Sore Calf Muscle

[Jamie]

Geeze.....up again! This time the calf muscle in my operated-on leg is hurting like crazy. I've taken pain pills and got up to rub some deep heat ointment in. I'm thinking maybe it is a result of a new exercise the therapist had me do on Thursday. I had to stand on my bad leg at the sink and reach across my body both ways to the back corner of the sink very slowly....about 30 seconds of touching both corners. Did that 5 times and by the last one, it really hurt in my calf muscle and my leg shook from the effort. Heck, I have trouble doing that on my GOOD leg! That is an exercise that my therapist a year ago after arthroscopic surgery had me doing and I remember it being the most difficult think ever. Anyway, did that on Thursday and decided to let the muscle repair itself on Friday. But.....yesterday we got out and went on two errands. Went to a doctor appointment in the morning which, of course required extra walking on unlevel surfaces. That expedition required a 2-hour nap to recover from. In the evening we joined friends at our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner and then went to their house afterwards. More walking on uneven surfaces and just generally a little more activity than normal in the evening last night. Consequence....the old calf muscle is barking at me this morning!!! Ouchie...owie!!! What a whiner I am!!! I hope the heat treatment helps because I'm not able to properly adore that new mattress right now. No fair!!!

Josephine - do you think it's best when doing those types of therapy exercises to give the muscles a day in between to repair before doing them again? My physical trainer always told me that is very important in strength training - not to exercise the same muscles every day. I would think this is basically the same thing, right? I certainly didn't realize how much my calf had weakened, but I guess it's true. More work ahead!!!

 

[Josephine]

I think a day of rest, especially for a new and demanding exercise, would be very wise, Jamie, yes. However, that is also just the kind of pain a TENS machine would be ideal for! Absolutely perfect! But as well as the rest, not instead of.

 

[Jamie]

Thanks, Josephine. The deep heat rub helped some....it just stinks like crazy and makes me feel like an old person to use it. But.....relief is relief. It must have been all the activity yesterday because I have been up and down all night with one ache and pain or another. Fortunately, none are in the actual knee joint and so not very serious. Just irritating. And now I know I'll have to be napping today. It's not fair!!! It's sunny outside and going to be almost 70 degrees!!! What is the weather like where you are in England? Do you get that rainy, foggy stuff we always read about most of the time? When does spring come for you?