possible leg injury from shifing gears?

Karnov · 10-20-2006, 01:03 PM

ok, so the other day I woke up with a sore hip, and every time I put weight on my left foot I was getting some pain, so eventually I have developed a limp. It seems the part that is messed up is one of the rotator parts, at the top of the hip just above my left buttox cheek

A little background: I'm 26, healthy, I run & workout occasionally, generally I'm in good condition and I seldom have any health problems.

While driving to work this morning, thinking about what may be causing the problem, I realized it may be from shifting with my left leg all the time. I have a 45 minute commute and I have to shift many times during that drive. Is it possible that I have thrown my hip out of allignment from constantlly using it to push the clutch in? has anyone ever heard of such a thing?

JungleLarry · 10-20-2006, 01:04 PM

........wow. Drink your milk, dude. :P

Or as Mr. T would say: "Stay in drugs, don't do school, and remember to eat your milk."

jeepin_man · 10-20-2006, 01:13 PM

Man, that is just sad.

arbby · 10-20-2006, 01:22 PM

Ive never heard of anything like that before. Thats just sad if you think its b/c of pushing a clutch in. Walking of a flight of stairs puts WAY more strain on the body than shifting and pushing a few pounds of force.

mylt1 · 10-20-2006, 01:41 PM

if your clutch is that stiff that it has injured you, you need a new automatic. you probably just stepped wrong or layed on your side too long durring the night. that happens to me sometimes. lay on one hip for to long and it hurts like hell the next day.

Reinouir · 10-20-2006, 01:46 PM

I would say that it is possible.....if you were driving a Mack Truck

paroxysym · 10-20-2006, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JungleLarry

........wow. Drink your milk, dude. :P

Or as Mr. T would say: "Stay in drugs, don't do school, and remember to eat your milk."

pretty much, i have an hour drive home from work everyday in stop and go traffic and im constantly shifting. no problems here.

xxxflhrci · 10-20-2006, 01:58 PM

Sure, it's possible. You don't carry your wallet on your left side do you? Wallets can cause all kinds of leg/back pains. I carry mine on my right. While on a Road Trip on my bike, my right leg started aching from the knee to my hip. I finally discovred that it was my wallet. Since then, I have talked to more than one high mile driver that had the same problem and learned from a doctor that their wallet was causing the pain.

LandRover · 10-20-2006, 02:01 PM

Have you seen that seinfeld?

**Nuthin** · 10-20-2006, 02:04 PM

2X on the wallet comment. It's amazing how much damage it can do.

tj99 · 10-20-2006, 02:08 PM

Wow, if that's possible I'm in trouble

. I'm 43, overweight, and don't exercise. I've also and have had at least one manual vehicle at the house since before I was 15.

I've also had my share of leg problems mostly due to everything I've mentioned except the manual transmission.

However, I did have a truck at one time that the throw out bearing was bad in. It took both feet to push the clutch in.

edit: I agree on the wallet, forgot about that.

**grogie** · 10-20-2006, 02:10 PM

I doubt the shifting caused it. Go see a chiropractor. I messed up my knee a few years ago (landscaping) to where it hurt to walk (I limped), and my chiropractor has fixed it. It took some time, but better then surgery.

**Dr. Marneaus** · 10-20-2006, 02:27 PM

i've been shifting every day since i've been driving, and i'm fine.

and yeah, wallet in the back pocket is a no no

jzmtl · 10-20-2006, 02:56 PM

I know it's uncomfortable but didn't think it can do that much damage.

Guess I'll drop it in the center console next time.

**Awshux** · 10-20-2006, 03:02 PM

Ignore the comments about being a wuss for an injury caused by shifting. Every human body is different, and shifting could very well be affecting you in some way. I speak from personal experience. I was an avid runner and developed a troublesome left hip over the years. I knew this, but bought a manual Jeep just the same, not even considering that it could possibly be harmful. Sure enough, after two years of the Jeep being my daily driver, I had constant, occasionally debilitating hip and hamstring pain in my left leg. After going through the gamut with my doctor and the orthopedic docs, and on the verge of exploratory surgery, one of them finally asked, "Do you drive a manual transmission?" When I answered yes, the immediate prescription was to stop driving it for a while and chart the results. Sure enough, after 2 months of not driving a stick shift, the pain was gone! Unfortunately, this meant I had to sell the Jeep, but I'm looking forward to an automatic in my next one!

Short version: yes, your manual may be the cause. If possible, stop driving it for a while and see if there is a change. If nothing else, shifting may be aggravating another injury, and time off could heal it. Good luck!

10-20-2006, 01:04 PM	#2
JungleLarry Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 685 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	........wow. Drink your milk, dude. :P Or as Mr. T would say: "Stay in drugs, don't do school, and remember to eat your milk." __________________ [size=5]Look at my monkey.[/size]

10-20-2006, 03:02 PM	#15
Awshux Cynical Bastard Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The desert Posts: 1,744 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Ignore the comments about being a wuss for an injury caused by shifting. Every human body is different, and shifting could very well be affecting you in some way. I speak from personal experience. I was an avid runner and developed a troublesome left hip over the years. I knew this, but bought a manual Jeep just the same, not even considering that it could possibly be harmful. Sure enough, after two years of the Jeep being my daily driver, I had constant, occasionally debilitating hip and hamstring pain in my left leg. After going through the gamut with my doctor and the orthopedic docs, and on the verge of exploratory surgery, one of them finally asked, "Do you drive a manual transmission?" When I answered yes, the immediate prescription was to stop driving it for a while and chart the results. Sure enough, after 2 months of not driving a stick shift, the pain was gone! Unfortunately, this meant I had to sell the Jeep, but I'm looking forward to an automatic in my next one! Short version: yes, your manual may be the cause. If possible, stop driving it for a while and see if there is a change. If nothing else, shifting may be aggravating another injury, and time off could heal it. Good luck! __________________ You live and learn. At any rate, you live. -Douglas Adams

10-20-2006, 01:13 PM	#3
jeepin_man Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sumter, S.C. Posts: 170 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Man, that is just sad.

10-20-2006, 01:41 PM	#5
mylt1 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Virginia Posts: 5,874 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	if your clutch is that stiff that it has injured you, you need a new automatic. you probably just stepped wrong or layed on your side too long durring the night. that happens to me sometimes. lay on one hip for to long and it hurts like hell the next day.

10-20-2006, 01:46 PM	#6
Reinouir Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: N. Virginia Posts: 14 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	I would say that it is possible.....if you were driving a Mack Truck

10-20-2006, 01:58 PM	#8
xxxflhrci Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: South Posts: 3,643 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Sure, it's possible. You don't carry your wallet on your left side do you? Wallets can cause all kinds of leg/back pains. I carry mine on my right. While on a Road Trip on my bike, my right leg started aching from the knee to my hip. I finally discovred that it was my wallet. Since then, I have talked to more than one high mile driver that had the same problem and learned from a doctor that their wallet was causing the pain.