Following on from our previous blog on the function of the calf, this post covers some of the important factors we like to address when managing a calf injury with our clients.
As highlighted in Part 1 of our calf blog series, the calf plays a crucial role when running and jumping. At low speed such as walking and jogging, the Soleus (deep and low calf muscle) produces 6-8x body weight with every step.
Traditional strength training exercises tend to target the Gastrocnemius. The deeper and stronger Soleus muscle, sometimes overlooked, can be better isolated and strengthened by training calf raises with the knee bent (eg seated calf raise).
Rushed return to competition or high level running with strength deficits can predispose to lower limb injuries and limit performance. Achilles tendon injury and hamstring injury have been associated with deficits in calf muscle strength and endurance.
At Saunders Physiotherapy we aim to help you return safely to running and competition by ensuring calf strength, calf endurance and whole lower limb function have returned to an acceptable level.
The KangaTech system allows accurate objective testing and monitoring of calf, thigh and hip muscle function and provides the ability to progressively load muscle and tendon tissue as part of an integrated strength program.
If you have a persistent calf niggle or history of lower limb injury get in contact with us to book an assessment on KangaTech.
