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MuscleLegsuperficialDraft

GastrocnemiusMusculus gastrocnemius

Two-headed superficial calf muscle that runs from above the knee to the heel and points the foot and helps bend the knee.

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LatinMusculus gastrocnemius
Origin
  • Medial head: back of the medial condyle of the femur, just above the joint surface
  • Lateral head: side of the lateral condyle of the femur, just above the joint surface
  • Back of the knee joint capsule (both heads)
Insertion
  • Middle of the back of the calcaneus (heel bone), via the calcaneal (Achilles) tendon shared with soleus
Action
  • Plantarflexes the ankle (points the foot and lifts the heel)
  • Flexes the knee
  • Most active in fast, powerful movements such as running and jumping
NerveTibial nerve (S1–S2)
NameGreek gaster, 'belly', and kneme, 'leg' — the 'belly of the leg', from the bulge it makes in the calf.

Palpation

  1. Client prone with a bolster under the ankles so the knee is slightly bent and the calf is relaxed.
  2. Place both hands over the upper calf; feel the two rounded bellies side by side, the inner (medial) one larger and reaching lower.
  3. Follow the bellies down to where they end about halfway down the leg and blend into the flat Achilles tendon.
  4. Ask the client to point the foot (plantarflex) against light resistance from your hand on the sole; the two heads firm up clearly.

Landmarks: Calcaneus

The gastrocnemius is the muscle that gives the calf its shape. It lies straight under the skin, over the top of Soleus, so it is the first layer you meet in a Posterior lower limb — 20 min routine. Long Effleurage strokes from the heel towards the back of the knee, then Petrissage and Wringing across the two bellies, suit most relaxation treatments. Keep pressure light as you approach the back of the knee, where nerves and blood vessels run close to the surface.

Both heads join the soleus to form the calcaneal tendon, better known as the Achilles tendon: the thickest and strongest tendon in the body, attaching to the Calcaneus. Together, gastrocnemius and soleus are sometimes called the triceps surae (“three-headed muscle of the calf”). Runners, walkers and people who wear high heels commonly report tight calves, and cramps in this muscle are common.

To tell gastrocnemius from soleus, remember that gastrocnemius crosses the knee and soleus does not. A calf stretch with the knee straight targets gastrocnemius; with the knee bent, the stretch shifts to soleus.

Techniques

  • Effleurage — Long, gliding strokes with the whole palm that spread the medium, warm the tissue and link the other strokes together.
  • Petrissage — Kneading strokes that compress, lift and squeeze the muscle away from the bone, working the tissue between the hands.
  • Wringing — A petrissage stroke where the hands lift the tissue and push and pull it across the body in opposite directions, like wringing out a towel.
  • Compression — Pressing straight down into a muscle with the palm, fist or forearm, holding briefly, then releasing and moving on.
  • Circular friction — Small circles made with the finger or thumb pads that move the skin over the deeper tissue without sliding, to work a specific spot.
  • Shaking — A larger, rhythmical vibration where the hand grasps a muscle or holds a limb and shakes it loosely from side to side.
  • Passive stretching — The therapist gently moves a relaxed limb to lengthen a muscle to a point of mild stretch and holds it there, with no effort from the client.

Works with

  • Soleus — Broad, flat calf muscle lying under the gastrocnemius that points the foot and keeps the body from tipping forward when standing.
  • Tibialis posterior — The deepest muscle at the back of the leg; it turns the sole inwards, helps point the foot and is a major support for the inner arch.
  • Fibularis longus — Long muscle on the outer side of the lower leg whose tendon wraps behind the outer ankle and under the foot to turn the sole outwards and support the arches.
  • Hamstrings — Group of three muscles on the back of the thigh, running from the sitting bone to below the knee, that bend the knee and extend the hip.

Opposes

  • Tibialis anterior — Long muscle beside the shin bone that lifts the foot up (dorsiflexion) and turns the sole inwards (inversion).
  • Extensor digitorum longus — Feather-shaped muscle on the outer front of the lower leg that lifts the four small toes and helps lift the foot.
  • Extensor hallucis longus — Thin muscle on the front of the lower leg, partly hidden by its neighbours, that lifts the big toe and helps lift the foot.

Used in routines

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Gastrocnemius muscle
  2. Wikipedia: Achilles tendon
  3. Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918), Myology 8c: The Muscles and Fasciae of the Leg (archived Bartleby page) (Public domain. Nerve roots S1–S2 agree with Wikipedia. Gray calls plantarflexion 'extension of the foot'.)