Have you ever felt like you have one leg shorter than the other? Even slightly?
Are your shoes looking uneven with one wearing faster?
You could have a condition called leg length discrepancy (LLD).
Leg length discrepancies are an increasing common secondary condition that presents to our practice- with 60-90% of the population estimated to be affected by this condition.
This condition not only affects your legs, but your WHOLE body.
It can lead to and be the cause of compensatory spine, pelvis, knee and ankle issues.
Even worse, it alters the foundation for which the spine is based- predisposing your individual vertebrae to subluxate.
Leg length discrepancies can be likened to the alignment of the tyres on your car. The slightest misalignment to your wheels will cause your tread to wear down faster and in an uneven manner. Additionally, your engine will have to work harder due to the impact on efficiency.
Your body is exactly the same!
Aside from you the joints in your body wearing down faster due to the uneven strain placed upon them, the relationship between the spine and nervous system is also impacted due to this stress.
But what causes leg length discrepancies and can they be addressed?
It’s important to note that there are two different types of leg length discrepancies:
Anatomical leg length discrepancy– is a leg length discrepancy that is structural in nature. The structure of the bones have changed either due to a past fracture, congenital abnormality, trauma or even surgery.
Functional leg length discrepancy– is a leg length discrepancy that is due to compensatory changes of the joints and spine- most commonly due to pelvic and lumbar subluxations.
The discrepancy between leg lengths can range from 5mm to 30mm.
Left unaddressed, secondary structural compensations from a leg length discrepancy can have the potential to progressively worsen.
Common signs and symptoms of a LLD may be pain through the low back and pelvis, walking with a limp (minor or major), uneven shoulder height or a tilt through the upper body.
While medication, massage and other treatments may reduce the symptoms caused by leg length discrepancies, they do not address the underlying cause.
Research has highlighted that specific chiropractic adjustments to the spine and pelvis have the potential to address functional leg length discrepancies by restoring normal alignment to these regions of the body.
At Sims & Finn our Chiropractors utilise Neuro-Structural Correction, the purpose of which is to correct the underlying shifts in the spine that are typically responsible for many symptoms- such as leg length discrepancies.
Our chiropractors are more than happy to answer any questions you have regarding the health of your spine and the relationship it has with your nervous system.
To make an appointment, please either book online via our website, or call our friendly staff.
Sims & Finn Chiropractic
52 Stud Road, Dandenong 3175
@simsfinnchiropractic
References:
- The Effects of Leg Length Discrepancy on Stability and Kinematics-Kinetics Deviations: A Systematic Review
- Eliks, M., Ostiak-Tomaszewska, W., Lisiński, P., & Koczewski, P. (2017). Does structural leg-length discrepancy affect postural control? Preliminary study. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 18(1), 346. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-017-1707-x
- Anatomic and functional leg-length inequality: A review and recommendation for clinical decision-making. Part II, the functional or unloaded leg-length asymmetry
- Harvey WF, Yang M, Cooke TD, et al. Association of leg-length inequality with knee osteoarthritis: a cohort study. Ann Intern Med. 2010;152:287–295
- Murray KJ, Molyneux T, Le Grande MR, et al. Association of mild leg length discrepancy and degenerative changes in the hip joint and lumbar spine. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2017;40:320–329.