Why do people with leg length discrepancies have pain?
/Leg length discrepancies, though quite common, can cause pain.
The National Institutes of Health report that about 90% of the population have a small discrepancy of less than 1 cm. Often, these mild cases do not cause pain or interfere with life. However, even minor differences between legs can cause pain.
There are several reasons why people with leg length discrepancies might experience pain:
Muscle imbalances: When one leg is shorter than the other, the muscles on either side will act differently. Often the shorter leg will be stronger because it bears more weight. Tightness or fatigue in the muscles resulting from compensation (on either side) can cause pain and discomfort.
Joint and bone stress: A leg length discrepancy can also put extra stress on the joints (hips, knees, ankles) and bones (spine, hips, legs, ankles, and feet). This can lead to inflammation and pain over time.
Poor alignment: A leg length discrepancy can also cause the spine and pelvis to become misaligned. This can lead to pain in the back, shoulders, and neck.
Degenerative joint disease: People with leg length discrepancies are at increased risk of developing degenerative joint disease, such as osteoarthritis. This is because the extra stress on and angles of the joints and bones can cause them to wear down over time.
People with leg length discrepancies should strengthen the muscles of their legs, hips, back, and core to help stabilize their pelvis and improve alignment, overall balance, and coordination. This can help reduce their risk of pain and injury, and improve their overall quality of life. In addition to strengthening, those with leg length discrepancies should work on range of motion exercises to reduce stiffness, which can also cause pain.
Here are some specific examples of how strengthening and range of motion exercises can benefit people with leg length discrepancies:
Reduced pain and inflammation in the hip joints, lower back, and knees
Improved range of motion and flexibility
Improved gait and balance
Reduced risk of falls and injuries
Improved athletic performance
If you have a leg length discrepancy, it is important to talk to your doctor or a physical therapist to develop a personalized exercise program to help strengthen and stretch the affected regions.
I use yoga to help manage my leg length discrepancy pain and here are some links to poses I do regularly with adaptations for each side.
Other posts in the Yoga Poses for Leg Length Discrepancy Series:
Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)
Staff Pose (Dandasana)
Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
Wide-Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Yogic Squat (Malasana)
And sign up to get my Best Yoga Pose for Leg Length Discrepancies guide