Do you notice that your shoes wear differently on one foot versus the other? Do you find that your knees, hips or back hurt? Well, you may have one leg shorter than the other. This is referred to as “short leg syndrome”.

As many as 70 percent of the people have legs that are slightly different in length. Usually the difference is small and less than a centimeter (0.4 inch). However a study published in 2005 in the journal Chiropractic & Osteopathy suggests that about 20 percent of people may have a leg length difference of one centimeter or more. In 2010 a study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. There were 3,026 participants between the ages of 50 and 79 in the study. The conclusion found that participants with a one centimeter difference in leg length were more likely to develop osteoarthritis of their knee.

The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project published their research in the Journal of Rhuemotology. About 1,500 Johnston County, N.C. residents age 45 and older who were found to have a leg length inequality of two centimeters or more were more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee and possibly the hip.

Having a short leg is like driving a car with two different sized tires on the rear axle. It can cause knee, hips and back pain!

A short leg can be due to a variety of reasons. Dr. Chait will determine if the short leg is structural. If it is, you will likely be fitted with a heel lift to correct the inequality. If the inequality is larger, you may need to increase the size of your heal lift a little at a time to allow your spine to adjust. Dr. Chait will align your spine and posture with spinal adjustments in addition to correcting the difference in your leg length.

Call Chait Chiropractic Center today if you suspect you have a short leg! Sometimes it is difficult to detect on your own. If you suffer from knee, hip or back pain, we can offer you a complimentary consultation to discuss leg length inequality.