Hip and leg pain

Last Jan 5th 2011 I was working in my classroom at a child care with 10 toddlers ranging from 12 months to almost 2. Usually we only had between 5 or 6 kids in the room with 2 adults. The room is small and not big enough for too many active toddlers without bumping into each other. Well my boss decided to put in 4 kids who will be transitioning from the infant room soon they were only 12 months old in the room that day to try it out. It was also raining this day so we couldn’t go outside. This made the room very crowded and busy. We were cleaning up to do activities on the carpet and one of the new little ones was very excited. He kept hanging on my legs and going in between them and definitely underfoot. The last time he went in between my legs he caught me off guard and I lost my balance…. **Instead of wanting to land on him which I knew would hurt him bad I quickly straddled my right leg over his head but when I did this my full weight landed on my right ankle with most of my weight on the outside part of my ankle. I heard a loud pop and instant pain and landed on the floor. The kids thought I was playing and pig piled on top of me. My assistant came running over to me and got the kids off and got me ice for my ankle. I tried to stay off it the rest of the day. My boss wasn’t there but when I left I told the ast boss that I hurt my ankle. She told me to ice it that night. I got up the next morning and couldn’t put a shoe on it was very swollen. My ast boss sent me to the urgent care. They took x-rays and told me it was just a bad sprain. They gave me an ace bandage to wear. I continued to work with it hurting me. Since it was workmen’s comp I had to go to their doctors and go through the channels with workmen’s comp. It took 2 weeks. I was in severe pain but my boss still had me working a 8-10 hour day shift with full duties. It seemed liked they didn’t really care only someone to fill the schedule for my room. They gave me a “Just deal with it” attitude.


I finally got into the orthopedic and he took x-rays and found out that I had 2 severe tissue tears and a bad sprain. He gave me a boot cast that went to my knee. He gave me orders to give to my work place for light duty. My work’s idea of light duty was me in a classroom by myself 8 to 10 hours but with only 5 kids doing all the duties for these kids from 730am to 530 pm.. I worked these hours in a cast boot for 16 weeks which totally wore me out and was very painful. At night both my Ankles would be sore from too much activity.

I went back to my orthopedic and he was very disappointed that there had been no healing at all in my ankle. He was disappointed that I was still working that many hours and same duties. He wanted to take me out of work all together and be home bound but I couldn’t do that to the toddlers I teach… they need consistency and I knew they wouldn’t have it if I did this. He reduced my hours to 5 a day. My work decided to rearrange the 5 hours a day around what was conceinent with them. I worked 3 hours in the morning and went home and rested a little then went to physical therapy and then directly back to them for 2 hours from 3 to 5. My orthopedic was still not pleased with this schedule because when was I able to rest and relax and get off my foot? Exactly what I was thinking…..

Then he scheduled an MRI to see what was going on with my foot. We found out that I had 2 complete tears in 2 of the 3 major ligaments you have in your ankle.

I was very surprised he didn’t automatically schedule surgery to repair the ligaments to help the healing process of my ankle…. (Workmen’s comp wouldn’t allow surgery I recently found out) he instructed me to continue working 5 hours a day and wear the boot and to start physical therapy. I continued to wear the boot cast till may. In wearing this so long and compensating for the pain my whole foot and leg turned towards the right which has made both hips and legs hurt deeply. The orthopedic forgot to tell me thast if i didnt get a shoe that matched the cast boot i woulkd have leg and hip pain. I did physical therapy for my ankle and hips and legs from Feb till end of august. It helped a little but the pain is still there and I’m not able to do the things I used to do without pain which upsets me a lot because I can’t do things with my boys. I walk like a penguin because of the pain. I take Tylenol or advil daily for pain.

I was off work from end of July till end of August. I called in September to see when they wanted me to come back in… they informed me that they had hired someone who could do full time hours and full time duties for my room. I definitely read between the lines they were phasing me out because of my disability which hurt emotionally being there for 4 years dedication to the company and all that I put into my job and my kids I taught… I guess it meant nothing to them. I was just a body. This hurt deeply. Financially as well as emotionally.
** I was wearing the sketchers shape up shoes when I fell. I have since read on a lot of lawyer sites that there are law suits against the shape up shoes because of numerous injuries while people are wearing them. They rock front to back but the injuries are happening from side to side and falling just like what happened to me and losing my balance.

If they’re going to invent a whole new way for a human being to walk, the very first thing they should do is studies to make sure that’s not going to harm their customers.” according to a federal class action lawsuit, which claims that not only does Sketchers falsely advertise the health benefits of its Shape-Ups shoes, but that the shoes can actually cause injury.

I had another MRI done on November 25th. After reading the MRI they came to the conclusion there hasn’t been any healing in the ligaments they are still completely torn after a whole year of pain and suffering. Also bone spurs have developed because of the injury and hurt a lot when I drive and walk. My orthopedic has told workmen’s comp that surgery is needed and is a must! Now it’s in their ballpark.
But im stuck with pain in my ankle, leg and hip to struggle with on a daily basis. I want my life back.






Hello Melanie,
Thank you for sharing what has been, and still is, a very painful tale of woe, both literally and emotionally.

The very sharp pain when walking on the ankle is usually caused by a subluxation of the ankle mortice joint, or the subtalar joint. The bone subluxates as you twist the ankle, with or without torn ligaments. It's a double wammy of torn ligaments, perhaps a tendon strain and the displaced bone. But the acutely sharp pain walking is probably from the subluxated talus or calcaneus bones. I'm speculating of course. But having had precisely this type of injury myself, I know how severe the pain can be.

Then the rest in your back and hip and leg is the knock on effect from altered gait.

Perhaps it's time to consult a chiropractor? But you must do your homework: start looking for a chiropractor who works with sports injuries and feet. Avoid expensive orthotics in the shoes in the first instance. That displaced bone (assuming that is the cause of your pain, and I suspect it is) has to be reduced and the ankle rehabbed first. https://www.chiropractic-help.com/sprained-ankle.html

Perhaps phone your state chiropractic association, and ask for the name of a chiropractor with a FICS qualification.

Then, I'd start our simple lower back exercises at C-H. They are very simple and will strengthen your lower back and hip.



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