If a teenager has one leg shorter than the other. One leg is shorter than the other in an adult: how to determine and what to do? Diagnosis of different leg lengths

When one leg is shorter than the other, doctors call this phenomenon a syndrome. short leg. The consequences of such a pathology can be very serious if you do not pay attention to it. At the same time, they speak of a violation only when the difference in length is more than ½ cm. The most common cause of such an anomaly is the skew of the pelvis.

Many studies have been carried out in this area and the latest of them have confirmed that even a difference of 3-4 mm provokes a curvature of the spinal column, a violation of the position of the pelvis and abnormal growth. If treatment is not started in time, the pathology will progress, disrupting the functions of the spine with all the ensuing consequences.

Causes and consequences if one leg is shorter than the other in an adult

This syndrome leads to an uneven load on the intervertebral discs.

In the future, this will provoke twisting of the pelvis, scoliosis, turn of the 5th lumbar vertebra, blocking of the joint of the sacroiliac zone from the side opposite to the shortened limb.

The main reasons are the displacement or distortion of the pelvis from its natural position, resulting in dysfunctional changes in the spine. This means that the axis of load distribution will change during movement, respectively, there will be pain in the back, neck, lower back;
Such metamorphoses lead to a violation of biomechanics, disc herniation, degenerative changes in the vertebrae, osteochondrosis, scoliosis, sciatica, spinal canal stenosis occur. The skew of the pelvis provokes pain in the neck, radiating to the shoulders, arms, resulting in problems with the upper limbs;
Osteochondrosis is a disease characterized by dysfunction of the vertebrae, ligaments, joints, intervertebral discs. Pathology develops under the influence of a number of factors and over a long period. The risk increases with a history of spinal injuries, posture disorders, hypothermia;
Lumbago is a syndrome of vertebrogenic etiology. It is characterized by changes in the lumbar region: pain, deformation of this spine, excessive muscle tension. The people call lumbago lumbago because of shooting pains that do not allow straightening and the patient is forced to stay in a bent position.

The difference between leg length can be moderate to severe. In the latter case, the functionality of the body is significantly impaired. With moderate deviations, unsteadiness is observed when walking, periodic falls. One thigh is always higher than the other. Almost always, this phenomenon is accompanied by pain, which can be localized in the thigh, groin, sacroiliac joints, shoulder, neck, lower back, give to the leg.

With a prolonged pelvic tilt, the body itself will begin to correct the biomechanics and asymmetry. This will lead to adaptation of the tendons, ligaments and muscular apparatus. Therefore, therapy can be delayed for quite a long time. In addition, the displacement of the pelvis is very difficult to correct, because a pathological stereotype of movements is formed. The longer the pathology is present, the more difficult it is to get rid of it.

Diagnosis of different leg lengths

Usually detection of anomaly does not cause difficulties. For example, you can pay attention to the length of the trouser leg when a person is standing: when one is longer than the other, or when the heel steps on one of them when walking, then there is a high probability of having a disease. If such a condition is detected in children, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor, since in the future the posture will be disturbed, pain will occur, which, as we have already noted, can spread to other parts of the body.

The doctor may notice changes during a routine physical examination. If necessary, a diagnosis of the condition of the hip joints and spine is carried out, an MRI or CT scan can be prescribed.

What to do if an adult has one leg significantly shorter than the other

Quite often, the treatment has only a temporary result, because it is symptomatic. Standard orthopedic therapy is not able to relieve tension in the iliopsoas muscles. The pelvis will remain twisted, the joint - blocked, and the leg - short.

The only way out of the situation is manual therapy and similar techniques. Specialists in this field act purposefully, gently, dosed, make efforts to relax tense muscles.

In addition, it is necessary to perform various exercises, be constantly physically active, keep in good shape, walk with a straight back. Well-developed musculature will support the bones of the skeleton. Muscle imbalances can be corrected by regularly tensing all muscle groups during exercise. In the complex of treatment and for the purposes of prevention, swimming, equestrian sports, and classes on special simulators are recommended.

Consequences of shortening one leg

People over the age of 50 are at risk. This is due to the natural aging of the body, the destruction of bone tissue, as well as an unhealthy lifestyle and increased stress on musculoskeletal system. Therefore, in older people, deformation of the intervertebral discs often occurs.

As a result of the shortening of one limb and the pelvic tilt, there is a strong wear of the intervertebral discs, poor posture is aggravated, and an imbalance of the right and left parts of the body occurs. In particular, the lumbar (square) muscle suffers from pathological changes. Also, the pain syndrome affects the clavicular, pectoral, scalene muscles. This, in turn, leads to compression of the intervertebral nerves. Poor posture in a person is accompanied by a limp, jumping or uneven gait, deformity of the feet.

