Suite 4, The Hub Professional Centre
Christie Way
Aberfoyle Park
South Australia 5159

  • Mon: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Tue: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Wed: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Thu: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Fri: 8:00am – 6:30pm
  • Sat: 7:30am – 2:00pm
  • Reception Hours
  • M-T: 8:00am – 7:00pm
  • Fri: 8:30am – 6:30pm
  • Sat: 8:00am – 12:00pm

Services Offered:

Level 3 55 Gawler Place
Adelaide
South Australia 5000

  • Mon: 8:30am - 6:00pm
  • Tue: 8:30am - 6:00pm
  • Wed: 8:30am - 6:00pm
  • Thu: 8:30am - 6:00pm
  • Fri: 9:00am - 5:30pm
  • Sat: Closed
  • Reception Hours
  • M-T: 8:30am - 5:30pm
  • Fri: 8:30am - 5:00pm

Services Offered:

179 Halifax Street
Adelaide
South Australia 5000

  • M-F: 8:00am - 6:30pm
  • Sat: 8:30am - 1:00pm
  • Reception Hours
  • Mon: 8:15am - 5:30pm
  • Tue: 8:15am - 5:30pm
  • Wed: 8:15am - 5:30pm
  • Thu: 8:15am - 5:30pm
  • Fri: 8:15am - 4:30pm
  • Sat: 8:30am - 12:30pm

Services Offered:

Suite 2 131-133 Grange Road
Beverley
South Australia 5009

  • Mon: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Tue: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Wed: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Thu: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Fri: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Sat: 8:00am – 2:00pm

Services Offered:

Suite 10 539 Greenhill Rd
Hazelwood Park
South Australia 5066

  • Mon: 8:30am – 8:00pm
  • Tue: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Wed: 7:30am - 8:00pm
  • Thu: 7:30am - 8:00pm
  • Fri: 7:30am – 7:00pm
  • Sat: 8:00am – 1:00pm
  • Reception Hours
  • M-T: 8:30am – 7:30pm
  • Fri: 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Sat: 8:30am – 12:30pm

506 Lower North East Road
Campbelltown
South Australia 5074

  • Mon: 8:00am - 8:00pm
  • Tue: 8:30am - 8:00pm
  • Wed: 8:00am - 8:00pm
  • Thu: 8:30am - 8:00pm
  • Fri: 8:00am - 6:00pm
  • Sat: 8:00am - 1:00pm
  • Reception Hours
  • M-T: 8:30am - 7:30pm
  • Fri: 9:00am - 5:30pm
  • Sat: 8:30am - 12:30pm

Services Offered:

50 Beach Road
Christies Beach
South Australia 5165

  • Mon: 8:30am – 8:00pm
  • Tue: 8:30am – 8:00pm
  • Wed: 8:30am – 8:00pm
  • Thu: 9:00am – 8:00pm
  • Fri: 8:30am – 6:30pm
  • Sat: 8:00am – 1:00pm
  • Reception Hours
  • M-T: 8:00am – 7:30pm
  • Fri: 8:00am – 6:30pm
  • Sat: 8:15am – 12:45pm

Services Offered:

153 Sturt Road
Dover Gardens
South Australia 5048

  • Mon: 8:30am - 8:00pm
  • Tue: 8:30am - 8:00pm
  • Wed: 8:30am - 8:00pm
  • Thu: 8:30am - 8:00pm
  • Fri: 8:30am - 7:00pm
  • Sat: 8:00am - 12:30pm
  • Reception Hours
  • M-T: 8:00am - 8:00pm
  • Fri: 8:00am - 7:00pm
  • Sat: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Services Offered:

166 Daws Rd
Melrose Park
South Australia 5039

  • Mon: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Tue: 7:30am – 8:00pm
  • Wed: 8:00am – 8:00pm
  • Thu: 7:30am – 8:00pm
  • Fri: 8:00am – 6:30pm
  • Sat: 8:30am – 2:30pm
  • Reception Hours
  • M-T: 8:00am – 7:30pm
  • Fri: 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Sat: 8:45am – 1:45pm

Services Offered:

188 Main South Road
Morphett Vale
South Australia 5162

  • Mon: 8:30am – 8:00pm
  • Tue: 8:30am – 8:00pm
  • Wed: 8:30am – 8:00pm
  • Thu: 8:30am – 8:00pm
  • Fri: 8:30am – 6:30pm
  • Sat: 8:00am – 1:00pm
  • Reception Hours
  • M-W: 8:00am – 7:30pm
  • Thur: 8:10am – 7:30pm
  • Fri: 8:00am – 6:30pm
  • Sat: 8:00am – 1:00pm

Services Offered:

8 Stradbroke Road
Newton
South Australia 5076

  • Mon: 8:30am - 1:30pm
  • Fri: 8:30am - 1:00pm

Services Offered:

Suite 3 267 Marion Road
Marleston
South Australia 5033

  • Mon: 8:00am - 8:00pm
  • Tue: 8:00am - 8:00pm
  • Wed: 8:30am - 8:00pm
  • Thu: 8:00am - 8:00pm
  • Fri: 8:30am - 6:00pm
  • Sat: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Services Offered:

What You Need To Know About The Calf Muscle & How to Prevent Injury – Part 1

In recent times we have seen a significant increase in calf injuries related to a huge uptake of recreational running on both road and trail. This is in part due to the fact that many people who are taking up running, have never been involved in running sports and hence are beginning without the physical foundations required to avoid an injury.

On top of this, calf injuries are the most common injury sustained in athletes that are involved in ball based team sports. In particular, these sports involve a lot of accelerated running, such as AFL, soccer, touch football and rugby.

Calf injuries are one of those soft tissue issues which are slower to recover primarily due to the difficulty in immobilising the tissues in the early phases of healing and repair. It can take athletes between 4-6 weeks to recover from a calf injury, and they are likely to have setbacks and recurrences as they return to sport.

Whilst calf injuries are a common occurrence, we don’t know a lot about them, such as the prognosis, risk factors & the repetition of calf strains.

The Anatomy Of The Calf

The calf muscle is made up of two main muscles, they are the Gastrocnemius & Soleus muscles. These muscles are the prime movers of the ankle joint during walking and are used to both create the push off for propulsion, as well as the deceleration that is required to control the speed of our gait.

Many people blame the Gastrocnemius muscle for calf tears, but it is as commonly seen in the deeper soleus muscle which we often forget to train. This also suggests that we may not be doing enough Soleus strengthening exercises during rehabilitation.

The Mechanics of A Calf Injury

Most calf injuries begin with an acute incident which can be directly linked to tissue damage and nearly always comes on with the pushing off component whilst running. Depending on the severity of the injury that pain can be severe instantly and prevent further activity or may increase over time after the acute onset. More minor calf injuries may start as a tightness in the muscle and then get worse over the day after onset.

The Risk Factors That Are Linked To A Calf Injury

There isn’t a lot of research that has been done into the risk factors that are linked to calf injury. At this point in time there is evidence to support the below.

  • As stated above there is an increased risk in those undertaking running activities particularly associated with extreme acceleration and deceleration.
  • As the athlete/player becomes older, they are at a greater risk of sustaining calf strains. This is why calf injuries have been referred to as an ‘Old man’s injury’.
  • Research has shown that having had a previous injury, particularly in the last three months does cause a greater chance of reinjury.

Calf injuries are common in athletes and having some basic knowledge as to why they occur is important in prevention and treatment. In the coming weeks we will post part 2, that covers the treatment and management of calf injuries. If you need any more information, you can make an appointment with one of our Physios at a location near you.

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