The calf muscles include the soleus muscle and the larger, overlying gastrocnemius muscle. These powerful muscles push the ankle downward, helping to propel the body when walking, running, jumping, or climbing stairs.
Calf muscle tightness restricts the normal movement of the ankle. While too much or too little exercise and shoes like high heels can cause the calf muscles to get tight, more severe cases of calf muscle tightness can result from neurological conditions.
Physical therapy, regular stretching, and wearing specific ankle braces, splints, or casts can help decrease calf muscle tightness. When the tightness is severe and significantly impacts the ability to walk, surgery may be considered.
During surgery for calf muscle tightness, part of the Achilles tendon, which attaches the calf muscles to the heel bone, is cut. This limits pulling on the foot and ankle and can increase ankle range of motion.
During calf muscle tightness surgery, an incision is made along the back of the calf. This allows a surgeon to access the Achilles tendon and cut through part of it to reduce tension from the Achilles tendon and ankle joint.
