Home > Foot Problems > Leg Length
| * Explanation | * Symptoms | * Duration | * Prevention |
| * Treatment | * Call a Professional | * Prognosis |
Unequal leg length can be the cause of a variety of problems that result in pain in the foot, ankle, knees, hips or back. The problem can be congenital, that is, you are born with one leg a different length to the other. In fact most people have a slight difference in leg length with no problems. It is only as we age or our body changes that such a difference can bring on pain. Obesity can aggravate a benign leg length discrepancy. Another common cause of different leg lengths is as a result of an injury or illness that requires surgery.
Unequal leg length can be the cause of pain localised to one area, such as the hip or knee, or can also be generalised over a large section of the body. A sufferer can swing their hip or knee in an unusual manner, walk with a tilted body or head and neck, or roll one foot out of alignment. The condition is identified by height measurements taken at the shoulders and hips when standing, or by leg length measurements taken when lying flat on the back.
The condition is of course permanent, unless modified by surgery. Such an action would only be a last resort if other treatments were unsuccesful.
Unequal leg length is not in any way preventable.
Your podiatrist can treat the symptoms of unequal leg length in a variety of ways. The most common treatment involves either a shoe build up, or an insert inside your shoes. Such devices must be custom made to your exact requirements to provide the greatest benfit. In severe cases, eg resulting from an injury, surgery may be an option, depending on the advice of an orthopaedic surgeon.
If you are experiencing pain in the back, hips, knees, ankles or feet, it can be a result of unequal leg length, as well as a variety of other related conditions. Consult your doctor and follow their advice.
Treatment is usually very succesful in relieving any pain resulting from the condition. As with any physical condition of the body, physical solutions