Seeing a doctor when one leg is shorter than the other

Adults should pay attention to pain, especially in the spine and feet, control the gait. How long it is necessary to compensate for the length is determined by the traumatologist or orthopedist. Shortening can be relative or absolute. To determine its type, an x-ray of the pelvis and spine is needed. The diagnostic procedure is done in a standing position. The picture will allow the doctor to determine the difference between the length lower extremities, analyze the height of the heads of the pelvic joint.

With absolute shortening, full compensation is necessary, and with relative shortening, partial compensation, up to ½ or 1/3 of the length.

Treatment when one leg is shorter than the other

First of all, you will need orthopedic insoles, which are called compensatory ones. They are selected individually and relatively quickly produced.

Such products perform the following functions:

help to stabilize the position of the spinal column and feet;
slow down the progression of scoliosis and flat feet;
unload the areas of the spine that are subjected to excessive stress, allow them to recover.

With a significant difference in the length of the legs, not only compensatory insoles are used, but also arch supports. This will correct your posture, unload the spine and feet.

Every third Russian has one leg shorter than the other

I take off my shoes and socks and climb barefoot onto a strange contraption with a glass top. The doctor carefully examines my feet, measures the pelvic bones with a special level (by the way, similar to the one used in construction). - So I thought: one leg is shorter than the other by almost a centimeter, - the doctor states calmly. - Don't worry. Beckham has the same thing, and this did not stop him from becoming a famous football player. But if you continue to walk like this, by the age of 40 you will have serious problems ...

Time of the rickety

While I’m putting on my shoes, Ilya Zhivulin, the capital’s orthopedic traumatologist of the highest category, says that today 35% of Russians have legs different lengths. Interestingly, in the days of our great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers, there were also a lot of rickety-legged ones? What if people have legs of different lengths due to poor ecology, stress, and malnutrition?

It’s impossible to say for sure, - Zhivulin sighs. - No one has ever conducted any special studies on this matter. But perhaps you are right: before, the legs of the vast majority of people were the same.

It turns out that if one leg is shorter than the other by 5 mm or less, such a difference will not seriously affect health and well-being. But if more ... This can eventually cause pain in the lower back, back, disruption of the internal organs.

The thing is that with a big difference, there is an uneven load on the pelvic and femoral bones, on the entire spine, the doctor continues. - Internal organs are displaced, their blood supply and innervation are disturbed. In the end, this leads to colitis, diseases of the biliary tract and urogenital area, scoliosis, coxarthrosis (arthrosis of the hip joints).

Ilya Viktorovich shows me X-rays of the spine of a 15-year-old boy from Orekhovo-Zuev. And for comparison - a 70-year-old man. No difference. The vertebrae of a teenager are affected exactly like those of an old man. But if the latter has age-related changes, then the former has them due to the fact that one leg is shorter than the other by almost 2.5 cm. This is congenital in the boy. However, often the limb is shortened after a fracture, dislocation. In one Muscovite, the difference between the length of the legs became 10 (!) cm after she underwent several unsuccessful operations on her knee (she injured him while playing basketball).

Checking if your legs are the same length is actually quite simple. You need to look at the clothes you are wearing. If one trouser leg or the edge of the skirt is shorter, one can speak with absolute certainty about the pathology. You can guess a big difference in length by looking at the shoes. If the sole is uneven and worn either inward or outward - it's time to go to the doctor.

Rescue insole

Sometimes different leg lengths happen in babies when one part of the body develops faster than the other. And over time, everything is restored by itself. If the correction does not occur on its own, it is easy to even out the length of the legs in children even with the help of special exercises, which increase the load on the short limb. The fact is that the child has a so-called bone growth zone, thanks to which it is possible, as it were, to “build up” the leg. Shock wave therapy can also help. During it, emitters are installed on the skin lubricated with gel (as with ultrasound) and a special apparatus begins to send wave impulses. They say that the patient does not experience any unpleasant, and even more painful sensations. The essence of the operation of the device is that a shock wave of a certain frequency affects the tissue, increases microcirculation tenfold. And the leg begins to grow actively.

However, in those over 20 years old, the leg is unlikely to increase. But shock wave therapy will help them “wash out” salt from ligaments or tendons. As a result, the leg will get rid of the “ballast” - it will become younger and will be able to carry the necessary loads without the risk of being injured. But all the same, such people will have to resort either to a painful surgical operation (it is worth doing only as a last resort), or to the help of an orthopedic insole, which is placed in shoes to compensate for the shortening. Doctors do not recommend choosing an insole by yourself. What if you choose the wrong thickness, size or quality? In this case, you injure the spine even more.

