Joe A Shaw PA-C - 6/25/2009

Question
Hello!  I am a fencer and I fence 2-4 times a week. About 8 weeks ago, I lunged in one of my fencing bouts, and something in my left leg (calf area) felt like it tore.  I immediately stopped fencing because of the pain and applied some ice.  My leg really hurt the next few days and I had my husband rub it for me, but it was pretty excruciating!  
 The next week, I was back fencing again and the same thing happened.  I felt another tear and I repeated the above senario.  Since then, I have fenced on and off, but I try not to lunge or squat because I don't want to do any more damage.  Also, my calf does get really tight now after only a little bit of stress (only when I fence).  I wear ankle supports because my coach is afraid that I will damage my achilles.  
 My question is...Do I need to see a doctor about this?  I fenced in a tournament on Saturday and my leg hurt while I was fencing, but didn't hurt at all once I was through.  I can't bring myself to make an appointment because I am not in any pain at the moment.  On the other hand, last week I fenced really hard and the next day I got out of bed and nearly fell flat on the floor because my leg buckled on me.  
 Any ideas would be helpful and any advice about seeking medical care would be helpful too.  Thanks so much for your time.

Answer
Carrie,
Based on what you are describing right now, it's probably nothing more than a gastroc muscle strain (calf muscle)These can take a looong time to heal properly, and you will most likely be prone to reinjury from time to time.
You need to especially be vigilant about warm-up stretching for at least 15-20 mins.. not the bouncing stretch that so many people do..but the stretch and hold for 5-10 seconds kind. Google calf stretches and you can get some old classic ones I'm sure.
There's not a whole lot that an ortho would typically do for this, again based on your description. If anything he will tell you to reduce your use of this muscle and let it heal. For big time pro athletes and MRI might be obtained to see the degree of strain or tear..but typically does not change the treatment plan.
A neoprene calf muscle sleeve may help keep it warm and after use ice then deep massage with biofreeze would certainly help as well as OTC NSAIDS per label as needed.

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