A while back I explained how your hip pain could be coming from an old low back injury. Did you also know that the same low back pain could be causing you to have calf tightness?
Those nerves that feed into our legs not only control our movement and muscle activation but they also control sensations. This means the muscles can be getting tight or even just “feeling tight” but they actually have the proper length. If you’re constantly feeling like you have to stretch your calves or get cramps but nothing seems to help then maybe it’s time to get it examined.
Patient Success Story
I had a patient who was a runner come to me for calf tightness that was stopping him from gaining more distance. He used to be able to run farther but the calf tightness started to increase and he suddenly was not able to run more than a mile without fear of tearing his achilles and causing more damage. He had been stretching, using a massage gun and trying all the basic things he knew to release the muscle but it kept coming back with each run.
Finally, he decided he needed an expert’s advice and got it examined. After a thorough exam and a little background digging I concluded it was his back causing the tightness. This patient was not currently having any low back pain but he did have a history of pain and had regular low back tightness build up after working at a computer all day.
We tested his running and he felt the calf tightness come on, I gave him some exercises for his low back, and then we went out and ran the same distance again. His calf tightness had suddenly decreased. He looked at me slightly confused but felt a significant difference in his legs. We continued to work on his old low back injury. Increased his strength, stability and added proper stretches to avoid a re-occurence. He has since then learned to maintain the low back tightness, increased running distance, and has not had the same calf tightness or pain.
Let’s talk!
If you’re ready to get real answers and relief schedule a one on one appointment.
