By [Your Name] | July 28, 2025 | Jacksonville, FL
Amber Meade, a dedicated healthcare worker in Jacksonville, Florida, never imagined that a routine injury would sideline her career and alter her life so drastically.
In 2017, Meade was 33 and working on her feet daily at a local hospital when she rolled her ankle while pushing a shopping cart. Expecting it to be a minor sprain, she continued working through the discomfort for six weeks, believing the pain would eventually subside.
“I thought it was just something simple — maybe a strain or a bruise,” Meade recalled. “It didn’t occur to me that something was actually broken.”
But the pain only intensified. Finally seeking medical attention, Meade scheduled an appointment with an orthopedic specialist at the same hospital where she worked. Imaging scans revealed a surprising diagnosis: she had fractured an accessory navicular bone — a small, extra bone that some people are born with on the inner side of the foot, just above the arch.
Doctors determined that surgery was necessary to remove the bone and realign the posterior tibial tendon, which plays a crucial role in supporting the foot’s arch.
The outpatient procedure initially seemed straightforward. However, during the operation, an anchor screw used to secure the tendon ended up pressing directly on a nerve in Meade’s foot.
What followed was a cascade of complications that left Meade in constant, severe pain — pain so debilitating that she could no longer stand, let alone work.
“The nerve pain was beyond anything I had ever experienced. I couldn’t put any weight on my foot without crying out,” she said. “It felt like electric shocks shooting up my leg.”
Unable to work and increasingly immobilized, Meade sought second and third opinions. She eventually underwent additional surgeries in an effort to correct the damage, but the nerve pain persisted. Her condition was later diagnosed as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a rare but serious chronic pain condition that can develop after injuries or surgeries involving nerve trauma.
Meade’s case highlights the risks that even routine orthopedic procedures can carry, especially when nerve involvement is possible. While surgical repair of the accessory navicular is typically successful, complications such as nerve entrapment, though uncommon, can have lifelong consequences.
Now in her early 40s, Meade continues to deal with chronic pain and reduced mobility. She is no longer able to perform her hospital duties and has had to shift her focus toward advocacy and sharing her story in hopes of raising awareness about surgical complications and the realities of CRPS.
“I want other patients to know that if something doesn’t feel right after