How to Treat Calf Muscle Pain
Feb 14, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Lin Yunfei
Introduction
1. Foot soaking: Soak your feet in warm water before bedtime to effectively promote blood circulation.
2. Massage: Gently massage the calf muscles to promote relaxation—use the palms of your hands to stroke the calves, and simultaneously grasp the calf muscles with the thumbs of both hands.
3. Exercise duration: Exercising for excessively long periods may lead to symptoms such as muscle soreness and could even adversely affect your health.
For calf muscle pain caused by overexertion, how should it be treated? Below, we address this question.
How to Treat Calf Muscle Pain
1. Soaking Feet in Warm Water
Soak your feet in warm water before bedtime. This promotes better blood circulation. When soaking, ensure the water temperature is neither too hot nor too cold—ideally around 50°C (122°F). You may also add herbal ingredients such as capillary wormwood (Artemisia capillaris) or rose petals to the water, which can help muscles relax more effectively.
2. Massage
Gently massage the calf muscles using your palms. Alternatively, use both thumbs simultaneously to grasp the calf muscles and stroke downward from the popliteal fossa (back of the knee) while applying gentle pressure. Another technique involves bending the knee, placing closed fists behind the knee with the backs of the hands facing upward, and alternately tapping the calves with the outer edges of the little fingers.
3. Exercise Duration
Pay special attention to exercise duration—longer workouts do not necessarily equate to better health. In fact, the opposite is often true. Excessive exercise duration may lead to muscle soreness and even adversely affect overall health.
4. Muscle Relaxation
Whether running or playing ball sports, it is essential to relax your muscles after exercising. This helps alleviate muscle soreness to a certain extent. For example, after exercise, lie down on a foam or rattan mat for a short rest. While lying down, elevate your feet slightly above or level with your head to effectively relax the leg muscles.
The above outlines common approaches to treating calf muscle pain. We hope this information proves helpful to you.
