You may have heard of “tennis leg” injury, which as its name suggests is very common among tennis athletes. It is nothing more than a calf rupture or partial internal or medial tear.
It is a frequent injury, which occurs especially in middle-aged people, although it can also occur in younger ages if they are poorly trained, mainly in playing tennis. However, it is a problem that can arise in any other physical activity practice.
The appearance of the tennis leg is due to a sudden contraction of the internal twin muscle, when the leg goes from being fully stretched and the ankle in dorsiflexion, to knee flexion and plantar flexion of the foot.
What symptoms does it present?
It is mainly characterized by sharp and intense calf pain, associated with a knocking or cracking sensation. Immediately functional impotence is created, which can become temporarily disabling.
In less severe cases, there is localized or stubborn spot cramping or a non-painful tearing sensation. A very characteristic sign that can indicate that we suffer this injury is that the foot remains in the “tiptoe” position and the knee is flexed.
What muscles does it affect?
It will seem obvious that the muscle affected is the twin (soleus), but there is another key muscle in this injury is the thin plantar . It is a very thin muscle that starts at the back of the knee joint and goes down behind the calf toward the back of the heel, near the Achilles tendon. Its function is to flex the knee and do plantar flexion of the ankle, but it is not a main muscle.
On the other hand, the soleus is a larger muscle that also lies behind the calves, and goes from below the knee to the heel, doing plantar flexion of the ankle. When athletes notice contractures in the calf, they normally occur in this muscle.
When there is a tear in the soleus, or a rupture of the Achilles tendon, it can lead to knee pain. Even forcing when running or jumping can cause us to injure this muscle due to an overexertion, and lead to the “tennis leg”.
What treatment can we apply?
The main treatment is to rest, take anti-inflammatories and go to the physical therapist. Going through the operating room is only reserved for more serious cases, in which the rupture is of a high degree.
Rest should last a few days, keeping the heel area elevated, from 3 to 7cm, depending on the severity. The most fundamental thing is to go to physiotherapy sessions to directly treat the injury and speed up recovery. As the days go by, soft mobilizations will be carried out, gradually stretching the twins, the soleus and the thin plantar.
In the event that the injury was caused by sports, the return to physical activity will be carried out progressively. Above all, you will know that you are ready when you can stand on tiptoe and make small jumps with that position.
