Tight Calf Muscles
I am not an active person mainly due to a few health issues, the most l walk is to the bus stop and tube station, from the tube station to work which consists of 10 min bursts. On Thursday we had an evacuation from the office at work due to a false fire alarm, this consisted of walking down 28 floors, l was fine until about the 21st floor when my knees started to complain, got down to the ground floor and my legs were very wobbly. They felt this way for some time afterwards.
Yesterday l was on leave from work, felt fine when l got up showered etc, but over a few hours my calf muscles became painful and stiff, especially each time l attempted to get up from sitting down.
Today there is no improvement and the muscles feel tight and painful even when sitting, is there anything l can do to help them recover quickly, l have looked on line but all advise seems to be aimed at sports injuries with all kinds of specialist equipment involved.
Yesterday l was on leave from work, felt fine when l got up showered etc, but over a few hours my calf muscles became painful and stiff, especially each time l attempted to get up from sitting down.
Today there is no improvement and the muscles feel tight and painful even when sitting, is there anything l can do to help them recover quickly, l have looked on line but all advise seems to be aimed at sports injuries with all kinds of specialist equipment involved.
0
Comments
I've been told to drink more fluids but I drink loads of water anyway. And I go running plus I do a lot of walking, so I don't really know what causes it!
I get that too sometimes. It tends to be the result of salt and mineral depletion, lost through sweating when exercising and not enough salt in your diet.
I expect you'll feel a bit sore and might get cramp for a few days while your poor legs get over the shock. There's not really much you can do to avoid it other than get fitter or more in shape.
In terms of making it get better quickly you could try a soak in a hot bath or using deep heat cream, or getting someone to give you a leg massage. Hope you recover soon.
Thank You
Pain and stiffness usually kicks in around 12-24 hours after the exercise and can last for between 1 and 4 days. There are no effective treatments for DOMS but painkillers cna reduce the discomfort a bit, Ibuprofen is the most effective. There is no need to rest as physical activity does not make DOMS worse nor delay recover, however if you also experience pain the the knee joints you should avoid running or climbing until it clears.
Ice packs can also help with the pain as can a warm bath. However hot packs and deep heat sprays/lotions are best avoided as while they can sooth the pain when applied the heat can irritate the inflamed muscle fibers leading to an increase in pain when the heat is removed.
The good news is that it tends to be a one off occurrence, if you repeat the exercise you are unlikely to experience the same level of pain and stiffness. The best way to avoid this sort of thing is with regular physical activity. For example by using the stairs instead of the lift.
l am not allowed excessive stair climbing, due to heart failure, and a previous Chief Medical Officer directive, but l may try going down the stairs again at a much lower level, just for the bit of exercise. Thank You.:)