Calf Muscle Strain - How Long Can It Last?

In February I began to have pain in my calf muscle and I had just started taking birth control and I thought it was a blood clot - well I had an ultrasound done and that was not the case - it came back clear. The pain has continued on and off - I wear heels at work and had to run up and down steps (14) at least ten times a day and then I would go to the gym and work my legs (definately overworked it). I went back to my doctor and he felt my leg announced there was no blood clot (since I needed reassurance) and had an MRI done about two weeks ago and there was no torn muscle, but he said I strained it. So I just returned from the beach - five days of walking on the sand and all over Wilmington, NC and driving ten hours. It is aching again and every now and then I get sharp twinges. Has anyone else had a strain longer than four months - I figure it cannot heal because I keep overusing it. Any suggestions or comments? My doctor suggested that I might get some physical therapy done.

Yes, one can keep aggravating a strain for months. You just proved it !

I had 4 individual calf injuries, two severe, two minor. One major one because I did not do adequate rehab and started running.

Until it heels fully:
No more heels at work.
No more running stairs in heels.

But wear a flat shoe, and a COMFORTABLE 3 inch heel on the bad calf. But you won't stand high on it. You use it to let the muscle stay short and relaxed until it is better. Mine took about 3-4 weeks. You will walk slow enough you don't limp.

No heat for three days, use ice packs. Then start light heat alternated with ice packs. Start very light stretching once it does not hurt.

Get a stretch band to begin exercising it after the pain is gone. Proceed slowly. Once the stretch band can't help (months ?), you may try standing calf presses. Then just keep proceeding slowly. Rush it, you'll probably tear it like I did while thinking it had healed.