Sore calf muscles can be irritating, painful, and debilitating at times, but believe it or not, it's a widespread problem that can affect anyone at any point in their life. This condition is prevalent in athletes due to obvious reasons such as overuse or sudden explosive shock and violence.
Some leading causes of quiet pain problems are related to strenuous exercise, regular weight training, and the still tedious task of climbing a few flights of stairs. This is what causes calf pain. They can be triggered by something as challenging as running a marathon or something relatively mild, like climbing stairs.
Whatever the cause, here are 8 of the most effective natural ways to relieve sore calf muscles. Try it at the bottom of the stairs next time you're at Everest Base Camp.
1. Avoid muscle strain
Regarding calf problems, the first thing to consider is prevention rather than treatment, as prevention is always preferable when dealing with any health condition. When a person may experience calf muscle soreness during or during a workout, it is best to end the session immediately and abruptly.
Putting more stress on the muscles than they already have is not the smartest thing to do, and doing so can lead to more severe and difficult-to-treat muscle damage. When it comes to avoiding strains and other muscle injuries, people must listen to their bodies.
The warning signs it's trying to send us are often in the form of pain. So please don't ignore the repetitive messages your body sends through these neural pathways, or you'll regret it for a long time.
2. Use ice cubes and hot water bottles
Cold and heat therapy use is well practiced and based on years of research and more. The ultimate goal of using either treatment or a combination of both is to soothe sore calf muscles with the incredibly soothing help of ice and the immense relaxation potential of a hot water bottle.
An ice pack, a bag of frozen peas, or ice therapy in an ice bath or cryotherapy room will help the body reduce inflammation or swelling in the affected muscles.
However, in rare cases where even ice does not help, and extreme pain occurs, the best recourse is to warm and massage the calf muscles with a hot water bottle. Another option here is to use a heating pad, but it depends on what you have available.
3. Electrical union
While not a natural remedy, electrical bandages still deserve mention on this list for their excellent ability to help relieve calf pain.
The best results from using an electrical bandage were reduced inflammation and swelling comparable to ice therapy. To use this therapy, the patient must wrap the electrical bandage tightly over the entire sore calf muscle, or if the pain is particularly pronounced, tightly wrap the application over a tricky part of the muscle.
While it is essential to wrap the calf tightly, the user must be careful not to cover the injured area too tightly. A bandage that is too tight can restrict blood flow to the site and can even have the exact opposite effect of its purpose.
4. Drink plenty of water
Muscle cramps are a leading cause of calf pain, primarily due to dehydration and the consequent loss of electrolytes. Therefore, it is always recommended that people increase their fluid intake, as this rehydration process is essential to relieve muscle soreness.
Many fitness professionals and fitness celebrities seem to push this idea further than necessary, using terms like "more hydration" or "proper hydration" when simple words like "drink more water" are often enough. Many think drinking fluids is a surefire or one-size-fits-all solution to calf pain.
An English football manager named Harry Redknapp punishes his players if they cramp, arguing that they must stay hydrated.
5. Rest your calf muscles in a higher position
As one of the well-practiced and well-studied principles of Ice, Compression, and Elevation (often abbreviated as RICE), elevation plays a crucial role in recovery from calf pain.
To raise the calf properly, a person needs to position the calf muscle higher than the rest of the body to restrict blood flow to the area and prevent swelling.
A mat, pillow, or even a box to rest the lower legs, on which the muscles can relax directly, is a good idea. This will help reduce unnecessary swelling and excruciating pain, especially when combined with rest, freezing, and compression.
It will also be of great benefit in the long run, as it will increase the mobility of your legs before, during, and after future recovery periods.
6. Massage soothing balm (essential oil)
People who want to use aromatherapy for calf discomfort may do worse than massaging sore calf muscles with balms or even essential oils.
There has been a boom in using essential oils to treat many problems in recent years but using essential oils is far from every day. For thousands of years, various civilizations worldwide have relied on lavender and bergamot to relieve pain while relieving coughs and colds.
A gentle massage with a soothing balm like this is a great way to treat sore calf muscles. If you can get someone to massage you, you're on the winning side and should consider dropping your knees. Otherwise, book a sports massage or do it yourself!
7. Eat more fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables
Wherever you turn, whether for rashes and sore throats or tired muscles and brains, fresh fruits and vegetables are little naturally occurring miracles that we all love to hate. Would you have had a childhood if you hadn't been constantly reminded to eat more vegetables and don't skip carrots?
Diet significantly relieves sore calf muscles and all the other uses you've heard about. Every person in the world needs to include fresh fruits and green vegetables in their diet to provide them with all the necessary nutrients their body needs to ensure a quick and successful recovery process.
If you're an adult and still have trouble swallowing healthy stuff, buy a blender or juicer and pour it down your throat as a drink.
8. Stretches for sore calf muscles
Proper and targeted dynamic stretching is often overlooked in calf muscle care, but it is essential in preventing and treating calf muscle soreness.
Unlike body vanity muscles like glutes, pecs, biceps, and triceps, calf muscles can be largely overlooked and undervalued, but they're vital for things like posture and peak performance. They usually do well, but sometimes they need to do better. So it's always a good idea to prepare your muscles for action with proper stretching.
This list of 8 natural ways to relieve calf pain will help you get back on your feet. However, it may be time to see your doctor if you notice calf pain that persists or worsens. Because the Achilles tendon can cause calf pain sometimes, which you don't want to tear.
