Orthopedics Questions Orthopaedic Surgeon

Do I have tendinosis?

I started cleaning a hoarded basement in November 2020. I was carrying things up stairs for hours at a time, at least once a week. I think the affected area is the tendon at the bottom of the semitendinosus muscle, both legs are affected but left is noticeably worse. I did that cleaning work until May 2021, at which point I realized how bad my legs were getting. I think this is tendinosis because it's described as "degeneration of the tendon's collagen in response to chronic overuse", which sounds like what I did, never really letting it heal. What worries me is I've been waiting for it to heal for 7 months. I'm starting to wonder if this will actually heal or if I ruined my legs for the rest of my life. So, does this sound like tendinosis? Will it ever heal? Is there anything I can do to make it heal faster?

Male | 33 years old
Complaint duration: 7 Months
Conditions: Chronic tendon pain

3 Answers

That sounds like a long time for tendinosis to heal. You may want to have a doctor check you out to see if you truly have tendinosis. One condition that can cause pain in the back of the legs that will mimic tendinosis is sciatica. That is a condition where a nerve in the low back gets irritated, most often due to a disc bulge, resulting in pain that travels down the legs, usually one leg more than the other. The diagnosis can generally be made with a physical examination and possibly an MRI.
You’re still young. Life is full of pain and suffering, so I think you should probably see your family doctor and ask him what to do.
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Tendinosis tends to heal slowly.To confirm the diagnosis see an orthopedic surgeon.