Ilya Viktorovich gives me an insole and offers to walk around with it for at least a few minutes. Surprisingly, I immediately felt somehow better. I remove the insole - the load on the spine increases, and I feel how hard it is for him to “carry” me. But I don’t really want to put an insole in my shoes all the time. Moreover, in sandals, it will clearly be noticeable.

Nothing of the sort,” Zhivulin reassures. - Now our orthopedic enterprises produce insoles for any type of footwear. They are made in a special way to be invisible even at close range. And if a person makes it a habit to constantly walk with an insole, after a couple of months his spine will begin to straighten. In addition, most chronic diseases will recede. I watched a lot of people who started wearing insoles - they even began to catch a cold less often.

swim breaststroke

If you have legs of different lengths, then it is especially important to follow some rules.

The main one is sleeping on a hard bunk. If the bed sags, put plywood between the mattress and the base. You need to be able to stand up correctly: turn on your side, raise your knees up and lower your legs over the edge of the bed to the floor, now get up, but only with a straight back, do not lean forward.

Sit as little as possible and for a short time. Preferably - on a solid high chair with a straight back. It is harmful to sit on a small soft couch with a deep seat, because then your body assumes the wrong position: the hips are below the knees and the back is round. When working at a computer, the elbows should not be in weight. In addition, if the work is sedentary, you need to walk around every 30-45 minutes, stretch, do industrial gymnastics, make the muscles work (contracts-relaxes). Stand with a straight back without leaning forward. In general, avoid leaning forward. When you, for example, mop the floor, vacuum or work in the garden, it is better to get on your knees - this way you will keep your back in a straight position.

Don't lift weights. If this is not possible, then at least do not lift uncomfortable objects and heavier than 10 kg. And as you lift, keep your back upright, not leaning over.

Don't make sudden movements.

Swim more. And better breaststroke. It is this style that helps the spine to be in the correct position.

Once a day, hang on a horizontal bar or wall bar for at least a minute.

Short leg syndrome is an anatomical pathology in which one leg is shorter than the other. Some experts do not consider a difference between the lower limbs of a few millimeters to be a problem, others note that such a deviation leads to a curvature of the spine and a violation of the position of the hip joints. Recent studies on this topic have shown that a difference in the length of the legs, even 3-4 mm, can lead to deformation and anomalies in the development of the bone skeleton, when it comes to a child.

Causes

Short leg syndrome is most often a congenital pathology diagnosed in a child whose one limb is 0.5 cm or more longer than the other. In this case, the nature of the syndrome is determined - true or false. The first refers to the asymmetry of the legs, due to the different lengths of the bones. The disease develops in a child while still in the womb and is distinguishable on an ultrasound image (ultrasound) in late pregnancy.

False syndrome occurs after birth and is the result of dysplasia hip joint. This severe disorder is the displacement of the femoral head from the acetabulum (subluxation) or its complete exit from it (luxation). The first case is not as pronounced as the second. When the head leaves the articular fossa, the resulting cavity begins to overgrow with connective and adipose tissue, which makes it impossible for the bone to return to its original place in a natural way.

The reason for the shortening of the leg is often the hypertonicity of the muscles of the newborn, which occurs as a result of a malfunction in the part of the brain responsible for nervous regulation. Excessive stress is often asymmetrical and leads to subluxation, which, under pressure, develops into full-fledged hip dysplasia. In this case, the child needs to be examined by a neurologist.

In adults, short leg syndrome appears as a result of injuries and fractures of the lower extremities and the hip joint, surgery, an inflammatory disease with damage to bone tissues (tuberculosis, syphilis), the development of a benign or malignant neoplasm of the musculoskeletal system.

Pathology can occur due to osteochondrosis, which is characterized by damage to the joints, ligaments and intervertebral discs, which leads to a violation of their functions and a shift in the axis of distribution of the load on the legs. A similar situation occurs with the development of a disease such as lumbago, which affects the lumbosacral spine and does not allow a person to move normally. Even scoliosis - the most common pathology of the musculoskeletal system - depending on the degree of curvature, affects the correct distribution of the load on the lower limbs.

Treatment of the syndrome in children

The method of treating a disease in children depends on the cause that caused it. If the appearance of asymmetry of the lower extremities in a child is due to hip dysplasia, a number of diagnostic measures are taken to assess the severity of the pathology. It is possible to accurately determine the pathology only when the patient reaches 3 months of age, after which it is allowed to do x-rays. Before this period, a wide swaddling of the child is recommended with the implementation of simple exercise on the baby's feet to avoid the development of the disease. Treatment is prescribed only after the diagnosis is confirmed by an x-ray.

