Good techniques for working calves.

[ashii]

I have a new client, a triathlete, who is requesting some intense calf work.
Specifically cross fiber.

I worked on him today and got some good results (cross fiber, stripping and petrissage). I find I have to hold my hands and wrists in not so good positions to get in and do good work (especially with the cross fiber). I think working with my elbow at this point would be too intense, but I would like to find a better way of getting at things. I will be seeing him everything other week (minimum).

Any suggestions?

 

[MiSs. H. aKtHeR]

I have a few that may help you.

I like to put a pillow underneath the dorsum of the foot and do elbow work into the calves. Slow and specific. It gets in deep and you can spend a good 45 mins. on them this way when needed.

Another nice thing I picked up in a continuing ed course recently is to stand on the ipsilateral side (same side as the calf you are working), face the table and raise your most posterior knee onto the table placing the clients shin on your thigh which opens up your body to work easier (Ex. client prone/you are going to work on left calf... Put your right thigh under their left shin). You can strip into the calf quite nicely with the dorsal/posterior portions of the index fingers (think back of hand in anatomical position -- by making a nuckle type move with the fingers... only you are going to utilize the flat area between the DIP and MIP. (distal interphalangeal and medial interphalangeal joints). You'll move slow and persistently with this area of the fingers in contact with the calf (think make a fist, with the index fingers poking out a bit more) and move these "knuckly regions" toward the clients head. If you were to extend your fingers, the tips would be pointing toward the clients head. This gets in very deep and in some cases you can get better results than using the thumbs.

Those are the two I know for now.

Hope they help!

 

[Allan W]

Some people milk the calf by hooking Clients's foot over their shoulder & sitting with one hip on the table. I love this & add some other things as well (drape a towel over your shoulder or put a small bolster pillow between you). I love to pull & lift & jostle the muscles off the bone by clasping my fingers & using my palms & heels of hand like a firm vise or tong. I also drag my forearms down towards the knee in an alternating fashion (reminds me of a low block in karate). That one actually massages YOUR forearms as it soothes & pumps their congestion.
Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[Paper Roses]

Another variation on jostling the calf - while client is prone - is to bend knee, grab the ankle (softly but firmly) and then lift entire leg to slightly above knee off table and just jostle & jiggle. My Shiatsu practitioner, as well as other therapists, have done this and it feels wonderful while at the same time gently encouraging the gastroc and deeper muscles to release and let go. I love how it feels, works, and it's easy to do...so, of course, I have added that little gem to my toolbox!

 

[Petals B]

oooh.... great thread! Thanks for the replies ya'll! I am getting ideas myself!

 

[sunshine]

Thanks for the great suggestions everyone.

In my regular protocal - I do some pettrisage to the calves while the foot is on my shoulder. This was always on of my favorite moves. I will have to test out doing the deeper work in that position. The client is 6'5" and I am 5'4" so I am not sure where how that position will feel. Love the forearm idea and the lift jostle technique.

I will certainly be testing all these techniques out with him.

 

[meemee]

Bumping up for more suggestions.

 

[Anni Apple]

My fav is client supine. Bend the knee, place foot flat on the table, cover with the sheet or towel, sit on foot, place both hands at the top of gasts. and just spread your fingers down all the way to the heel while leaning back. Make sure you have a good drape in place for this one.

 

[Theofilaktos]

I also like the foot-on-shoulder move, and I think most of the clients enjoy it as well.

Another move I like to do is similar to what Texas Gal learned in her CEU course, but rather than placing your thigh under their shin, set the plantar surface of the foot right on top of your thigh. Push into it a bit...just enough to lift the gastroc away from the soleus. Massage under each side of the gastroc belly...this gets into the soleus from another direction and should help your athlete out. Don't forget to stretch!

 

[Pompal 09.]

You can get deep into the tibialis posterior quite easily by going through the anterior of the calves. In a supine position, flex the knee and hip to a 45/45 degree position. From there, find the medial border of the tibia and follow the bone to the posterior. This area will be very tender as the tib. post. has very little actual contact with the outside world, but treatment of this can greatly alleviate many calf dysfunctions.

For trialthletes, I have always found deep sustained pressure compressions worked amazing.