Tennis leg is a sports related injury that causes acute mid calf pain and is experienced mainly by middle aged persons. You can get this injury while participating in many different sports or other activities besides tennis. However, it was first clinically described in 1883 in a tennis player.
Tennis leg symptoms normally include a pop or snap in the calf muscles accompanied by a sharp burning pain. You will experience difficulty walking or running and may be forced to limp.
Although it is an unpleasant injury, tennis leg does not normally require surgery. Instead, it is usually treatable at home by resting and icing the calf muscles. Doctors can also suggest other conservative steps you can take to control pain and inflammation.
The calf has two large muscle groups that control lower leg movement. The soleus is the smaller of the two and sits beneath the other muscle (the gastrocnemium) and farther from the skin.
The gastrocnemius is the larger of the two muscles and sits closer to the skin, making it the superficial muscle. It is also a two headed muscle and spans two joints (the ankle and the knee), making it what is called a biarthrodial muscle.
As a biarthrodial muscle, the gastrocnemius can be subject to forces at both ends from two independent joints. As a result, it is sometimes subject to higher forces than other muscles and is more likely to suffer tearing.
Sports medicine professionals originally believed tennis leg to be a result of the rupturing of a small muscle behind the knee. However, it is now generally recognized that the injury is a result of the rupturing of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle.
In middle aged men, this (and other muscles) is usually in the initial stages of atrophy and degeneration. It is therefore more likely to suffer damage when subject to higher forces than normal. In tennis, these forces can be a result of the frequent need to “push off” the ground when serving. They can also be a result of the sudden stops, starts and changes of direction that tennis players have to make.
Another factor is modern sports footwear, which is designed for superior traction performance. This can actually increase the forces on the calf muscles while making the stops, starts and turns required in the game.
However, it should be noted that other sports can also cause tennis leg if they too require sudden stops, starts or direction changes. Examples may include basketball and soccer.
Tennis leg is actually a special case of the more general class of injuries known as calf strains.
If you suffer this injury, you are likely to experience the following:
Many victims of tennis leg report a feeling akin to that of being shot in the leg.
It should be noted that in many cases of tennis leg, it is found that deep vein thrombosis is an accompanying factor. Hence, if you think you have experienced the symptoms above, you should consult a doctor urgently.
As we have mentioned above, this is actually a special case of a calf strain injury. As such, it can usually be treated in the same way, i.e.:
For more information on treating and preventing tennis leg injuries, please see our page on calf strains.
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McDavid Compression Calf Sleeves / Pair feature compression to stabilize the lower leg muscles as well as hDc moisture management and flat seam technology.
The LP EmbioZ Calf Compression Sleeve features a Power Band around your calf muscles that will help to enhance your lower extremity kinetic chain movements between the leg and ankle. This Band helpsyour skin to move against your underlying muscles as you make your regular movements. Like kinesiology tape, the Band uses the resulting forces of pressure, elasticity and recoil to promote the infusion of fresh blood to your calves. In addition, the same forces help to promote the removal of metabolic waste and lymphatic fluids from the calf muscles. The result of these actions is increased freshness of your calf muscles for longer periods. This will in turn improve athletic performance. The sleeve also applies compression to the calf to further support the replenishment of freshly oxygenated blood to the area. Compression also helps to further accelerate lymphatic fluid and waste material removal from the calf area. As a result, you maintain higher energy levels for longer than would otherwise be the case.
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Kego Walking Crutches (Pair) are durable lightweight crutches manufactured from aluminium. They will provide you with stability if you are unable to walk on your own. The crutches are equipped with a comfortable and durable underarm pad and hand grip. These walking crutches are sold in pairs. They are available in four crutch sizes –…
