Is your short leg a problem?

Did you know that a study in the science direct journal showed that as many as 70% of people have a short leg? Kind of a mind-blowing stat! Which in turn means that roughly the same amount of people will have uneven hips! Odds are that if you are reading this blog, you may have one leg shorter than the other. Next question sure to come to mind “Is this a problem?” Well let’s lay out the different types of short legs you can have and whether that means you are doomed to suffer from aches and pains for the rest of your life.

A Structural short leg is due to the bones in your leg being uneven lengths. This is typically due to your femur or tibia being longer on one side versus the other. What people don’t commonly know is that this is how bones naturally grow. When we are growing rarely do both sides lengthen at the same rate. Usually, one leg will hit a growth spurt that place additional stress on the opposite leg. Once that stress is added it will encourage the short leg to grow. Rinse repeat this process through your teens and you eventually reach the height you are today. This has a fun name in anatomy known as Wolff’s law, so if you want some exciting late-night reads make sure to give that a gander.

So, what is a functional short leg? Functional short legs are when your legs are similar lengths, but due to scoliosis or joint dysfunction the legs aren’t even. This can easily be tested by having someone watch your leg lengths, while you lay on your back and transition from back lying to sitting up straight. It is key however that you keep your legs straight when shifting through these positions. If your leg length shifts that is indicative of a functional short leg, which means that it is likely your uneven leg length is dependent on a joint dysfunction somewhere up your kinetic chair. The question becomes is that joint dysfunction in your hips, low back, sacroiliac joints, knees, ankles or feet?

The final question to ask is how important leg length is in the grand scheme of things. Studies show that people with structural short legs tends to place on average 1.23% more peak pressure on their short leg and 5.89% less pressure on their long leg. You may notice a discrepancy in math between the two percentages above and wonder where the other 4.7% of pressure is. There is also a stance time difference between the two legs of 3.51%, which means the long leg spends more time on the ground vs. the short leg. This means that the long leg spends more time on the ground applying pressure, so it won’t require the same peak pressure.

So, are these pressure discrepancies an issue? Currently research is undecided on how much of an impact these imbalances have on joint health throughout the body, so know that this next portion is merely my professional opinion that I reached through deductive reasoning. That being said it would make sense that with these pressure inequalities we would have increased wear and tear on certain joints when a structural short leg exists. Think of it as having less air in one tire of your car, which leads to increase wearing of the tread. It would stand to reason that the same thing would occur through the joints of our body.

Does that mean you are doomed? Again, research is still out on how much of an effect this has, but it is my professional opinion that there are steps we can take to mitigate any accelerated degenerative process. Similar to bone density there are treatment options to consider. First thing we should consider is buying quality shoe inserts that account for your leg discrepancies. One company I typically recommend is Foot Levelers. Second thing you can do is find a good personal trainer that is familiar with leg discrepancies and how to train with them in mind. You are probably thinking “wouldn’t training on my short leg add more stress to my joints. Yes, it will, but there are actions that can be taken to ensure we mitigate the excess stress while keeping you in optimal health. Plus, it has been shown that staying physically active benefits your joints as it helps bring new minerals and nutrients to the joints. Last thing I would recommend is making sure no joint dysfunction is occurring through your SI joints, Knees, Feet and low back that exacerbate the stress that is being placed on your body. Joint Dysfunction is when the joint in question locks in a position that hinders full range of motion from being utilized. This places excess stress on other joints that attempt to make up the difference and can cause a functional short leg. So, find a knowledgeable chiropractor that can help ensure you don’t have this issue.