Hip subluxation responds well to conservative therapy using orthopedic devices. They will help the child keep the legs in the correct position to avoid further movement. Orthopedic tires and stirrups are used that support the baby during movement, massage, physiotherapy and a course of therapeutic exercises. The main part of the exercises is carried out by a children's orthopedist, simple daily exercises are recommended for parents with subsequent supervision by a doctor.

The development of a severe form of dysplasia (with the complete exit of the femoral head from the acetabulum and the formation of connective and fatty tissues on it) requires surgical intervention. Surgical removal of the build-up and reposition (return to place) is contraindicated for children under one year old. Therefore, for infants, methods of conservative displacement of the joint are used by stretching the deformed limb with the help of special devices. Additionally, physiotherapy, massage and physiotherapy exercises are prescribed.

Therapy in adolescents and adults

Adults, as well as adolescents, after passing through the main stages of growth of the bone skeleton, are prescribed the same treatment. It is believed that the difference in length between the limbs is less than 1.5 cm and does not need to be corrected. Skewness exceeding this value requires surgical intervention. Means of conservative treatment for adult patients can be used as elements of postoperative rehabilitation, since they are ineffective as the main method of therapy.

Surgical intervention involves the removal of growths of connective and adipose tissue from the acetabulum and the installation of the Ilizarov apparatus on the deformed limb. After the operation, the patient is prescribed a course of massage, physiotherapy (magneto-, paraffin therapy, UHF - ultra-high-frequency therapy) and physiotherapy. The wearing of orthopedic compensatory insoles is shown, which will help not to load the sore leg, stabilize the axis of load distribution and speed up rehabilitation.

After discharge from the hospital, the patient should:

close all slippery surfaces in the house with carpets, and use special anti-slip silicone stickers in the bathroom;
move apart furniture that narrows or blocks the passage;
do not raise your knees above 90 degrees;
do not twist your feet when walking;
do not lie down on the operated leg and side;
before going to bed, put a soft pillow between the limbs.

Physiotherapy

A set of exercises of physiotherapy exercises (LFK) necessary to maintain normal muscle tone, prevent blood clots, strengthen and restore ligaments and tendons. The workouts are as follows:

Lying on your back, you need to raise the sore leg and perform circular motions foot to one side and the other.
In the same position, the operated limb should be raised and supination (outward movement) and pronation (inside) of the foot should be performed.
Lying on your back, you need to tear your leg off the floor and slowly bend it at the knee, and then perform the opposite action.
Being on the floor, you need to bend the diseased limb at the knee and gently tilt it in and out.
Lying on your stomach, you should straighten your legs, and put your socks vertically on the floor, then slowly raise the pelvis, straining the muscles of the back and buttocks.
Standing on the floor and holding on to the support, it is necessary to smoothly move the straightened diseased limb to the side and back.

Conclusion

Short leg syndrome is a complex pathology of the musculoskeletal system, which most often requires surgical intervention and involves a long postoperative period. The main cause of the development of the syndrome is hip dysplasia, which may be congenital or acquired.

If the pathology was the result of infectious inflammatory diseases inflammatory, treatment should first of all be aimed at eliminating the cause.

What to do if one leg is shorter than the other

In medicine, a condition in which one leg shorter than the other got the name short leg syndrome. The main danger of such an ailment is that doctors do not have a proper idea about it. In addition, a deviation of 5-6 millimeters is considered a relative norm. However, often the reason that one leg is shorter than the other is the misalignment of the pelvis.

The clinic of Dr. Ignatiev has a number of specialists on staff who have made sure in their own practice that a difference in the legs of only 3-4 millimeters contributes to the curvature of the spine, disorders in the position of the pelvis, and abnormal growth. If you do not diagnose the difference in leg length in a timely manner, do not start treating it, then the disease will progress, which will aggravate subsequent dysfunctions of the spine.

The mechanism of formation of various pathologies

This disease leads to a load on the intervertebral discs, which is not distributed evenly. This will then cause:

twisting of the pelvis;
scoliotic curvature of the spine;
reversal of the 5th lumbar vertebra;
blockage of the sacroiliac joint on the side opposite the short leg.

Causes

The main reason is the distortion or displacement of the pelvis from natural positions, which leads to dysfunctional pathologies in the spine. As a result, the changes will affect the axis of load distribution during movement. Therefore, often displacement, distortions in the position of the pelvis are accompanied by back pain. neck.

