Are your legs the same length?

There are some myths that seem to have become reality. One is that they all have legs of different lengths. Admittedly, it may not be exact to the fraction of an inch (or millimeter), but from a “macro” perspective they should be pretty much the same. Most people find out about the difference in limb length when they buy a pair of tailored pants. Either the tailor measures each leg and tells you the discrepancy, or if you go to a bad tailor, he may only measure one leg and you will notice the difference when you try on the pants.

Not all limb length differences are created equal. In my podiatry practice in Houston, TX, I measure extremities two different ways. I take a measurement with my patient lying down. This measures the actual lengths of the bones, without any soft tissue involvement or input from problems such as scoliosis. This is known as the length of the structural member. The second measurement is taken standing up and with information from all the structures, called the functional length of the limb.

Pain and injury resulting from a difference in limb length can present in a variety of ways. More commonly, however, bread is confined to one side. The location of the bread will be different. Pain can be experienced in the feet and ankles, knees, hips, or lower back. Because a difference in limb length will also affect the shoulders, symptoms can also be felt in the upper back and neck. No matter the location, discomfort is an overuse of the muscles and soft tissues that are forced to work harder than usual. You see, when there is a difference in limb length, the long limb will attempt to shorten by pronating the foot, while the short limb will attempt to become functionally longer by supination. This causes an imbalance and results in injury.

Treatment of a limb length discrepancy is often as simple as placing a lift under the short limb. This does not always completely solve the problem. There are times when physical therapy is needed to rehabilitate soft tissue. Other times, a custom orthosis may be needed to better control abnormal movements.

Limb length issues are common and it never fails to amaze my patient when I inform her that she has the imbalance. If you have any lower extremity pain, visit your podiatrist to see how quickly it can be resolved. We are here to keep you going!