Calf Muscle Pain: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Calf muscle pain typically presents as a dull ache felt in the back of the lower leg¹. It can cause difficulty with daily movements, including walking, running, and jumping. This is because movement of your lower leg and ankle requires effort by the calf muscles² and surrounding tendons, such as the Achilles tendon.

There are many causes of calf muscle pain, including an acute muscle injury³, such as a muscle strain or a muscle sprain. These injuries tend to improve over time with simple pain relief treatments¹.

This guide covers some of the more common muscle injuries that contribute to calf muscle pain, and various treatment options to reduce and manage lower leg pain.

A contusion is the scientific term for "bruise". Bruises result from an impact injury⁴ and tend to be painful⁴.

Bruising occurs because tiny blood vessels under the skin rupture from impact⁴. Blood then spills out into the surrounding tissue, but remains trapped under the skin⁴. This is why you tend to see discoloration in the skin after an impact injury to a muscle.

For example, getting kicked in the calf in a game of soccer may cause visible bruising, tenderness, and pain in the calf muscle.

Sudden calf pain⁵ can be the result of a calf muscle cramp. Cramps involve sudden muscle contractions and tightness in the muscle⁵ that may cause severe pain.

Muscle overuse and dehydration⁵ are two main causes of muscle cramps. Overused lower leg muscles, as the result of overtraining or overexertion, tend to become stiff and tight⁶. Dehydration and lowered electrolytes⁷, particularly following physical activity, may also cause calf muscles to cramp¹.

While cramps themselves may last only a few seconds to a few minutes, affected muscles may be sore for upward of hours¹ afterwards. Your cramping pain should go away on its own⁸ but see a doctor if your cramps are severe, you get them often, or you have other symptoms alongside cramping (like numbness or weakness).

Another common muscle injury that may cause calf muscle pain is muscle strain⁹. Muscle strains involve overstretching a muscle beyond its normal limits⁹, causing tears in the muscle that may range from mild to severe.

Mild or moderate muscle strains may be treatable with at-home treatments and rest⁹. Most cases of muscle strain will fall into these two grades.

Severe muscle strain involves a complete tear in the muscle and may require surgery to repair⁹.

Calf muscle strains are a common⁹. Other areas on the body prone to muscle strains⁹ include:

• chest
• abs
• biceps
• back

To prevent muscle strain from reoccurring, make sure to warm up your leg muscles properly⁹ before working out the legs, as well as warming down after exercise. These measures increase calf muscle flexibility, helping to prevent future injury⁹.

If you feel calf pain when walking, especially after walking for a while¹⁰, you may be experiencing a mild case of Achilles tendinitis.

Achilles tendinitis is inflammation of the Achilles tendon¹¹, which joins the calf muscles to the heel and facilitates walking movement. This inflammation condition occurs when a tendon is overused, or suddenly engaged beyond normal intensity¹⁰.

A common symptom of Achilles tendinitis is a dull ache experienced in the back of the lower leg¹⁰, which is where the calf muscles sit.

The RICE method is a common pain management protocol¹ that utilizes cold therapy, which may be helpful in managing some symptoms of calf muscle pain.

RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

Calf muscle pain that presents with tenderness or swelling may benefit from ice application. Ice causes blood vessels to constrict¹³, which limits swelling and inflammation¹⁴.

Ice application, or cold therapy, may also help reduce calf muscle pain by numbing the nerves¹⁴ and increasing pain tolerance¹⁵.

Learn more about muscle pain relief in our guide here.

An alternative pain relief treatment is heat therapy. Heat therapy increases blood flow¹⁶ to stiff and sore muscles, encouraging faster recovery due to increased blood flow to the area, which brings oxygen and nutrients.

Calf muscle pain that involves muscle stiffness and painful muscle spasms may benefit from heat therapy as it helps disengage and relax the tight muscles¹⁶.

Heat therapy, however, should not be used on calf muscles that have visible bruising or swelling¹⁶. 

Pain medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs¹⁷ (including aspirin and ibuprofen), are available over-the-counter for mild cases of muscle pain. However, it is important to consult with your healthcare provider before starting any form of medication.

If taking oral pain medication is not a preferred treatment option, topical pain relievers are an alternative option.

Topical pain relievers, such as Biofreeze topical products^*, provide targeted pain relief via external application. Biofreeze products^* contain menthol, which causes a physically cooling sensation¹⁸ on the skin when applied, and provides pain relief for sore muscles¹⁹.

Keep your calf muscle pain at bay with Biofreeze Gel^*. For a mess-free application²⁰, try Biofreeze Patches^*.

Common calf muscle pain symptoms include tenderness, swelling, muscle tightness, muscle spasms, and pain¹.

Massage therapy may help ease and subside some of these symptoms by improving circulation²¹ and reducing muscle tension and tightness²². It can be a relaxing pain relief option after exercise.

However, massage should not be used on acute muscle strains, particularly in the first few days of injury.

How to relieve muscle pain after your workout

While most calf pain can be treated with simple remedies either over-the-counter or at-home, some instances¹ warrant an immediate doctor’s visit.

• severe or sudden calf pain¹
• swelling in the lower leg¹
• discoloration in the lower leg, feet, or toes¹
• problems moving or walking¹

If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, call your healthcare provider or seek medical attention right away.

^*Ensure this product is right for you. Always read and follow the product label.