Leg length inheritance

Generally speaking, our bodies are actually symmetrical. But some people find that some of their feet are long and some are short, which looks very obvious. In fact, this situation is what we call long and short legs. Why do people have different lengths of legs? Many people would say it is due to genetics. In fact, leg length is not hereditary. If you have different lengths of legs, it can actually be treated.

Is leg length hereditary? There are two types of leg length difference: physical leg length difference and structural leg length difference. The former refers to the actual difference in length of the leg bones on both sides, while the latter refers to the fact that the two legs are the same length but look different because of the misalignment of the hip joint. Most people's leg length differences are caused by hip joint problems, and only growth disorders such as polio will cause a substantial difference. Western medicine generally takes a conservative approach to treating leg length discrepancies, such as adding insoles or custom-made shoes, and generally seeks rehabilitation manual therapy and exercise therapy. In the process of treating leg length discrepancy, the effect will not be obvious in the short term, so you need to be patient.

Leg length detection:

1: Just let the patient sit or lie down, then place both hands on the inside of the ankles of the patient's feet to observe whether the ankle points are symmetrical. If not, there is one leg length difference.

2: Look in front of a mirror when getting dressed. If you find that your trouser waist or belt is uneven, it means your pelvis is displaced.

3: When getting dressed, look in the mirror and if you find that your shoulders are not at the same height, you may have pelvic displacement or uneven legs.

4: If you need to obtain accurate data for reference and analysis, you can do a standing X-ray.

Symptoms that occur every day:

1: The heel wear of patients with different foot lengths can be found to be more severe on one side.

2: Different leg lengths may cause back pain, intolerance to sitting for long periods of time, and inability to walk for long periods of time.

3: Hip joint pain, shift in center of gravity when walking, easy to fall or sprain the ankle.

4: When walking, the body will shake, or one of the legs will feel weak, or you will often fall for no reason.

In physical therapy:

1: Hot compress is used to promote blood circulation and relieve pain, ultrasound and laser reduce inflammation, and electrotherapy is used to relieve pain.

2: Exercise training can improve the uneven strength of the back muscles, lumbar muscles and hip joints.

3: Manual therapy treats excessive muscle tension, misalignment of the spine and pelvis, and other causes of leg length discrepancy.

4: Patients can use insoles or heel pads to maintain the treatment effect.