Did you know, about 99% of the population has one leg that is shorter than the other. This doesn’t mean that there is a noticeable discrepancy, however, even being a millimeter off can cause aches and pains in the body. We are formed in the womb in halves, so only a very small percentage of people are perfectly symmetrical.

Our feet are our foundation. Problems with the feet or leg length inequality travels up the body. Leg length difference can cause: ankle pain, knee pain, hip and low back pain, shoulder pain and even headaches (just to name a few!). The body wants to keep the eyes level. So quite frequently, you will see a shoulder height difference, sometimes along with a head tilt. In order for the eyes to stay level, the body will curve (think S curve) back and forth to allow this to happen. If you were to take an x-ray, you will (usually) see a hip height difference and/or scoliosis (to some degree).

Do this test

Find a friend or loved one. Have them face away from you and stand behind them. Do they have one shoulder higher than the other? Typically the answer is yes. If they don’t, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have a leg length difference. It just means the shoulders haven’t been affected yet.

Now, her right shoulder is very mild, but it’s time for an adjustment!

Think about a house that has a low side which makes the foundation un-level. You would put a jack on the side of the house that is low and jack the house up, until the foundation is level. This prevents cracking in the foundation and walls along with keeping all the windows and door openings “square“. If you are standing on two different “sized” legs, everything above will be uneven. Which causes stress in the form of pain.

Correcting the problem can be as easy as putting a heel lift inside your shoe. If you are a case that has a profound leg length inequality you can get your shoe built up at the cobbler. Once the leg lengths have been measured and corrected by a heel lift, you need to correct all the imbalances or curves in the spine. It is important to wear the lift in every shoe. When you don’t, it will put pressure back on the spine, allowing for pain to creep back.

Bilateral Scales

A very fun and powerful tool for our office, is bilateral scales. Pre-adjustment, you can stand on two scales and see which side is holding more weight. Then post-adjustment, reweigh and see the scales balance.

Here I did a test for you. My pre-adjustment weight was 79 pounds left 59 pounds right. (I just had a baby, please don’t add those two numbers together! HA) After a full spine adjustment I re-weighed and was 69 left 69 right. The power of a full spine adjustment is HUGE!

What Shoes Are You Wearing?

Take a look at your shoes. Is one wearing more then the other? Do you have an uneven wear pattern on the bottoms? If so, you have a foot or leg length problem. Getting your feet adjusted, is just as important as checking your leg lengths. Todays’ shoes are made very cheaply. With summer coming, people will throw on flip flops (which are TERRIBLE for your feet!) which have ZERO arch support.

There are 3 arches on your foot. Yes, 3! Medial Longitudinal, Lateral Longitudinal and Anterior Transverse. Most people are only familiar with the Medial Longitudinal arch. When you hear “you have flat feet“, the typical idea is the medial arch has flattened. You should be able to fit your index finger underneath the medial arch.

The foot and ankle contain 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. When the bones in your feet are “stuck” or “don’t move” properly, it can cause tension on the many ligaments and muscles in the foot. Which causes a breakdown in the three arches. Think about if only one foot had a breakdown in the arch. That would cause that side of your body to become “low“. Much like a flat tire, it would put stress on only one side.

Along with feet adjustments, I suggest people really consider getting orthotics for their shoes. I wear flats everyday at the office. Flats are notorious for having zero arch support. Standing for 10 hours a day, my back would kill me if it weren’t for my orthotics.  At our office we actually mold your foot (in foam), send the mold off and get custom orthotics for you. Depending on your lifestyle, there are more active, rigid, casual and dress “style” orthotics. People are familiar with Dr. Scholls “custom” fit orthotics. But they really aren’t “custom“. There are maybe 15 different inserts to chose from, so may sound like a great idea (and sure any support is better than none), but how does everyone fit into 1 of 15 if they are custom? To truly support your feet, you need to get a real custom fit (AKA mold).

Now you see the picture above and wonder, “Why do I need orthotics if the adjustment did so much?” Well, you need to stabilize the adjustment. If I were to weigh again after carrying my baby’s carrier or carrying my toddler (who weighs almost 30 pounds!) I would be off again, if I wasn’t wearing my orthotics. I also have a right leg deficiency. So in my right heel I *should* (we are all human and forget sometimes!) always wear a lift. It would make my adjustment hold, rather than immediately going back to needing adjusted again.

Check the wear on your shoes. Check the bottom of your pants legs. Does one have more wear than the other? Have a friend check if one shoulder is higher than the other. These are all signs of needing a chiropractor, without having pain! Add pain anywhere to the mix and you REALLY need us!

~Dr. Lacey~
Carder Chiropractic Clinic, Inc.
El Reno, OK 73036