Calf pain is commonly caused by a strained muscle or cramp, but swelling in one leg can signal a blood clot. Seek care for that.
Common causes
- Muscle strain or cramp.
- Overuse from running.
- Dehydration.
- Achilles tendinitis.
- Poor circulation.
- Blood clot (DVT).
Home care
Rest, ice, stretch and elevate.
See a doctor
If you have swelling, redness or warmth in one leg, which may be a clot.
Emergency
Call 911 for shortness of breath or chest pain.
Prevention
Stretch, hydrate and wear supportive shoes.
Muscle and vascular causes
A calf ache can result from overuse, a strain, tight shoes, dehydration, or a Baker cyst behind the knee. Delayed onset muscle soreness peaks 24 to 72 hours after unfamiliar exercise.
- Deep vein thrombosis affects roughly 1 in 1,000 adults per year, and causes calf pain, swelling and warmth, usually in one leg.
- Peripheral artery disease causes cramping with walking that eases with rest.
- Sciatica and spinal stenosis can refer pain to the calf.
- Statins and some other medicines can produce muscle aches.
Care and emergency signs
Rest, elevate the leg, apply ice for 15 minutes at a time, and use compression and NSAIDs as appropriate. Gentle stretching helps recovery. Seek urgent care for one swollen red calf, shortness of breath or chest pain, since a clot can travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolism). Prevention includes warming up, gradual training increases, hydration and breaks during long travel.
Muscle and vascular causes
Calf aches follow strain, dehydration, long standing, intense exercise or tight shoes. Less common causes include Achilles problems, nerve compression, peripheral artery disease and deep vein thrombosis.
Care and emergency signs
Rest, stretch, ice and hydrate. Seek urgent help for swelling in one leg, warmth, redness or shortness of breath, as DVT can lead to pulmonary embolism.
Strain and overuse
Calf muscle strain grades: grade 1 (stretch), grade 2 (partial tear), grade 3 (complete tear). Tennis leg is a gastrocnemius tear causing sudden pain. Achilles tendinopathy causes pain above the heel. Statins, fluoroquinolone antibiotics and low potassium or magnesium add to aches.
Recovery plan
Rest 1 to 3 days, ice 15 minutes, compression and elevation, followed by gentle stretching and calf raises. Most grade 1 strains heal in 1 to 3 weeks, grade 2 in 4 to 8 weeks. Seek urgent care for sudden swelling, redness, warmth or calf pain after long travel, since DVT occurs in 1 to 2 per 1,000 people per year.
Based on data from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the CDC
