The short and long

Background

John, a builder, visited us complaining of right lower back pains. Apparently, he has been suffering from it for the past couple of years, but never found time to seek treatment. The pain was tended to intensify throughout the day at work, and would worsen towards the end of the day. He described the pain as an aching one, and rated it 7 on a 10-point pain scale at its worse. John worked on uneven grounds on his feet for an average of 12 hours daily, and wore steel-capped boots.

During his time off work, John likes to spend time with his three children and wife. This leaves him little to no time to exercise on a regular basis. He would also be in bed early to have sufficient rest for the next work day.

Assessment

A biomechanical examination revealed generally tight lower limb muscles, and his left leg was longer than his right by approximately 1.2 centimetres. When standi

ng, his left heel would tend to rotate inwards.  When walking, John had to compensate for the leg length discrepancy. Therefore, his hips would assume an unnatural posture when bringing his left foot forward.

Treatment

John was advised to perform general stretching exercises and the appropriate footwear to use. In addition, a heel raise was applied to his right work boot to equalize the length of his legs. Physical therapy and the use of orthotics were discussed as potential long term treatment measures.

Result

After three weeks. John returned for a review and reported great improvement. The pain had subsided and he rated it two out of ten at its highest intensity at work. Due to his hectic working hours, he was unable to perform any stretching exercises, but hoped to be able to do so more regularly.

In Conclusion

Leg length discrepancy, also technically known as anisomelia, can have an impact on the lower limb and walking posture, and cause pain. It is common amongst everyone and our body often does its best to compensate for the leg length difference. For some people, small leg length discrepancies can lead to significant problems which results in pain. Hence, it is best to consult a podiatrist for an assessment to determine whether your leg length difference is contributing to your lower back, hip, knee or foot pain.