Sharp stabbing pain in mid calf muscle.

Question
QUESTION: Hi John,

After reading some of your excellent advice re sport related injuries to other athletes and sport related types, I hope you could put me in the right direction.

Im a 50 year old track sprinter (100, 200 & 400m events) in the Masters league. Won my first league 400m event two weeks ago and very pleased with performance.
During a track speed training session, only last week, I really hurt my R calf muscle and had to stop Very Quickly!My club Physio tells me that I've got a grade 2 muscle tear on the medial section of my Soleus muscle?
For three days I had difficulty in walking and impossible to heel raise onto toes. 5 days later from injury day I can now walk up & down stairs and "carefully" raise heel.

My next big race is the 400m and 4X200m relay, 1st June 09.
Do you think I will be able to do them and what rehab should I do?

Thanks for your time and advice,

Best wishes

Tony. Track sprinter

ANSWER: Hi Tony
If i was your coach i would tell you no competition june 1st.You have many more races to run,but you could easily compound the problem where it could be many months or longer to recover from.It is not worth the gamble Tony.Rehabbing includes ice,ultra sound,massage,pool running,bike,500mg vit c with 3 meals a day but the most important part is don't rush it until your 100% other wise you will regret it.This is just the other side of being a top athlete that none of us like,but we have to approach it in a business like manner and keep the kids emotions away from making a professional wise decision.At some time leading up to the situation if you reflect back you probably felt something coming on or wern't recovering and just brushed it off.We have all been there.If you have any other questions Tony just get in touch or call if you like.

All the very best

John

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: John,
"Top class Info", thanks a lot.

Yesterday I tried a bike session. Every time I got off the saddle for hills etc, the pain in my Soleus area came back and I sat down quickly. Any suggestions, ideas etc?
Also, my injury is now 5 days old, should I miss out ice treatment and start on hot packs. I will now book in for sport massage. What will Ultra Sound do?

Keep on with the great work John, Best regards Tony :-)

Answer
Hi Tony
When you ride the bike just use a medium tension.This is just to get the blood flow going to your calf and to maintain some fitness.Keep up with the ice and forget the hot packs.The hot packs bring blood in to the area.You get enough with out them.Ultra sound is a very deep penetrating heat into the muscle.( different than hot packs).Don't take any meds because they will just mask what your trying to feel.It just needs time and a great deal of patience.You will come back a stronger and smarter athlete.Here is a nice web site of a very good friend mine who lives close by here in albuquerque.I mention it because she came back as a master who is now 46 this august and was constantly overcoming injuries on the way back.I think you will enjoy her site and get some inspiration a long with.Feel free to drop her a email and just tell her i told you to get in touch.She  and her husband are terrific people.

All the best Tony

John
www.trishporter.com

Her book is coming out this summer