Inner Calf Pain

by Anthea
(Pasadena, CA)

Hi there,
I started running about 8 months ago, slowly working up to about 3 1/2 - 5 1/2 miles per run (3 - 4 times per week) on a treadmill. About 6 months ago, I sprained my ankle (rolled inwards) turning a corner too quickly and it took about 3 weeks to heal (with a brace and limited activity).

Since then, I've had on and off pain in the tendons around the ankle sprain (on the inside part of my ankle and lower calf). I usually take some ibuprofen and do an elliptical machine instead or ride a recumbant bike to give the leg a couple days to heal before I resume running.

Lately, the pain has been getting worse. There are some days when I can run my full 5 1/2 but I know that afterwards, I will be limping and have a hard time walking. By the next day, I can barely walk. The pain seems to be spreading upwards on the inside of my calf. I usually just take ibuprofen and keep off of it for a few days to rest it for my next run.

Any idea what this pain could be and how to treat it? Thanks so much for your insight.

Anthea


Answer by Dominique:


Hi Anthea,
Thank you for your running injury question.
I'd expect an ankle sprain to last for a maximum of a few weeks with a bit of RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and anti-inflammatories.

Your ankle is not healing well. This can indicate different things, possibly a fracture or torn ligaments.

You need to go to a podiatrist and get this properly diagnosed, that's all I can say.
Definitely take a break from running. There may be cross-training activities you can do to maintain your aerobic base, e.g. light cycling, that do not put as much pressure on the ankle. But definitely go to a specialist with this.


Sorry I can't give you a remedy.
Best of luck with the ankle.
Kind regards,
Dominique