Question
I broke my right ankle in June of this year, and over the last 2-3 weeks, i have started having pain in my left hip on the outside. It feels like a mix between a sore muscle and a a muscle that needs to be stretched. It hurts when i sit cross-legged, when I am laying down, when i stand up and bend my knees, and when i take the first couple of steps after sitting down for a little while. It's really starting to bother me, and I was wondering if it could be related to the fact that i was on crutches with the broken ankle for 9 weeks, while my left leg was my dominant leg?

Answer
Hi Louise

When someone gets off crutches, they are not walking correctly at first.  Normally people go from crutches to a cane and then they can move towards walking unaided. You didn't say whether or not you went to a cane after the crutches, but I have a feeling you are not walking correctly  at this point, and that's what is causing your pain.

When you don't walk correctly, your whole body alignment is thrown off and you can have pain in your legs or back.

To put your mind at ease, the best thing I can suggest is to request that your doctor get an X ray or MRI of the hip to
ensure that everything is fine with your hip. Normally when people have hip problems with the bones, the pain manifests in the groin area and then can radiate to the outside of the hip.  The fact that you are not complaining of groin pain and your pain is on the outside, I would guess the pain is related to the muscles or ligaments.  There is a large muscle on the outside of the hip that stretches across the full area, and this is called the Periformus.  That may be your problem.

Check with your doctor to ensure that your hip is fine, and then request that he refer you for a few visits to a qualified physical therapist to ensure you are walking correctly.

Good luck to you!
Sharon Davis