Is it normal?

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Nellers Jun 2015 2:09pm, 21 Jun 2015 29,757 posts	0 Nellers I've had 8 weeks of nothing but gentle walking, DT. When it first went I thought it was just bad cramp! Stopped me dead in my tracks.
Canute Jun 2015 2:38pm, 21 Jun 2015 1,525 posts	0 Canute I do not do a great deal of static stretching at any time, because I am not impressed by the evidence it does much good . It creates tension in muscles which are not always the same as the tension experienced when running, though I do not have very strong views on this. I am more impressed by the value of stretching for tendon problems. In the case of a tron muscle,I am inclined to think that once the initial acute healing phase is complete, which it should be after 8 weeks, very gentle stretching would be OK and might help with alignment of collagen fibres, but I would put more emphasis on gradual mobilization.
Carpathius Jun 2015 2:49pm, 21 Jun 2015 6,978 posts	0 Carpathius Nothing to add to the wise advice above - and the temptation to say it all sounds NFN
RichHL Jun 2015 4:03pm, 21 Jun 2015 9,929 posts	0 RichHL I wouldn't return to training until I were pain-free but I'm a wuss.
Ted Jun 2015 8:08pm, 21 Jun 2015 13,926 posts	0 Ted Can you get a professional to get their thumbs into it and help to break down the scar tissue? by professional, I mean someone who would know whether that was the right thing to do and if so, how hard!
Nellers Jun 2015 8:15pm, 21 Jun 2015 29,759 posts	0 Nellers To be fair, Rich, I was pain free 2 weeks after I did it when I went and did a parkrun. Well, half a parkrun as that was all I managed. Trouble with this one is that it felt fine as long as I didn't run and put that strain through it, but it wasn't healed. Those 8 weeks with no running have been purgatory, and I had no idea if it would be any better at the end of it. Ted, I did wonder about that but these things cost and budgets are tight. Also knowing who you can actually trust is an issue. There are lots of "therapists" who don't really know their shit but sound like they do.
ogee Jun 2015 8:39pm, 21 Jun 2015 20,322 posts	0 ogee Hmm, depends on the severity of the tear. I tore mine a few years back, couldn't run for nearly 3 months. Gentle massage may help, probably will help as it'll stimulate the blood flow in the area. I'm no doctor or physio though. Keep it warm & keep stretching it.
JohnnyO Jun 2015 9:24pm, 21 Jun 2015 17,906 posts	0 JohnnyO Calf tear, nasty business. I have done mine a few times. Gentle stretching, of the pushing against a wall type of calf stretch, no heel drops. That way you can stop if there is any pain. Expect some ache when running, but 'pain' should stop you. Massage is the key to prevention. I know I am knotty, but I dont have the time or money to go every month. I am sure that if I did, it probably wouldn't happen again. My calves are particularly short though.
RevBarbaraG Jun 2015 9:36pm, 21 Jun 2015 3,122 posts	0 RevBarbaraG Another vote for massage. When my calf went again three weeks after the initial injury, I took it to a physio. His treatment included deep and painful kneading of the knot around the tear, and instructions to have OH do the same for five minutes a day for the following week. This was to break down the misaligned fibres, and allow them to heal straight. Eighteen months on, I still get an occasional ache at the site of the tear, but have had no recurrence. I also wore calf sleeves whenever I ran for about six months afterwards.
Derby Tup Jun 2015 10:00pm, 21 Jun 2015 16,481 posts	0 Derby Tup Calf tears appear to heal quite often in a week or two, in that the pain goes quite quickly. The problems start if you rush back to ruining too soon. It's easy to fall into the cycle of recover partially and then re-damage the muscle. Proper rest, active recovery with appropriate treatment and a steady return to quality training is the key for me