Do calf raises really

If your form is not like this: Work on it!

prevent calf injuries in running? The answer, in a word is "No!".

The key to preventing calf and Achilles tendon injuries in running is "good form" by which you, as a runner, have a running style that has you running from the hips - not being a "thigh and calf" runner.

Look at the best runners in the world - runners like the Kenyans - and you will see a physique where most of the muscle is concentrated about the hips.  The legs, themselves, although incredibly toned, tend to be long and thin in appearance and they rotate about the hips in a "combine harvester" like action.  The power is being derived from the powerful muscles about the hips - not the calves.  That's for sure!  A thigh and calf runner, by contrast, will have weak and wasted looking backside muscles, swollen calves that are painful if squeezed and running is more of a fast shuffle than a rolling harvester that literally eats up the ground.

With good form, the athlete appears to glide weightlessly along; whereas the clumping thigh and calf runner looks like having a life and death battle with gravity - the ground is about to swallow them up!

If you are constantly straining calf muscles while running, consider the possibility that the cause may actually be from over-working the calves due to poor running form.  Maybe, instead of pumping more weight in the gym, doing concentric and eccentric exercises, you need to spend more time on developing a more efficient running form?

Read this and watch the video:
http://blog.garymoller.com/2013/11/essential-running-drills-for-perfect.html

When you come to think of it: If you think you have weak calf muscles, what could be the more perfect calf strengthening exercise for a runner than running up a hill?  When you come to think of it:

"If you are running up hills regularly, surely you will already have developed strong calf muscles?"

(Thanks, Wayne, for sending me the link to the article that follows)

Do calf raises prevent calf injuries in running?

By Brian in Running Injuries, Running Technique Tips 9

Old man calf injuries are a scourge amongst middle-aged runners everywhere. And for one reason or another they do seem to be more common amongst men. Perhaps it’s the inability of the male of the species to accept that we’re not as fit and strong as we once were? I was able to run 4 minute kilometer pace, so I’ll just do that regardless of how long it’s been since my last run. Years – no problem. Oops I think I just pulled my calf – again!
Perhaps I’m overstating the case, calf strains and tears may well be equal opportunity injuries amongst all runners. According to running specialist and physiotherapist Blaise Dubois they are the most common muscle strain injury suffered by runners and joggers.

Full article here (must read!):
http://www.runningtechniquetips.com/2013/10/do-calf-raises-prevent-calf-injuries-in-running/

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

Is it really tibial compartment syndrome?

A hockey player who had tibial
compartment syndrome

It looks like "tibial compartment syndrome" is making a popularity comeback!  Some things come and go and this one, characterised by severe and sometimes disabling pain in the calf muscles, is no exception.

Here is an article I wrote several years ago explaining tibial compartment syndrome:
http://voices.yahoo.com/what-tibial-compartment-syndrome-runners-164380.html?cat=14

Of course there are genuine cases of tibial compartment syndrome; but, in my opinion, most cases have been incorrectly diagnosed as such.  Most are really cases of severe muscle soreness.  All recent cases that I have seen are female athletes.

Its very important that the diagnosis is correct otherwise the treatment may be completely inappropriate, useless, disfiguring and even disabling.  Treatment of tibial compartment syndrome may begin with acupuncture which may give temporary relief.  It may progress to prolotherapy or steroid injections which are next to useless (in my opinion).  When that fails, then there is still surgery to split open the muscle fascia to allow the muscles to bulge out.  These therapies are disappointing in most cases, other than the use of surgery in an acute emergency.  For chronic cases, the compulsory rest associated with surgery is probably the main driver for recovery.

Some of the "Moller" legs.  Calf muscles require
regular deep tissue massage to help them
withstand the rigours of active lifestyles.

For non-tibial compartment syndrome cases of severe, chronic calf pain the treatment is non-invasive, very safe and remarkably effective.

First: "Why is this ailment apparently more common in women than men?"

It comes down to weak collagen which means the connective tissues in the calf muscle is more easily damaged during activities like running.  Women commonly have weaker collagen due to oestrogen dominance.  Read more about this here: http://blog.garymoller.com/2012/07/why-do-some-women-bruise-more-than.html

How to relieve non-tibial compartment syndrome calf pain

• Deep tissue massage of the affected muscles once a week (if done right the relief by about the 3rd session can be no less than dramatic).
• Nutrition strategies to improve collagen strength.  Exactly what is done depends on the results of nutrition testing.
• Where appropriate, changes may be made to a woman's contraception choice to reduce the adverse effects of hormone imbalances.
• Exercises to strengthen the muscles that maintain foot posture. (refer video - wow! 290,000 views and climbing).
• Graduated return to running, keeping distances down, avoiding excess downhill and uphill running.
• Running only every 2nd or 3rd day until 100% free of any discomfort.

