Lower Back Pain: Short Leg Syndrome & How Chiropractic Care Can Help

Are you struggling with lower back pain, hip pain, sacroiliac joint pain, knee pain, or ankle pain?
 
Those symptoms could be cause by Short Leg Syndrome or Leg Length Discrepancy.  
 
Short Leg Syndrome is condition that develops when one of your legs is shorter than the other.  Most people think that having a short leg would cause problems when there is a huge difference but the reality is even a small difference of only 1/4 or 1/2 inch can cause problems over the years. 
 
There are 2 types of short legs: functional and structural. 
 
Functional short leg is when the leg is short because of postural stress such as sacroiliac (SI) joints being misaligned.  The SI joint is made up of your sacrum (tailbone) and the allium which is the largest bone in your pelvis.  One side of the illium can get restricted or stuck in a back & down position which will pull the leg up causing a short leg.  The other illium can do the opposite and get restricted or stuck in a forward & up position which will make that leg longer.  Other causes of a functional short leg: dropped foot arch, muscle weakness or tightness.  A functional short leg could affect your ankle, knee, and hip on that side of the body.  Majority of the population 
 
The picture on the left is before I adjusted this patient who had a functional short right leg that was about 1 inch shorter than the left leg.  The picture on the right you can see that the legs are more even after performing a chiropractic adjustment.  
 
Structural short leg is anatomically short because of a hip degenerative disease, hip replacement surgery, decreased joint space in the knee, congenital abnormality, or previous fracture. This type of short leg length is managed with using a heel lift.
 
Are you or someone you know have been dealing with lower back pain, hip pain, sacroiliac joint pain, knee pain, or ankle pain?  If so, find a chiropractor who can perform an examination to see if you have Short Leg Syndrome and come up with a treatment plan to help get you relief.  
 
Dr. Lee is a board certified Chiropractor who has been helping patients with Short Leg Syndrome for 13 years.  He takes a holistic approach when treating patients combining soft tissue therapy, dry needling therapy, corrective exercises, and stretches. 
 
He is a House Call Chiropractor serving Metairie, LA and the surrounding area including Kenner, River Ridge, Harahan, Lakeview, Mid City, New Orleans, St. Rose, and Destrahan.  So if you have a busy schedule or dislike driving to the doctor’s office, Dr. Lee comes to you to help you feel better without the hassle! 

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