If you’re experiencing some calf pain and wondering if you have injured your calf. Believe it or not there are in fact 3 different sources of pain that can be felt in this region. They are…

1. Muscular
2. Neural
3. Vascular

But how can we differentiate between these possible causes? Here are some top questions to help navigate through the various sources of calf pain…

• Did the pain occur after a traumatic event? – likely Muscular
• Is the pain reproduced by resisted muscle contraction? – likely Muscular
• Do certain lower back movements reproduce the pain? – likely Neural
• Is the pain accompanied by pins and needles/tingling or a burning sensation? – likely Neural
• Is the pain aggravated by a variety of cardiovascular exercises with different demands on the calf muscle such as walking, cycling or swimming? – Possibly vascular
• Is the calf red/hot firm and swollen? – likely vascular. Have a Physiotherapist/Doctor preform a Wells’ Score top determine risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis as this may require immediate onward referral to A&E

If you think you may have one of the above sources of pain, book in to see one of our qualified Physiotherapists for a more detailed assessment.