Changes in positions change biomechanics, which will lead to disc herniation, degenerative changes in the vertebrae, osteoarthritis, scoliosis, sciatica, spinal canal stenosis. In addition, the pelvic tilt gradually causes such consequences as pain manifestations in the neck, extending to the arms, shoulders, and problems in the limbs. In childhood, parents could be diagnosed with hip dysplasia or other joint diseases.

Osteochondrosis- an ailment of the spine, in which the vertebral bodies, ligaments and joints, intervertebral discs begin to lose their ability to function normally. The main cause of osteochondrosis is the influence of a combination of factors that affect the spine over a long period of life. The risk of developing osteochondrosis is additionally created by injuries of the spinal column, various postural disorders. Some patients associate the onset of the disease with hypothermia.

Lumbago is a syndrome of vertebrogenic nature. It is manifested by various changes in the lumbar region. Severe acute pains can develop, the lumbar spine is deformed with muscle tension and tissue soreness. If to speak plain language, then lumbago is called "lumbago back." Then a person after the appearance of shooting pain in the area lumbar cannot unbend on its own, forced to take a bent position.

Symptoms of limb shortening

Symptoms with uneven leg length can be moderate or severe. The latter contributes to a significant violation of the functional capabilities of the body. During moderate manifestations, a person feels unsteadiness while walking, frequent falls are not excluded. One thigh becomes higher than the other.

The most common symptoms are pain:

in the thigh, in the groin, sacroiliac joints;
in the shoulder, neck area;
in the lower back, gives to the leg;
at the ankle, knee.

If pelvic displacement is observed for a long time, then the body itself will compensate, correct the violation of asymmetry, biomechanics. As a result, adaptation of ligaments, tendons, muscles will occur. Therefore, treatment may be delayed for a certain period of time. In addition, the pelvic tilt is the hardest to correct, since a pathological stereotype of movements is being formed. The longer the pelvic tilt is present, the longer it will take to restore muscle balance.

Diagnostics of the lower extremities

As a rule, it is quite easy to understand if the leg is shortened. Pay attention to the length of the leg in a standing position. If one seems longer than the other, or the heel constantly steps on the leg when walking, then it is most likely a short leg syndrome. This pathology contributes, first of all, to the disruption of the formation process in children correct posture. In addition, if a child has short leg syndrome, a pain symptom develops in the lumbar region. Pain can spread along the leg right up to the knee joint, reaching the surface of the thigh.

Different leg lengths are well diagnosed during the physical examination. In case of an urgent need to diagnose various changes in the hip joints, the spine, instrumental examination methods, such as MRI or radiography, may be prescribed.

Leg shortening treatment

If you turn to a regular hospital with such complaints, then most likely the prescribed treatment will be ineffective and will not lead to a full cure, it will give only a symptomatic temporary result. The techniques used in orthopedic standard therapy are not able to relieve tension in the muscles of the iliopsoas. All the same, the leg will remain short, the joint - blocked, and the pelvis - twisted.

In such a situation, the clinic of Dr. Ignatiev will provide the best specialists in the field of manual therapy. They are trained in targeted, soft, dosed techniques aimed at relaxing the muscles of the ilio-lumbar region. The author's methods of Dr. Ignatiev give excellent results.

Prevention

Regular exercise, an active lifestyle, the formation of physical fitness. Developed muscles is the key to supporting all the bones in the human skeleton. Muscle imbalance can be avoided by regular, even work of all muscle groups.

For the prevention of pelvic tilt, the relief of existing symptoms, it is recommended to swim, exercise on special simulators under the supervision of a competent specialist, and equestrian sports. All these types of sports will eliminate excessive stress on the spine, pelvis, and prevent certain ailments of the spine.

Children with different leg lengths are risk groups

According to numerous studies, those children in whom the height of the longitudinal arch of the foot is asymmetric, in 15-20% is combined with scoliosis. different types. Girls are more susceptible to these conditions - they are more likely than boys to suffer from violations of posture and flat feet. This is due to the more sedentary lifestyle of girls.

The most dangerous lifestyle for scoliosis diseases - from 10 to 14 years - adolescence. At this time, the child's skeleton is not yet formed, but the load on it increases. The child often sits bent over at the desk during lessons, and then at home when doing homework. It is at this age that a boy or girl of 7-9 years old develops scoliosis - statistics have registered up to 30% of such children.

Children aged 10 to 14 suffer from the initial stages of scoliosis in 40% of cases, and at the age of 15-17 this figure is also very high - it is almost 35%. The sooner doctors diagnose scoliosis in a child, the sooner it can be treated. And there are still good chances to correct spinal curvatures and related foot deformities.

