Calf muscle pulled?

[LimpsAlong]

Just returned from a Springer to Woody hike. The second day home I was pushing my son's 4 wheeler to start it (starter went out) and felt a "pop" in my right calf muscle. Hard to walk for a couple of hours but it got better and now hardly hurts at all. (week later) Problem is when I lift my toes the calf muscle will not tighten and bulge like the other leg.
Think it's still healing, permanent damage or what?
I am going to have it looked at, just wondering if anyone else has suffered this?

[Tipi Walter]

I suffered the same exact injury on a recent backpacking trip. I was going up the hellishly steep Mill Branch trail in the Citico wilderness and had a 75lb on my back. I stepped over a yellow jacket nest and in a panic sprinted uphill for several steps and in the process felt and probably heard the "pop" and thought I got hit by a copperhead. I had to take off the pack and sit down for 10 minutes to survey the damage. Since I was on Day 3 of a 10 day trip, I had many more days to keep hiking and didn't know how far I could go, but with a little limping I still had a great trip. My night's campsite was about 1/2 mile ahead and up the worst part of the trail, but I found if I walked sideways with my feet pointing to the right and my body going straight, I could make some progress and keep the pain down a bit.

My ankle swelled up and it didn't really heal until after about 2 full weeks, but in that time I managed to pull another trip of about 10 days. Ya can't let a torn muscle keep ya from pumping nylon.

When I got back I got online and studied the torn muscle thing and found it has 3 levels:
One: minor pull
Two: torn and painful with swelling(what I had)
Three: actual detachment of muscle from bone. Muscle "curls up" like a window shade.

Prognosis: If you can step up on your toes w/o pain, the thing is healed.

[LimpsAlong]

Prognosis: If you can step up on your toes w/o pain, the thing is healed.
Guess mines healed as I can do this but still no muscle bulge.
Thanks for sharing the story. I feel better about the injury now. Nice job of trooping through the pain Tipi!

[Desert Reprobate]

Bulging muscles are overrated anyway.

[skinewmexico]

I partially tore my calf muscle like that once. Went to a physical therapist daily for a while so he could try to keep the muscles aligned while it healed. Man that hurt. Then the bottom half of my foot turned purple, where the blood drained and pooled. Stay off of it as much as you can, and it will heal.

[Schuetzen]

The only Doctor I knoe in Livingston is Bud Robinson at the Livingston Animal Hospital, I still drive 2 1/2 hours to take my pets to him. I would trust him more than my Doctor a the VA if he would see me.

[Tipi Walter]

I partially tore my calf muscle like that once. Went to a physical therapist daily for a while so he could try to keep the muscles aligned while it healed. Man that hurt. Then the bottom half of my foot turned purple, where the blood drained and pooled. Stay off of it as much as you can, and it will heal.

Yeah, exactly. My ankle and foot swelled and turned purple too, and at first I thought I had a stress fracture or worse. Knitted up later and during my trip I limped and thought I'd be culled from the herd by the raccoons or bears as a weakling, etc.

[Blissful]

I'd get it looked at and make sure it isn't an achilles tendon injury or tear. That injury is serious and usually needs casting.