High Achilles tear vs. calf muscle tear – What they feel like and how to recover safely
- Alison Gould
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 7 hours ago
Did you feel a sudden pain and a popping sensation in the middle of your calf? Learn why it’s important to know whether it’s a calf muscle tear or a high Achilles tendon rupture, what treatment steps to take, and how long recovery might take.
Remember, if you need help with an Achilles injury, you're welcome to consult one of our team via video call.
The terms tendinitis, tendonitis, tendinosis, and tendinopathy mean the same thing for all practical purposes, and we use these interchangeably in most of our articles.
In this article:
High Achilles tear or calf muscle tear?
When you feel sudden pain near the middle of your calf, it can be hard to tell whether you’ve injured your upper Achilles tendon or your calf muscle. Both injuries feel very similar and located around the point where the gastrocnemius muscle merges into the top of the Achilles tendon, known as the musculotendinous junction.
A calf tear in this area is often referred to as “tennis leg”. Despite the name, it doesn’t just happen to tennis players. It can occur during any sport or activity where you suddenly push off, change direction, or go from standing still to sprinting.
Most Achilles tears or ruptures happen around the middle of the tendon – about 6 cm above the heel. An Achilles tear or rupture in the higher portion of the tendon is less common, but it does happen.
What it feels like
Both types of injuries typically happen suddenly, unlike the symptoms of an Achilles tendonitis or tendinopathy, which tend to develop gradually.
Calf tear (tennis leg):
Usually happens during a push-off movement.
You might feel or hear a “pop” inside the calf muscle.
Sharp pain occurs on the inner side of the calf, where the medial gastrocnemius muscle is located.
High Achilles tear or rupture:
Also happens during a push-off movement.
Sudden pain, often described as feeling like someone kicked you hard in the back of the leg or like a gunshot went off. People nearby might even hear the sound.
About one-third of complete Achilles ruptures are painless afterwards. This is because there is nothing for the severed fibres to pull against when you try to move.
If only a part of the tendon is torn, it is more likely to be painful.
For both injuries, you might experience:
Immediate loss of function, especially the inability to walk on tiptoes or push off properly.
Swelling in the calf and ankle area, which may develop quickly or over a few hours.
Bruising, heat, or redness within a day or two. The bruising might actually develop much lower down around the ankle because gravity pulls the old blood and swelling down.
💡 The location of the pain can sometimes hint at which structure is injured, but only a scan or professional examination can confirm it.
Immediate treatment
The priority after either injury is to protect the area and avoid weight-bearing until you have it diagnosed:
Keep your foot in a slightly pointed position (heel higher than the toes).
Do not walk on it – use crutches or hop carefully.
See a medical professional as soon as possible to arrange a scan and proper diagnosis.
Elevate your leg so your heel is higher than your knee and your knee higher than your hip to reduce swelling.
You can gently wiggle your toes or tighten your thigh and glute muscles to help with circulation, but don’t move the foot or ankle itself until you’re cleared to do so.
Further treatment if it’s a calf tear
If it’s a calf tear:
Initially, you’ll keep the foot pointed down to allow the muscle fibres to knit back together.
In most cases you'll be allowed to start walking on it as long as you can do so with minimal discomfort – if it hurts a lot to walk, you might need to change your shoes (see next point) or use crutches for a short while.
Wearing shoes with a higher heel-to-toe drop or adding heel lifting inserts (similar to what we shared in this article) into your shoes can be very useful to limit the strain on the injured calf muscle during this time and allow you to walk more comfortably.
Within a week, you’ll usually start gentle movement, being careful not to overstretch the healing tissue.
And then you’ll slowly ease into a structured rehab plan (see below) aimed at restoring the calf muscles’ strength in a safe, step-wise way.
Further treatment if it’s a high Achilles tear or rupture
If it’s a high Achilles tear or rupture:
You will usually need to immobilize the tendon for longer, often in a boot and sometimes using crutches – it will depend on the extent of the tear.
Whether you need surgery or conservative management (rehab without surgery) also depends on how completely the tendon is torn and how far the ends have separated.
Once your doctor gives the go-ahead, you’ll ease into a structured rehabilitation program.
Wearing shoes with higher heels or using heel lifting inserts also helps to reduce the strain on the injured tendon during the early days after coming out of the boot or for partial tears that don’t require a boot. Here’s our article about best shoes after Achilles tears.
Rehabilitation for both injuries
The rehabilitation process for upper Achilles tears and calf strains follow the same steps – you’ll just progress more slowly and spend more time for each step when you have an Achilles tear.
The rehab progresses in stages:
Gentle range-of-movement exercises and light muscle activation.
Gradually adding bodyweight strengthening.
Progressing to using weights and resistance training.
Later, introducing hopping, jumping, and running drills.
Finally, returning to sport or high-level activity, depending on what your aims are.
👉 You can read about the common rehab pitfalls that lead to recurring calf strains here, and we also have more detailed articles about Achilles tear rehab here.
Recovery time
The calf muscles have a good blood supply, so they tend to heal faster than the Achilles tendon.
Recovery time depends on several factors, including your age, fitness level, and the severity of the tear.
Calf tear (tennis leg): Most people return to normal activities or sport within 8 to 12 weeks, though it varies widely.
High Achilles tear or complete rupture: Recovery usually takes much longer – about 6 to 9 months – especially if surgery or prolonged immobilization is needed.
How we can help
Need help with your Achilles injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at TMA online via video call for an assessment of your injury and a tailored treatment plan.
We're all UK Chartered Physiotherapists with Master’s Degrees related to Sports & Exercise Medicine or at least 10 years' experience in the field. All of us have a wealth of experience working with athletes across a broad variety of sports and ranging from recreationally active people to professional athletes. You can meet the team here.
About the Author
Alison Gould is a chartered physiotherapist and holds an MSc in Sports and Exercise Medicine. You can follow her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.