And one more thing: the earlier scoliosis is detected in a child, the earlier you can work with a shortened leg, compensating for this shortcoming with the help of orthopedic shoes. Parents should know: the earlier scoliosis is diagnosed in children at the age of 8 to 10 years, the earlier deviations in posture and arch of the foot can be removed, because the course of scoliosis, according to statistics, worsens significantly in the next 2-4 years, up to 12 years.

The fact that posture worsens at this age is simply explained: at this time, the child grows intensively, and this growth does not go on evenly, in nets. The progression of this dangerous disease and deformities of the foot usually slows down, and sometimes ends by the age of 14.

Adults with different leg lengths are risk groups

The most large group adults, who especially suffer from scoliosis and related deformities of the foot, are people over 50 years old. At this time, bone tissue ages and breaks down, especially with an unhealthy lifestyle associated with smoking and poor nutrition, as well as increased stress on the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, in people over 50, a change in the length of the intervertebral disc is often observed - it is deformed.

The pelvic bones are twisted due to the fact that one limb (leg) becomes shorter than the other. Therefore, the disk between the vertebrae wears out, does not serve well, this aggravates bad posture, leads to an imbalance in the left and right parts of the body. Particularly affected is the lumbar muscle, which is called square muscle, it is located at the bottom of the back). This chain also includes the pectoral, clavicular, and scalene muscles, so the intervertebral nerves are compressed, many parts of the body hurt, in particular, the spine, and the person continues to stoop even more. Poor posture in people over 50 is accompanied by an uneven, jumping or limping gait, foot deformity.

Consequences of different leg lengths

In a child (especially a small one), the height of the longitudinal arches of the foot is asymmetric, which ultimately leads to scoliosis of the spine. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine in one direction. Unlike the usual violation of children's posture (the child does not stand or sit hunched over correctly, his muscle tone is disturbed), scoliosis destroys the structure of muscles, bones, ligaments and cartilage that have not yet fully formed in the child. Therefore, scoliosis leads to an incorrect distribution of the load and an incorrect distribution of fulcrum, and the child develops foot deformity, in particular, flat feet.

Scoliosis can be dysplastic (a metabolic disorder in the vertebral tissues by the type of twisting) and static. All this together causes a jumping gait due to the different lengths of the child's legs. As for adults, their different leg lengths can lead to gross violations of the skeletal structure. From this, muscles, ligaments, cartilages develop incorrectly, vertebral discs fall out, and a hernia of the vertebral discs occurs. Therefore, people with such deviations often have back or stomach pain. These pains are long and painful.

When should you go to the doctor?

It is very difficult to understand whether the length of the child's legs is different or the same. Therefore, at the slightest suspicion of poor posture in a child, it is imperative to visit an orthopedist or traumatologist for consultation and treatment. Very often, physical therapy and dancing, as well as swimming, can help with the initial signs of scoliosis and foot deformities. In order not to miss the initial, subtle signs of deformities of the spine and foot, you need to go to the doctor once a year for a preventive examination.

As for adults, they need to track their pain sensations. Especially in the area of the spine and feet. And also to control the gait. If friends tell you or you yourself feel that your gait has become uneven, jumping or limping, see a doctor for examination and treatment.

How much you need to compensate for the missing leg length is determined by an orthopedist or traumatologist. Shortening of the legs (do not be alarmed, this is such a medical term) can be absolute or even relative. To determine the type of shortening, you need to take an x-ray of the pelvic region, as well as the spinal column. This is done in a standing position. From this x-ray, the doctor will accurately indicate the difference between the length of one leg and the other by analyzing the height of the heads of the pelvic joints. This will make it possible to determine the difference in leg length.

If the shortening of the leg is absolute, full compensation is required, and if it is relative, incomplete compensation of the length of the leg is required, up to one third or one second in adults and up to half the length in children.

How to help a person with different leg lengths?

First of all, order orthopedic insoles. Such insoles are also called compensatory. They are selected individually, they are made within 20 minutes, the patient will not even have time to leave the clinic, and the insoles will be ready. You can pick them up right away. What can you achieve with orthopedic insoles?

Stabilize the spine and feet
Scoliosis and flat feet stop developing further
Those parts of the spine that were heavily loaded are now unloaded and can easily recover
If the shortening of the legs is too large, not only orthopedic insoles are used, but also instep supports. They make it possible to make the posture correct, unload the spine and feet.

