports massage therapist or deep tissue massage therapist. Just make sure you will not pick an underqualified massage person who just keeps rubbing your skin and wastes your time.

A proper therapeutic massage therapist will target medial head of gastrocnemius muscle because that’s where a calf cramp usually happens.

When it comes to the gastrocnemius muscle, another pain that can be common is due to inflamed/torn tendons and/or muscles. This can be quite intense and often people relieve it by taking a few anti-inflammatory pills along with applying ice on the affected area. People should also rest for a couple of days and stop any physical activity they might be doing. Gradually, once the pain is relieved, you can easily stretch the leg and start including light exercise in your daily routine.

Those who suddenly feel pain after an intense activity might also have an inflamed or a torn tendon or muscle. In this case supportive shoes, massage and pain medication is needed, especially if the patient feels a sharp pain that doesn’t lessen within hours. The muscle will take more time to heal and your doctor might prescribe other types of therapy for long term care.

Immediate treatment for an injury in the gastrocnemius muscle includes rest, using ice and elevating the leg. Also, it can help if the person’s affected area is wrapped in a manner that compresses the muscle; this will help heal but also relieve some of the pain. Usually the person will have to rest for a couple of days or until complete recovery before going back to their usual activities, otherwise they risk having another accident that can be even worse.

Stretching exercises are also known to be a great method to relieve pain after an accident so a moderate amount of stretching with low effort should be part of the post-accident routine. The gastrocnemius muscle can be easily stretched by pulling the foot with the toes up several times.

An excellent way to get rid of pain and make sure that you avoid any accidents is to visit a clinical or therapeutic massage therapist regularly. This will also relax the muscles after a hard day of training so if your day to day routine includes hard physical activity or manual labour, that might be exactly what you need to keep away from accidents and pain.

Some people might have a dull pain for years before doing something about it and remedial massage is an excellent opportunity to get rid of it without having to take medication or by using other invasive methods. If the pain is caused directly by the muscle and not by a blood clot or other severe reasons, then you are ok to see a remedial massage therapist.

You will surely feel the difference one session after the other, especially if you have been experiencing a lot of pain lately. And, if you simply want to make sure that you avoid the risk of accidents, remedial massage can also be an excellent opportunity to improve your posture, to obtain a shorter recovery time and obtain overall better results.

If you suffer from calf cramp or other gastrocnemius muscle issues on the Gold Coast, click and visit www.remedialmassage-goldcoast.com.au and find out what you should do first. A treatment suitable for your leg problem is available in the form of remedial massage, sports massage and deep tissue massage on the Gold Coast.

Pain Relief Massage Clinic
192 Brisbane Road, Arundel Gold Coast QLD 4214 Australia
Phone: (07) 5537 7886