_______________________________________

About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

London Marathon 2009 - Feedback from a Happy Camper

Hi Gary,

Well I've managed to finish in one piece, so I'm quite relieved! 2.53 was the final time. I held 4min kms comfortably for the first half (halfway in 1.25ish), but tiredness (or more precisely lack of fitness) came on quite quickly around 25km, so it was grovelling time from there to the finish.

Photo: Lorraine Moller winning the first London Marathon: An all women event, organised by Wellington, New Zealand, resident, Kathryn Switzter.  The intention of this event was to demonstrate to the IOC that the women's marathon was an event worthy of inclusion in the Olympics.  Female runners were finally allowed to run the Olympic marathon at Los Angeles 1984 where Lorraine finished 5th.  The London Marathon has gone on to become a truly international spectacle.

Very sore quads in the last 10km, so I'm going to need a wheelchair for the next few days! Pleasingly the calves held up well. Got moments of tightness every now and then, but to my huge relief I was able to run through it and it passed. So fingers crossed that I've got over these calf
problems and can look forward to some training this winter.

London marathon is an incredible event. I would put equal with New York. Every marathoner must do one of these events in their marathon career.  Masses of people, both running and supporting. Superb organisation.

I can't thank you enough! You got me to the start line (when 4 weeks ago I had given up all hope) and I was able to run all the way. Thank you, thankyou, thank you!

I will be back to see you when I return. I suspect my quads will need a lot of work over the coming months.

Cheers, Todd

______________________________

Gary comments:

Despite not being able to run with jsut four weeks to go, I never doubted that Todd would make the start line: It was only a matter of how fast he would be able to run and the condition he would be in at the finish.

Treatment up untill he came to see me consisted of a number of months of physiotherapy plus massage.  Interestingly, his calf injury was suspisciously close to the fitting of $400 orthotics which I replaced with a pair of Formthotics Shock Stop.  Treatment was simple:

• Formthotics Shock Stop inner soles.
• Foot pronation exercises.
• Replacement of various nutrients that he appeared to be low in and that might be slowing healing and reducing exercise capacity.
• Massage of the calf muscle and all the running muscles.

To my advantage is a lifetime of intense sport and a dozen sub-3hr marathons myself; so I knew what was involved which sure does help with zeroing in on the problems and sorting them out without wasted time, effort and money.  

Far too much medicine, including most orthotics is hit and miss stuff.

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Achilles - lower calf pain in a distance runner

Hi Gary,
I am a 49yo off road runner who having come off a reasonably robust year culminating in the 31.5km Kauri Run, am experiencing pain in my right Achilles/lower calf area. It used to appear only when road running but is now a constant on most off road surfaces as well apart from technical single track. I have read with interest your response to Tendonitis and am trying many things incl new shoes, orthotics etc. What supplement do you recommend and is there a range of exercises that can help?

_________________________________


Gary Moller advises:
What you describe is an almost unversal injury among runners. It is also one of the most annoying and limiting injuries. It is also one of the the easiest to fix if it is what I suspect it may be.



It is possible that you have strained or even torn a few fibres where the muscle and the tendon merge - what is called the "musculotendinous junction". The illustration to the right is pretty good but does not show how the muscle and tendon gradually merge. This is a vulnerable region for injury in the older hyperactive runner.

Another possibility is that you have bunching and inflammation of part or all of a muscle belly. The most commonly affected in runners and cyclists is the lateral head of the gastrocnemius. If a person was to press firmly on the belly of the muscle and it felt tender and hard, rather than soft and supple, then that is part or the whole of the problem.

The solution is simple and I usually have close to 100% resolution in most cases within 3-6 sessions. In a recent case just a week ago, it took just two sessions to have a runner completely pain-free following several weeks of painful hobbling from a calf muscle tear. The solution is deep tissue massage of the affected muscles/tendons and all of the surrounding structures, including the unaffected leg. Each session takes an hour and there can be some pain involved as knots and infalmmation are broken up and dispersed. This should be done by an experienced therapist who has the time to do a good job.

The end result is a pain-free, nimble-footed older runner.

There is a place for supplements during this process of restoring normal function because elimination of metabolic wastes and proper healing are all important and there are several supplements that can assist. These are available from my online store.

Vitamin C is at the top of the list along with the water soluble B vitamins. Vitamin E comes next for its healing and antioxidant qualities. There are several others that one can add, including minerals and fish oils; but these depend on individual need which I can assist with determining.

You could consider some of the assessments available here.

I am enthusiastic about Formthotics Active for running shoes. these are heat moulded to fit the contours of your feet, giving just that little bit of support needed as the feet tire and they reduce foot movement and consequent blistering. Formthotics Low Profile are designed for shoes like track shoes, golf shoes and cycling shoes. Although I have strong feet that never give trouble, all of my shoes, including work shoes are still kitted out with Formthotics.