It should be taken into account that a person may not immediately get used to the insoles and arch supports. A slight discomfort may be felt within 4-5 days of wearing the insoles. Then the person feels incredible relief: the insoles are almost not felt, but fatigue in the legs develops much more slowly, walking is much more comfortable, there is practically no pain in the legs. The stability in the ankle increases, the load on the knees becomes weaker, and the lower back hurts much less.

If within a week the discomfort in the feet and spine does not go away, it means that the orthopedic insoles are chosen and modeled incorrectly. Need a second visit to the orthopedist and other insoles.

Moms! Help! The child has one leg shorter than the other.

Moms! Good evening everyone!
Beg. help advice.
I'm already all exhausted.

My daughter is 1 year and 2 months old. Only a month ago she started to get up from a lying position to a sitting position by herself, without my help.

I have been learning to walk since 8 months. At 8 months, she has already started to sit in a walker. But somehow she didn't understand. that they need to move. Everyone just sat there. And somewhere in the year I started to push myself away. But otpihalas very interesting. With the left leg, as it were, she took a step, and with the right she just pushed sideways. As if the right leg did not walk, but was a prop.
Somehow I didn't pay attention to it. My friend reassured me that I just had a late child, that she would go, but very late. Somehow, the folds beat unevenly on the legs. They were not parallel to each other. But since I have a first child, I did not pay attention to it. Now my Angelinka is already 1 year and 2 months old, but she still does not understand walking. I drive her every day, but she seems to hang herself on me and I pull her. She herself does not stand at the support, if I put her at the support, then I quietly instruct her hands from the back to hold her. When I lead her under the handles (because she doesn’t give a handle. And it’s still not possible to lead her by the handles, since she still doesn’t walk herself, but leans on me), she, as it were, steps with her left foot, and puts her right foot on her toe . As if kulgaet on the right. Or it just keeps on weight, and stands on the left. I thought that she was just late with me, and she didn’t have time to walk yet. By the way, I have heard more than once that she has a crumbling loafer on her right leg in the upper thigh. This has been alarming me for a long time, but my relatives told me that it is normal if the bones of a small child are fragile.
But I myself knew that if the bones are fragile in different places, then this is normal, but if in one place, then I should have been wary. Somehow I wanted to go to our city hospital, ask what it was, but somehow I didn’t leave.

But yesterday I was visiting my friend. We started talking about our kids. We started talking about folds. I say that my daughter's folds on her legs were uneven. But a friend of mine says that this is very bad, that one leg can be shorter than the other, and this may be a congenital dislocation of the hip. And that immediately and for a long time it was necessary to take her to an orthopedist.

And then I was horrified. She ran home. Let's see the legs. And here's what I found:
indeed - her right leg is about 1 cm shorter. It turns out that the thigh itself on the right leg is shorter than on the left leg. And if you put two legs together, then it turns out that the holes between them do not match, one recess on the left is higher. and on the right below. Yes, and if the legs are folded together, then it seems that it is not immediately visible in appearance, but if you look closely and put the two legs together, then even in length you can see that the right one is shorter.
And then I matured. I doted on my daughter, all the time with her, this is my first baby, I love her more than life, but I can’t forgive myself that I never noticed, every day changing clothes for a child, that her thighs do not match. What kind of mother am I after that?
How could I not notice this?

Help people good advice. Maybe someone had a similar problem?
What is this disease? Is she being treated? What to do? what to think?

Tomorrow I will take my daughter to the city to the orthopedist. But today I can not find a place for myself.
I beg you to help with advice, but do not judge. I know myself that I overlooked it.

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1 Have mercy madam

So it is called - shortening of the limb or the result of hip dysplasia, or spinal deformity.

We need a competent orthopedist and more than one year. Mine was like that. well, almost. At the age of 3, pneumonia is a complication of the growth zones in the knee joint and a difference of 6 mm. Massages, electrophoresis, paraffin courses once a quarter - cost conservative treatment. a year later, everything returned to normal and there were 2 years of prophylaxis, procedures once every half a year. now she's 19 - all right. Don't drag out time.

Pancakes with emoticons

Causes

False syndrome occurs after birth and is the result of hip dysplasia. This severe disorder is the displacement of the femoral head from the acetabulum (subluxation) or its complete exit from it (luxation). The first case is not as pronounced as the second. When the head leaves the articular fossa, the resulting cavity begins to overgrow with connective and adipose tissue, which makes it impossible for the bone to return to its original place in a natural way.

In adults, short leg syndrome appears as a result of injuries and fractures of the lower extremities and the hip joint, surgery, an inflammatory disease with damage to bone tissues (tuberculosis, syphilis), the development of a benign or malignant neoplasm of the musculoskeletal system.

