Calf muscle tear

A calf strain is a sudden stretch or tear of a calf muscle, often during push-off, sprinting or jumping. Deep vein thrombosis, Achilles tendon rupture, a ruptured Baker's cyst and serious vascular or muscle problems can look similar. A newly swollen warm calf or pain without a clear sporting movement needs same-day assessment.

• Sudden sharp pain during a specific movement, often as though something hit the calf.
• Pain when walking, climbing stairs, pushing off or standing on tiptoe, with local tenderness in the muscle.
• Stop the triggering sport immediately and walk only as far as you can without a marked limp or clearly worsening pain.
• Cool only for short periods with fabric between the skin and cold pack, and check the skin, especially with reduced sensation.
• Call the same day for new one-sided calf swelling, warmth or redness, especially without a clear injury or with blood clot risk.
• For urgent GP care outside office hours, call HAP 9252. Call Ambulance 912 only for an immediate threat to life.