You may have been told before that one of your legs is shorter than the other, or you may have hip, knee, or ankle pain that has been linked to differing leg lengths. While short leg syndrome is sometimes diagnosed by medical doctors, chiropractors have a different take on leg length—and it could completely change your life.
Why Do Chiropractors Look at Leg Length?
If you’ve visited Dr. Ronnie at Vital Life Chiropractic, you know that he checks your leg length at the start of any adjustment assessment. Science has told us that whenever a person has a misalignment anywhere in their spine, their legs will be different lengths. It may only be a miniscule amount or difference, but principled chiropractors are trained and experienced in noticing even the smallest discrepancy in leg length. So when Dr. Ronnie checks your leg length and then has you turn your head and checks it again, he’s determining where the misalignment is so that he can adjust you appropriately.
Why Does It Matter?
Leg length matters a great deal, especially when it comes to spinal alignment and overall health. We know that the health of your spine is directly related to the overall health of your body. Misalignments of the spine push on the spinal cord and nearby nerves, causing interference in the messages sent from the brain to the rest of the body. This interference results in miscommunication between your brain and your body’s systems, leading to dysfunction and various health concerns.
If your leg length is uneven, you absolutely have a misalignment in your spine. Even if your leg length discrepancy is miniscule, it is still causing an imbalance across your entire skeletal structure, which will eventually lead to more misalignments and your body attempting to compensate for the imbalance. So if you have even a minor leg length discrepancy, you need to get under chiropractic care and get the issue taken care of as soon as possible so that it doesn’t lead to other issues.
What Can Leg Length Problems Lead To?
As mentioned above, leg length problems can lead to additional pain, discomfort, and health issues. While it may take months or even years for these issues to manifest, leg length imbalances will cause problems eventually, and when not taken care of early, it will then take longer to reverse and correct the imbalance and the related issues. The most common issues related to leg length discrepancies include pain in the ankles, knees, hips, and low back, as well as discomfort in the associated tissues and structures around each of those areas. Additionally, body functions can be disrupted due to the spinal misalignments, leading to more possible health concerns like chronic headaches, reproductive system issues, respiratory problems, back pain, and more.
If you’ve been told you have different leg lengths or if you would like a complete neurological assessment that includes leg length examination, get in touch with Dr. Ronnie Bolar and his team at Vital Life Chiropractic in Lithia Springs. Dr. Bolar is passionate about helping you achieve optimal health and an improved quality of life, and he provides principled chiropractic care to individuals in Hiram, Dallas, Austell, Mableton, Powder Springs, and more.
Sources
Fuhr, A.W. “Archive for Category Leg Length Inequality/Analysis.” Activator Methods International Ltd. https://www.activator.com/category/leg-length-inequality/.
Knutson, Gary A, and Edward F Owens. “Leg Length Alignment Asymmetry In A Non-Clinical Population And Its Correlation To A Decrease In General Health As Measured By The SF-12: A Pilot Study.” Https://Www.vertebralsubluxationresearch.com, Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, 1 Nov. 2004, www.vertebralsubluxationresearch.com/2017/09/08/leg-length-alignment-asymmetry-in-a-non-clinical-population-and-its-correlation-to-a-decrease-in-general-health-as-measured-by-the-sf-12-a-pilot-study/.
Murray, K.J., et al. “Association of Mild Leg Length Discrepancy and Degenerative Changes in the Hip Joint and Lumbar Spine.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28427725.