Treatment of the syndrome in children

The method of treating a disease in children depends on the cause that caused it. If the appearance of asymmetry of the lower extremities in a child is due to hip dysplasia, a number of diagnostic measures are taken to assess the severity of the pathology. It is possible to accurately determine the pathology only when the patient reaches 3 months of age, after which it is allowed to do x-rays. Before this period, a wide swaddling of the child is recommended with simple physical exercises on the baby's legs in order to avoid the development of the disease. Treatment is prescribed only after the diagnosis is confirmed by an x-ray.

Therapy in adolescents and adults

Adults, as well as adolescents, after passing through the main stages of growth of the bone skeleton, are prescribed the same treatment. It is believed that the difference in length between the limbs is less than 1.5 cm and does not need to be corrected. Asymmetry exceeding this value requires surgical intervention. Means of conservative treatment for adult patients can be used as elements of postoperative rehabilitation, since they are ineffective as the main method of therapy.

Surgical intervention involves the removal of growths of connective and adipose tissue from the acetabulum and the installation of the Ilizarov apparatus on the deformed limb. After the operation, the patient is prescribed a course of massage, physiotherapy (magneto-, paraffin therapy, UHF - ultra-high-frequency therapy) and therapeutic exercises. The wearing of orthopedic compensatory insoles is shown, which will help not to load the sore leg, stabilize the axis of load distribution and speed up rehabilitation.

After discharge from the hospital, the patient should:

close all slippery surfaces in the house with carpets, and use special anti-slip silicone stickers in the bathroom;
move apart furniture that narrows or blocks the passage;
do not raise your knees above 90 degrees;
do not twist your feet when walking;
do not lie down on the operated leg and side;
before going to bed, put a soft pillow between the limbs.

Physiotherapy

A set of exercises of physiotherapy exercises (LFK) necessary to maintain normal muscle tone, prevent blood clots, strengthen and restore ligaments and tendons. The workouts are as follows:

Lying on your back, you need to raise the sore leg and perform circular movements with the foot in one direction and the other.
In the same position, the operated limb should be raised and supination (outward movement) and pronation (inside) of the foot should be performed.
Lying on your back, you need to tear your leg off the floor and slowly bend it at the knee, and then perform the opposite action.
Being on the floor, you need to bend the diseased limb at the knee and gently tilt it in and out.
Lying on your stomach, you should straighten your legs, and put your socks vertically on the floor, then slowly raise the pelvis, straining the muscles of the back and buttocks.
Standing on the floor and holding on to the support, it is necessary to smoothly move the straightened diseased limb to the side and back.

Conclusion

If the pathology was the result of infectious inflammatory diseases of the inflammatory, treatment should first of all be aimed at eliminating the cause.

People who have one leg shorter than the other are actually not that uncommon. Have you often seen an adult who walks with a jumping gait? And the child who doesn't want to play with his friends because he's "funny" lame? In this seemingly insoluble problem, orthopedic arch supports for different leg lengths will help.

Children with different leg lengths are risk groups

According to numerous studies, those children in whom the height of the longitudinal arch of the foot is asymmetric, in 15-20% is combined with scoliosis of various types. Girls are more susceptible to these conditions - they are more likely than boys to suffer from violations of posture and flat feet. This is due to the more sedentary lifestyle of girls.

Adults with different leg lengths are risk groups

The largest group of adults that are particularly affected by scoliosis and related foot deformities are people over 50 years of age. At this time, bone tissue ages and breaks down, especially with an unhealthy lifestyle associated with smoking and poor nutrition, as well as increased stress on the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, in people over 50, a change in the length of the intervertebral disc is often observed - it is deformed.

The pelvic bones are twisted due to the fact that one limb (leg) becomes shorter than the other. Therefore, the disk between the vertebrae wears out, does not serve well, this aggravates bad posture, leads to an imbalance in the left and right parts of the body. The lumbar muscle, which is called the square muscle, is especially affected, it is located in the lower back). This chain also includes the pectoral, clavicular, and scalene muscles, so the intervertebral nerves are compressed, many parts of the body hurt, in particular, the spine, and the person continues to stoop even more. Poor posture in people over 50 is accompanied by an uneven, jumping or limping gait, foot deformity.

Consequences of different leg lengths

When should you go to the doctor?

How to help a person with different leg lengths?

Stabilize the spine and feet
Scoliosis and flat feet stop developing further
Those parts of the spine that were heavily loaded are now unloaded and can easily recover
If the shortening of the legs is too large, not only orthopedic insoles are used, but also instep supports. They make it possible to make the posture correct, unload the spine and feet.