Variable Leg Length?

My right leg is 3/8" shorter than my left. Over time, and with a great deal of basketball playing, I began to experience pain in my lower back. My right pelvic bone had rotated down, and several vertebrae rotated to the right, along with my sacrum. The results were quite painful. With physical therapy, and a daily exercise/stretching routine (for the rest of my life), my back is strong enough for triathlons.

I wear a lift in the heel of my shoe to even out things as far as the spine/pelvic bone are concerned.

I, too, lived a long time before my body started to complain about this malady. I would suggest asking your doctor or an orthopedic specialist to see what they think. You can buy inserts for your shoe at any sports or shoe store. That would be a good, easy, cheap experiment to try first.

We are remarkably asymmetrical in body construction, but modern medicine and technology can make it so these things don't slow us down.

Good luck.

My left leg is about 3/8" shorter than my right. I have orthopedic inserts for both my running and bike shoes. The inserts have helped to balance out my cycling pedaling stroke and to alleviate pain in my right knee and lower back.

Mark

As a chiropractic student who is a couple months from grad I can say that I have plenty of experience in dealing with short legs. It is impossible to tell via a post if your short leg is anatomically short or if it is a functional short leg that is stemming from some other biomechanical complication. A heel lift may not solve the problem that is causing a functional short leg and is not always simple with an anatomically short leg either. My recommendation is to go to a Dr and get it evaluated. I would obviously recommend a chiropractor who deals with this daily first, but a medical doctor has enough background in orthopedics to asses the problem if thats more your style.
Either way, best of luck and be well!
Bill

Bill, it was a chiropractor, after a series of several doctors over many years, who first diagnosed my short leg. The doctors had viewed my back pain as isolated to that area.

Very interesting.... Yah, my pelivs and back have rotated as well.. I don't know if the leg is a function of the back/pelvis or the other way around.. I've never had any real pain from any of this but I am only 27.

I will have a professional look at it.. Thanks for the input guys..

-Jeremy

So..

If you have a lift insert in one shoe the dynamic of how that shoe strikes the ground will be very different... The only reason that concerns me is that I have a toe numbness issue in that same foot. I wonder if a lift would cause a change..

-Jeremy