Is it bad if one leg is longer than the other?

Some people are born with one leg longer than the other. In other cases, injury or illness causes a discrepancy in leg length that may progress over time. This isn’t necessarily something to worry about, as a little variation is normal and likely won’t lead to any health issues.

What does it mean when your right leg is longer than the other?

In this condition, one leg looks and feels longer than the other, but is the same length when measured. It’s caused by poor posture that leads to unbalanced muscle strength and tension. When bad posture becomes a habit and you sit or stand in the same position daily for months or years, your muscles compensate.

What causes one leg to grow longer than the other?

There are many different reasons to have a leg length discrepancy, but there are two main causes: 1) your child was born with a condition that caused one leg to grow slower than the other or 2) something happened during your child’s lifetime that affected the length of the bone (i.e. a fracture) or affected the growth …

Can uneven leg length cause hip pain?

With leg-length discrepancy, either hip joint can cause pain, and usually both hip joints hurt to some degree. To propel the leg forward, the hip joint must be raised which strains the gluteus medius muscle and connective tendons and the posterior hip ligaments.

Can legs grow at different rates?

The difference in length can range from a fraction of an inch to several inches. Some children are born with congenital limb differences that cause their legs or arms to grow at different rates.

How do you know if one leg is shorter?

How to Determine Differences in Leg Length. The only real way to assess a permanent, structural difference in leg length is through the use of an X-Ray or CT scan. This is because sometimes the appearance of uneven legs isn’t due to an actual difference in leg length.

How do you treat uneven leg length?

Treatment for a discrepancy depends upon the severity. In many cases, a minor difference in leg length can be well tolerated or evened out by wearing a small lift in one shoe. A child with a more significant difference, however, may benefit from surgery to make their legs the same length.

Is it safe to pop your hips?

Repeatedly cracking your hip can worsen or cause injury over time. While a hip that feels “out of place” can be irritating, don’t swing your hips around or move erratically to try to get it to “pop.” Any attempt to crack your hip should be done slowly, safely, with mindfulness and careful movements.