Physiotherapist advice needed please? Can you dislocate a muscle?

[SeveredEdMcDunnough]

Hello, just asking in case a kind physio is passing by and feels like educating me

Twice now, I seem to have 'dislocated' my calf muscle - it lasts about 10 seconds and is excruciatingly painful.

What happens is, I wake up, stretch my legs as they feel like they need it - I'm 6 months pg, it never happened till I was pg - and the muscle in one calf seems to get 'trapped' or displaced - like it won't go back?

It's agonising and the only way I have found to get it back is to push my foot against the wall, which seemed to work this morning anyway though it may have been coincidence.

The muscle then stays rather sore for a while afterwards.

When it happens, it's as though it goes 'too far' or stretches too much maybe? Is this the relaxin making that happen?

I would be grateful for anything I can do to stop it happening again as it makes my legs really crampy if I don't stretch them. And when it happens I can't help but yell a bit

Thankyou if you got this far

[ginmakesitallok]

Sounds like cramp to me, which is very common in pregnancy. I had it through both my pregs and found that eating bananas helped - something to do with the potassium? As far as I know you can't dislocate a muscle

[Calyx]

Hi I'm a physio and congrats on your pregnancy

I don't work with pregnancy so couldn't say about the relaxin etc (but seem to think it affects ligaments not muscles?). Just thinking about your calf, stretching your leg with the toe pointed contracts that muscle and I think you're getting a calf muscle cramp doing that first thing. Maybe try stretching your leg but keeping your heel down and toe up (to keep the calf taut/stretched) to avoid the cramp.

Doing a few gentle calf stretches throughout the day, when you're on the phone or at the sink etc, not into pain, might help to loosen it up so it stops happening.

Good luck! Cramps are horrible!

[SeveredEdMcDunnough]

Oh wow - such quick answers! Thankyou very very much.

I'll try what you say and keep my foot at a right angle, that's brill.

Where else would you find a physio at 7am

Thanks xx

[Calyx]

Just hope it helps, good luck :)