Is one of your legs longer then the other?

Are you sure your leg length is equal? Most people assume that their legs are symmetrical but it is a known fact that over a half of the population has an actual leg-length difference ranging from as little as a quarter of an inch up to three quarters of an inch. Plato also wrote about this leg difference as long as 2500 years ago, so this has been a known fact for so long!

However we do not notice it at first as we got used to our image in the mirror as being symmetrical and it doesn’t even cross our minds that we might actually have a leg longer then the other. In most cases, this leg length difference leads to back pain and eventually neck pain. However, not all people with leg-length difference will experience back pain.

To determine if one of your legs is longer then another, you need specialized help but if your partner is willing to give you a hand, you might be diagnosed by him/her as well. There are several methods of determining your leg length and I will briefly describe the most accurate, showing the main points.

It is the pelvis obliquity test and for this, you need a partner and a piece of wood around half of inch in thickness or a book that thick will do as well. It is preferable to be naked during this test but if that is not possible, you should wear tight exercise type shorts so that your body shape would be visible.

Ask your partner to stand with weight on both feet equally distributed, both feet pointing straight ahead. You need to observe his body and I will mention the most important leg length difference factors.

The most reliable indicators of leg-length difference in men are the lumbar muscles; in women, you should try to observe if one hip seems fuller or more rounded then the other.

Most people do not notice any difference at first glance and it may seem that nothing stands out. It is now when you need the book or the piece of wood mentioned earlier. If you suspect that one hip is lower then the other, put the book under the longer leg first and once more, ask your partner to stand with weight equally distributed on both feet, while feet point straight ahead. The most common is to see that the book distorts the shape of the spine and the level of the hips much more when it is placed under one foot then the other.

However, the test is more complex and there are several facts to be observed but if indeed a hip is higher then the other what can you do?

The heel insert

Because you have not seen it in the first place, the leg length difference is usually rather small, however, it is often times the very cause of back pain; so once you realize you might experience a similar condition, the most common and at hand solution is the heel insert. To "add a little" to the shorter leg so it would be in perfect balance again.

So insert a piece of rather incompressible material -inside your shoe- equal in thickness with somewhat less then a half of the length difference you have measured. The most likely used material is leather and it has to be three or four inches in length, depending on the size of your feet. The front half inch should be tapered to avoid foot irritation.

Other materials are available as well (closed-cell foam) available from your chiropractor, podiatrists and osteopaths or from the shoemaker in your town.
You should see a difference in a week or two, namely less back pain and a better balance.

If a mistake occurs and your partner diagnoses as longer the shorter leg, the worst that can happen when making the insert on the wrong leg is to have your condition slightly worsened or not affected. If this occurs, simply discard the insert.
Nevertheless, the expected result is to have your condition significantly improved.

It is interesting to test yourself and see if your legs are really equal (as you’ve probably always thought they were), but keep in mind that the causes for leg length differences are multiple so even if you might find a length difference, it might be from another cause, not necessarily that one leg is really longer then another.

In the meantime, may your legs take you to the best places and keep them well trained!