The body loves symmetry. Unfortunately, many human habits create a lack of balance in the joints and muscles. Often patients relate that they have a “short leg” that they were diagnosed with. And in most cases, this is true but needs to be fully understood. Actual ANATOMICAL leg length differences, meaning the bones of the right and left legs differ, are rare. Still, many people have a leg length difference caused by imbalances in the pelvis, low back, and hips, called a FUNCTIONAL leg length difference.

The pelvis is a complex structure. When you walk, your right and left pelvic bones walk with you in opposite directions, bringing the legs with them. As you walk, the pelvis should fully alternate, but sometimes there is a lack of full movement one way or another, resulting in the pelvis being askew and one femoral head (top of the leg) rising, creating a short leg on that side. The non-technical term for this is a “hitch in your giddy-up.”

With a leg length inequality, the body will try to compensate for the imbalance somewhere up the chain, which can result in imbalances as far up as the neck. Since headaches often originate from the neck, a leg length difference can cause chronic headaches! That is why looking at the whole body when you have a specific complaint is essential.

The treatment for leg length difference depends on the cause. When an actual anatomical leg length is suspected, a standing leg length x-ray study will reveal the difference to the millimeter, allowing for a simple correction with a heel lift, or if the inequality is too significant, a whole shoe lift, which a cobbler can accommodate. In this case, a simple five-dollar heel lift can be life-changing, and many problems throughout the spine and extremities can improve from this intervention. When misalignment and imbalances in the joints and muscles are the cause, chiropractic treatment, including adjusting and therapies, can restore balance to the muscles and joints, allowing for complete symmetry in movement. After restoring balance, finding the cause of inequality is essential to prevent a recurrence.

For instance, leaning to one side while standing, called “hip lean,” can cause imbalance. We often see this with first-time parents holding the baby on their hip. I teach my new moms and dads to brace their pelvis with their abdominal and low back muscles or to use baby carriers to avoid the “baby hip lean.” Sitting with your wallet in your back pocket or crossing one leg over the other when sitting or sleeping can create imbalances. Those who drive a lot are forced into asymmetry, using the right leg more than the left. Injuries or muscle imbalances from poor posture or deconditioning can also contribute.

Chiropractors have tests that they perform to screen for and diagnose the origin of leg length inequalities, and treatments to restore equal leg length so patients can move with ease. Evaluating kids and athletes is vital to ensure proper muscle and posture development, and optimal balance, coordination and neural development. Learning prescribed stretches and exercises, and improving posture and ergonomics can restore balance, optimize function and prevent long-term problems. As previously stated, a symmetrical body is a happy body. And it starts from the ground up!