Pain in middle of calf - Tendonitis?

[norstar]

Hi to the forum - I'm hoping someone can help with this...

I'm 29, not nearly as fit as I should be but I am an experienced hill walker and play Football on Saturdays.

About five weeks ago, I played in a game where someone kicked me full bore with the toe of his boot in the back of my calf. Very painful, bruised slightly but this went off over the next two weeks. Then, on Christmas eve, some three weeks later, I went Hill walking in the Lake District but left my boots at home(!), so I went up in flat soled shoes.

On Christmas day, I woke up to an extremely painful stabbing pain in the back of my calf - never had it before.

On testing, it appears that if I have my leg straight, and then lift my foot, I experience a stabbing pain in the very middle of my calf, however I can quite happily stand on tiptoe. Oddly, if I bend my leg slightly and then lift my foot, there is no pain at all.

I've read the forum and wonder if it could be Tendonitis, but is it not too high up in the calf to be this?

Any suggestions and if so, solutions? I'm going skiing in six weeks so hoping it will be manageable!!!

Thanks!

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[physiobob]

Sounds like an injury to the gastocnemius part of the calf complex. This one crosses botht the knee and ankle. Thats why the pain is gone with a bent knee. Rising on tip toes doesn't stretch that to full length but dropping the heal or raising the foot with a straight knee does. I'd suggest seeing someone for some massage to the area and perhaps do some calf raises on a step to stretch it out through it's full length.

[norstar]

Thanks for the answer. Spot on! I went to a physio in the end and it was diagnosed as tears in the muscle fibres. I have stretches to do to stretch it out and had some deep massage and ultrasound. Thanks again! Now I can go skiing!

[physiobob]

Great to read you have received some treatment. Have fun on the slopes