in a riding accident 6mo ago, I fractured my pelvis and tore a calf muscle. The fracture healed nicely but the calf is still visibly bruised and my dr doesn’t think I need an mri because it’s a tear and it will heal eventually. Although now he tells me the pain on the inside of my calf maybe permanent (nerve damage). So having to need to actually wear tall boots and use my lower leg, any suggestion on what to do? Dr said I should be able to ride next month, so this is looking ahead as I’ve not tried riding snice my accident.
I jumped a ditch, on foot, when it was slick and muddy and pulled a muscle off at the bottom by my ankle and it made a golf ball sized bump higher up.
Too busy to go to the dr, I limped along for a while.
Eventually it quit hurting and most of the bump reabsorbed.
It left an indentation all along the calf bundle of muscles, but luckily that was all.
The leg seems to have worked fine all these decades since.
Maybe yours is something similar and other structures will compensate for the one torn calf muscle?
If you are having trouble, could you get a second opinion from a good sports medicine specialist on legs, like the high school kids are referred to for such injuries, see what you have there?
This is definitely something to be consulting a physiotherapist about, there are plenty of treatment modalities which could help heal and give you relief!
I injured calf muscle last summer. Was surprised & dismayed at how long it took to heal. But at last it did. If it doesn’t need surgical repair, yours should eventually heal too I hope. Note I found out hard way wrapping is not helpful for injured calf. Massage, gentle stretching, gradual strengthening exercises. Good luck!
My horse stepped on my calf (I fell under her after taking a flier at a jump and she couldn’t move out since I held the reins as I fell) and bruised it deep in the muscle - nothing like injuring your calf to realize how much you use it for everything!
Even with the limited scope of my injury, it took about 5-6 weeks of physical therapy for me to return to normal function. If your doctor didn’t refer you to physical therapy, I would look into it. The therapist never gave me more than I could handle, but gave me exercises that I could do at home to help me loosen up the knot and prevent scar tissue from forming. Even at this stage of the game, I think working with a good PT could be immensely helpful for you in building up supporting structures and teasing out as much function from that muscle as you possibly can. Best of luck in your healing journey!
I tore my Peronous Longus loose from where it attaches on the ankle. I just jumped out of a golf cart and ran, NBD right? Of course the bleeding and swelling were at the ankle. But the grossest part was that the actual muscle had snapped and rolled up like an old roller blind. It was still alive, under my skin, but not attached at the bottom. It took months for it to get the message and quit wiggling under there. Creeped me out and the kids couldn’t hardly look.
I have a very high pain threshhold, so I’m not a good reporter. I limped for a while, but never missed a day of work. I have had multiple fractures, tears and sprains, and generally just kept rolling. I once showed in an open jumper class with the old plaster cast on. I put on a black sock to look good. Just hung on to the stirrup with my toes. And yes, BTW, we won - what a great horse, 50 years later and I still miss him!
{Yes, I’m an idiot, nurse plus horse person is a crazy combo!}
Soooo, expect some pain and limping. Swelling will keep you out of tall boots for a while. But I’d take a calf injury over an ankle injury any day, you really have to learn to post without stirrups then!
