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Thread: Lower leg/calf pain

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
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    London, Ontario
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    Default Lower leg/calf pain

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    I've been experiencing a lot of discomfort in my right leg over the last month. I also started using my Rogue Do-Wins around the same time and my squat has improved a lot over the last few months. I don't know if this is coincidence, or part of the problem.

    I've chroncially been tight, all over, and I don't stretch nearly enough. I developed some soreness in my right hamstring, and right calf. The last few weeks of squats have been very uncomfortable. Advil heps a lot. But between sets I'm pretty much limping around the gym and I've been stretching a lot between sets now, which also seems to help a little.

    The pain is on the outside of my lower leg and it's very sore and tender. Last night I iced it (haven't been doing that frequently enough) and this moring I could barely get down the stairs to get my coffee when I woke up. It's normally pretty stiff in the morning (I'm 39 by the way).

    Anyone else experienced this? I need to ice/stretch/use ibuprofin regularly, but I really, really don't want to have a layoff from squatting as I'm about to hit 285lbs for 3x5 tomorrow (sad, yes, but for me it's pretty freakin good).

    Suggestions?

  2. #2
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    Default

    So when I posted this, I thought it was in "Repetitive Injuries"...sorry not enough coffee...reposted in the correct spot

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    1.) Go get yourself a foam roller from a fitness store or a 4 inch PVC pipe. PVC will be more effective, but alot more painful. Cost me $4 for a 1 ft long piece.

    2.) Start rolling the shit out of your legs, and focus on spots that are particularily painful. The technique here is to apply alot of pressure and go very slowly along the length of the muscle.

    Check out this video for rolling technique:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uoazu...layer_embedded

    3) optional, but well worth your money: get a viscous 1 hr massage for the areas that are tightest/hurt the most. This will speed recovery, cause you can't do it as well yourself as a massage therapist can....look into any colleges/uni massage therapy programs to see if they offer cheap student massages.

    4) Contrast shower/Ice bath at least 1 - 3x a day, no more than 10 mins in the cold at once. If only doing constrast showers, don't be a pussy and turn it all the way cold.

    5) http://www.mobilitywod.com/

    Bookmark this page, start at the FAQ, and go through the pages looking for videos which address problems relevant to your needs. Start with 1 or 2 videos, if it hurts/improves things, keep doing it. I try to add a new MOB (mobity routine) once a week. That site is pure gold.

    This 70s big article gives a good primer to the mobilitywod site, including links for good MOBs to start from, etc.

    http://www.70sbig.com/blog/2011/06/mobility-basics/

    6) Don't stop doing the mobility stuff, ever. If you are especially suseptable to stiffness & tightness from lifting, it will be pointless to lift without the mobility stuff - you'll only eventually just keep getting injured. The mobility work will also improve your lifts & quality of life.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    I think I've got the same problem as you in my lower left leg.

    Is it a kind of tightness/dull pain on the outside of the calf, slightly to the back of it?

  5. #5
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    It's right along the side of the lower leg for me. Peronius longus I think...but that would mean the lower part of it could be tendon issues. It started as a dull ache, and I did have lots of tightness in my legs (and still do). But I ignored it and kept going and it only got worse.

    How long have you had the issue Alex?

    I do have a foam roller...but I really don't want to use it on this part cause it hurts so much. I'm not really a wussy, but some days even very light pressure are brutally painful, but I have been trying to work it a bit with my hands. It has been getting a little better, but I still can't squat...it's been almost 2 weeks.

    Thanks for the info Frosty. I did read that 70's big article and started doing a little more stretching after that, but I'm hardly putting any effort into stretching. I will spend some time this weekend looking at the mobilitywod site - I've heard a lot of good things about it and I definitely need to get my ass in gear and take stretching more seriously.

    Gonna go hit the foam roller until I weep like a small girl, then stretch and get to bed.

    Cheers

  6. #6
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    Used the foam roller last night, tons of sore spots all over my legs, but felt better afterwards.

    As far as my lower leg, all I was able to do was to lay on my back, and rest my right leg on the roller without any pressure at all, and roll it back and forth. Even that hurt.

    Leg actually feels a little better today, and I'm walking with less of a limp.

  7. #7
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    Jul 2011
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    Yeah, I think we may have the same issue. I got this pain when I started high bar squatting, something that I assume is due to the change in the ankle angle at the bottom of a squat. I also get very tight tendons at the front of my ankles...stretching and foam rolling seems to be the best for all of it.

  8. #8
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    I didn't mention it earlier, but I also do high bar squatting. And I have noticed in the last week or so, that the pain is most pronounced at the bottom of the squat. I also notice it at the bottom position of powercleans. Deadlifts, strangly enough, I don't notice it as much.We may very well have the same issue.

  9. #9
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    Jul 2011
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    From the sounds of it, yep, that's basically identical. Mine comes on in the bottom of the squat too, but not in deadlifts. IT band and ankle tightness is what I assume is the cause of it, so some rolling and stretching is should be enough. After foam rolling, how did you feel?

  10. #10
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    Mar 2011
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    starting strength coach development program
    Foam rolling seems to help. Hurts like a bitch, but I feel better the following day. Did it last night and I'm just about walking normal, finally. I'll spend about half an hour this afternoon stretching and another session or two with the roller.

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