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Leg Length Difference

By Anne Asher, About.com

Updated: April 13, 2005

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Definition: Leg length difference means that one leg is shorter than the other.

A leg length difference can be a true difference, which is in the size of the femur bone, or it can be due to imbalanced bony alignment at the hip joint.

Leg length differences cause back pain, sacroiliac joint imbalance and can be related to scoliosis.

Stretching and strengthening the lower body especially can help to counter the effects a leg length difference has on muscles, tendons, fascia, etc.

Often lifts are worn in the shoe of the short leg so that repetitive movements such as walking do not habituate the pain and imbalances caused by the difference in leg lengths.

Also Known As: short leg syndrome, leg length discrepancy

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