A SHORT LEG.
Often when I start talking about having a short leg and the part it plays in chronic pain I get met with raised eyebrows and skepticism but the fact remains, a short leg is a sure sign of muscle imbalances and they are responsible for the majority of cases of back pain and sciatica. Obviously other things come into play as well but the short leg, or the muscle imbalances need to be dealt with to for the pain to go away permanently, especially for the active person.
Most doctors and therapists explain this away with, “everyone has a short leg and it doesn't make any difference” but it does for a large percentage of people, especially when the discrepancy is quite noticeable, the person's body is weak or they have hyper mobile joints. A short leg also adds to the muscle imbalances because it makes your weight distribute unevenly throughout your body every moment you are sitting or standing. Ask any therapist who can fix pain quickly and effectively and they will agree without hesitation, because it is the only approach that works every time for a long time.
Let me try to explain how simply this 'out of balance' state and short leg can come about. At the top of our leg bone, or femur, the neck of the femur sits in a socket that makes up the hip joint. (see diagram 1)
Diagram 1. Diagram 2.
Diagram 1 shows the pelvis with the neck of the Femur sitting in the hip socket the way it should be. Diagram 2 shows what happens when muscles in the hip or back contract or shorten, causing the Femur to be affected, drawing it out and slightly upwards, which causes the leg to shorten a little. The dotted outline on Diagram 2 shows the original position of the Femur. If this femur is correct on one side of the body and out on the other you have a short leg and tilted pelvis.
Being a ball and socket joint it allows for a variety of movements of the leg from the hip, so it relies heavily on the muscles in the lower back, the leg and around the hip and buttocks for support.
The condition of each of these supporting muscles, relative to their ability to contract and lengthen with movement, or their resting length, will determine the angle at which the neck of the femur sits in its socket. (see Diagram. 2)
If problems with any of the relevant muscles on one side of the body cause this neck to draw up or downwards slightly, it will effect the length of that leg in relation to the other side. This causes the pelvis to tilt and other muscles in the body to start compensating........... continues
To download your own FREE copy of ‘The Bad Back Book' along with 2 FREE bonuses ‘How I fix Pain Using Massage and Bodywork', plus access to a 70 minute talk Steve Lockhart did on the subject at a recent workshop, click here.
Next
Chapter: Stress and its role in Back Pain.
Return
to Contents Page