Have You Been Assessed for Structural Leg Length Discrepancy?

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…and I do not mean a cursory glance at the ankles. Of course they are aligned. We walk on flat ground. If there is a difference in leg length, the ground does not move to accommodate it, look higher to the Pelvis and Hips. It is there you will find permanent distortion and strain accommodating the discrepancy.

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Most of us have a short right leg…this is normal. Usually we have not been assessed for it and do not know we have it. Even in cases of lumbar injury where it is a contributory factor, it is not considered in medical examination in this country.

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If you have a history of chronic pain, discomfort or injury in spine, pelvis or lower limbs and treatment only ever gives limited temporary relief…

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Assess Your Structural Leg Length

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While I encounter the occasional juvenile or young adult affected by Short Right Leg Syndrome, it typically begins to have a greater impact as we age…becoming sedentary, heavier and stiffer. The body’s response to the right leaning pelvic tilt are the Two Signature Traits of an elevated left hip and elevated right shoulder plus the Three Cardinal Signs of anterior rotation of the left hip, rigidity at the right hip, and mild scoliosis. Living with this all our life it is subtle and we are usually not aware of it except for the fact we carry baby on the left hip and bag over the right shoulder. It leads to a raft of lower limb and spinal conditions. In the most advanced stages leg function and metabolic health degenerates accompanied by overwhelming knee and leg pain due to the energetic block created through the pelvis.

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It is all about the energetic Qi flow. Biomechanical and neurological impact from SRLS is minimal and typically disregarded by conventional therapists. The body will adapt, they say. However, the chronic strain on soft tissue of the pelvis and spine blocks energetic Qi flow and proves to be the underlying cause for many conditions they do not fully understand and for which conventional treatment outcomes are poor.

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Symptomatically, flexibility through the Pelvis is preventative…the committed Yoga practitioner or dancer manages well…many of us do not have this dedication or the physical capacity to do so. Massage, acupuncture, cupping, adjustments and other therapies give limited temporary relief. Rehab exercise and treatment is beneficial but in the presence of chronic pain and injury it is almost like we always have to insert a small adjusting heel lift under the short leg.