Tennis leg causes and diagnose
Tennis leg is a strain of the gastrocnemius muscle. Women over the age of 30 are generally affected.
One condition is diagnosed by the following features.
- The athlete often feels something giving way in the back of the leg or as if she has been hit from behind, just after forceful jump.
- Pain and spasm occur rapidly so that she cannot put her foot on the ground.
- Swelling and bruising develop distal to the injury site, reaching maximum after 48 hours.
- There is local tenderness at the junction of upper and middle third of the calf.
- There is pain at that point on passively stretching the muscle, worse when the knee is straight than when it is flexed.
First aid
- Immobilize the leg to prevent further damage.
- Apply compression damage to the calf to limit the size of the swelling.
- Give paracetamol for pain.
- Send him to a hospital afterwards.
