A Shopping Injury

Last Wednesday Doug took a step to run into Walmart and felt something pull in his left leg.  At first it was no big deal and only hurt a little bit.  In fact on Thanksgiving day he was walking completely normal.  That changed on Friday, however, as he started to hobble.  He had tried to exercise on the elliptical and couldn't even do a modified circuit.  

Over the weekend he had rested it, put ice on it and took Ibuprofen, but it didn't seem to get much better.  He had an appointment with the orthopedic doctor set up for next Friday with the hope that it would mend on its own.  Two days ago Doug decided that he couldn't wait and thankfully, he was able to see someone yesterday morning first thing.  The doctor reassured him that it wasn't his achilles.  That had been Doug's biggest fear.  It was the Soleus muscle in the calf that was causing his new gait.  The doctor gave him stretches to do, a band to use and a wrap to try.  In just the first two days of the new routine, Doug already had increased mobility in the leg and was almost walking normally.  That was a relief for both of us.