one leg longer than the other one?

Question

I broke my leg in a car accident when i was 7 yrs old and had to have surgery which resulted in my broken leg being longer than my other leg. I am 18 now and although i wear a pad in my shoe so that it evens out i still would like to kno if there is a way that i can lengthen the shorter leg so that it evens out more...cuz i dont want to be experiencing back pains and bone problems when i get older....is it true that pilates can help? what excersises can i do to help?

i dont want to have any more surgery done as i kno that it can be too risky...

Answer 1

I genetically have one leg (the left one) that is about 3/4" shorter than the other. I don't know how much shorter yours is, but I can tell you that you are correct in thinking that the difference can cause some damage as time goes on.

In my case, I have three generations of effects and stages as an example, and via x-rays have seen the effects myself, and gotten treatment. Observations and comments:
- At the age of 72, my grandmother has severe arthritis and joint pain in her left knee, ankle, hip, and lower back. It is difficult for her to walk more than a few dozen feet at a time.
- My mother has developed plantar fascitius, and lower back pin.

My experiences?: after experiencing significant back discomfort, including having my back pop and crack just by sitting up straight, I went to a chiroprator, who specialized in "structural" work, with the following diagnoses and results:

X-rays showed that the height difference in my legs caused the hip over the shorter leg to drop lower and twist forward. At age 34, the cartilege in the left side of the pelvic plate in my hip had been compressed nearly away, and she warned that the later stages would include bone fusion. Also, because of the twisting in the hip, my lower back had been pulled into a shallow "S" shape, bending out towards the shorter side, then curving back up on the other side higher up in compensation. The distention in the spine was more than an inch away from center on each side. It had also started the growth of bone spurs along the edges of the lower vertabrae where the edges were being compressed. My point: your back is your main concern -- the hip and knee are secondary.
(Also, knowing how the difference affects your back explains why just the difference between standing and sitting stresses your back -- when you sit, you pelvic bone is forced level, which strains the curvature that's developed in your spine -- so sitting can actually hurt more than standing!)

The treatment?: two to three times a week, then later 1-2 times per week, I went in to have electrified patches applied on my back at the curve points along the "S" in the spine. Mild electric current applied through the patches for 15 minutes at a time caused the bask muscles at those points to flex gently, which, over time, pulled the spinal column slowly back into a straight line, and strengthened those muscles to keep the back straight.

I witnessed this work not only in restuling x-rays, but after about 2 months, I could distinctly feel the difference in the swing of my leg when I walked -- like I had added an inch to my longer leg.
The next step? Adjusting the rise in your shoes/inserts as the spinal curvature is corrected, and maintaining back exercise to keep the muscles that control your back strong.

Doing this takes the stress of the imbalance off your shorter leg, and will go far to help preventing the deterioration of the cartilage and joints in your leg.

Again, not knowing what difference you're dealing with, I can't say for sure how applicable the above would be in your case -- but I can tell you, I shared that same concerns about surgery as you do, and the above worked for me!

- "Lefty"

Answer 2

I am 26 and did not know that I had one leg shorter than the other until I was 18 but I never did anything about it. I also have hyper lordosis in my back. I have been experiencing a lot of pain in my back. It hurts to walk. With out insurance I have not done much to take care of it. I have been doing Pilates off and on for a year. Pilates has brought me a ways from where I use to be but it only helps when I stick to it and go every week. Try whatever works best for you. My advice is to not wait until you are older because it will only get worse.

Answer 3

Maybe you could consult with a physical therapist to see if there are stretching exercises that can equalize the length of your shorter leg to the other one. Other than that, I don't know of any thing other than surgery, which as you acknowledge, could be risky. Meanwhile, wearing the padded shoe which can be disguised by trousers, can give the illusion of having legs of equal length. If you're a female, pants are always in style, so who would know about your unequal leg length, other than your immediate family and closest friends? The padded shoe will also minimize any back trouble that could result from having one leg longer or shorter than the other. Believe it or not, there are many people that have this problem. There are also some who have feet of different sizes and have to buy two pair of the same style shoes in order to accommodate both foot sizes. You have a slight disability, but it is not as severe as some others I've known about, and you have the ability to disguise it. So concentrate on the more positive things about yourself, and no one will even give a thought about your uneven leg length. Good luck, and God bless!

Answer 4

My right leg is 3/4 inch shorter than my left leg due to traumatic ankle injury in the Army and 6 surgical procedures including ankle fusion. I now have significant left hp pain as well as sciattica and overall lower pack pain. Can these be related, the hip and back becuase of the ankle?

Answer 5

call up a doc and ask him