An early stretching routine for calf muscle strains.

Four hundred patients, average age 35 attended for treatment of strains to calf muscles. There was an average delay of 8 days before presenting. The treatment involved several repetitions of a routine involving ice or short wave for pain relief, passive stretching, ultra sound and exercises firstly for the antagonists and then the injured muscle in that order. Quadriceps exercises and correct walking were performed to ensure fitness for sport after cure. The average treatment time was 6 days. Prevention of disability was aided by early treatment, stretching before activity and exercises to increase strength in the calf. The recurrence rate was 1%.