The chiropractor told my wife that one her legs has become one inch shorter than the other. And he can fix it.
Well now, how in the heck can he tell that? It would seem almost impossible to measure it somehow. What would be the reference point (stay clean now )?
Is this just an expression or a reality that you can actually tell somehow. Is it real science?
When my dd was in high school we noticed at some point that her waist seemed to be slanted. This was noticable when she was in a dress. While in college when she had a dr appooint the dr measured her legs and told her that one leg was longer than the other. This makes sense as to why her waist was higher on one side than the other. She had no discomfort at all so the best course of action was to do nothing. It is now about 12 years later. I haven't noticed anything in years (of course she probably doesn't wear dresses all that often when I see her). Maybe her other leg grew longer? Anyways... does your wife have any symptoms? If not, don't do anything. If she does I'd get a second opinion from her doctor who would probably refer her to a specialist.
When one leg is shorter then the other, it is medically referred to as Limb Length Discrepency [sic] or Short Leg Syndrome.
For a minor discrepancy, you can use orthotics. When my daughter was an ice skater, she had some foot problems and we took her to a specialty store where I saw clients with all sorts of devices for all sorts of conditions. They can make a shoe for you with a three inch platform if needed, but some might recommend against it as a long term solution.
I replied and then realized that this thread should be locked or discarded. Discussion of medical conditions is against the rules, unless you are discussing a financial aspect of the problem ("Should I borrow from my 401(k) to pay for treatment?"). Look at the Policies statement.
See the braces thread for an acceptable question: "what did you pay for braces?"
Cody wrote:The chiropractor told my wife that one her legs has become one inch shorter than the other. And he can fix it.
Well now, how in the heck can he tell that? It would seem almost impossible to measure it somehow. What would be the reference point (stay clean now )?
Is this just an expression or a reality that you can actually tell somehow. Is it real science?
Best,
Cody
Yes it's real, my wife wears orthotics for same, and it has helped her. Measuring would seem simple enough especially in a case of a 1" discrepancy, you could actually measure with an X-ray and I would think the horizontal positioning of the pelvis would provide a good indication.
skibbi9 wrote:Its also a common way that chiropractors get you to keep coming back when they really don't have a fix for it.
$$$
i think its one of the more common 'ailments"
I think I would ask (at least) several more questions. One question would be how and to what degree this is causing a problem. It sure seems to me as well that, if this were true, a medical doctor (not sure which kind) could verify such a fault.
I have one leg shorter than the other, and other musculoskeletal problems. I have used chiropractic to relieve back pain - it isn't a cure, but it is somewhat effective in my case. A few years ago while getting my heat pretreatment I overheard my chiropractor in the next "room" (an inadequate partition) advising a diabetic to go off her meds and rely on chiropractic alone to manage her diabetes. He basically told her that once he restored her body to proper balance the diabetes would go away, but that he couldn't restore balance while she was full of chemicals. And that conventional doctors were just loading her down with chemicals for profit motives. Leaving aside the obvious failure to protect confidentiality, this individual was guilty of a dangerous level of malpractice. (I regret that I did not report him; at the time I didn't think my hearsay merited a report but I believe I was wrong.)
The problem with chiropractic in the US is that the field refuses to police itself and prevent practitioners from making unsubstantiated claims. There are things a chiropractor can do. One of which is not fixing a leg length discrepancy. (I'm presuming your wife is a fully grown adult.) When a chiropractor promises to grow your wife's shortened leg the best thing for her to do is thank him, get dressed, pick up her keys, and drive away.
Cody wrote:The chiropractor told my wife that one her legs has become one inch shorter than the other. And he can fix it.
Well now, how in the heck can he tell that? It would seem almost impossible to measure it somehow. What would be the reference point (stay clean now )?
Is this just an expression or a reality that you can actually tell somehow. Is it real science?
Best,
Cody
Do yourself a favor,google :"chiropractor,one leg shorter than the other"
Judge for yourself,,, ,,,,I just measured my legs,one is a little shorter than other but as long as there is no pain and I don't fall over when I get up ,,its all good.
"One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity" –Bruce Lee
I have an uncle with one leg longer than the other. He was experiencing bad back pain. Chiropractor diagnosed and got him orthotics and back pain was relieved.
My PT told me that I was in the same situation and that this is very common. Even a very small difference can result in uneven hips, leading to pain. The therapist showed me a couple of stretches, which I do faithfully and have had no pain/issues since then. Good luck!
Everyone has one leg shorter than the other. We are not perfectly symmetric beings! A small discrepancy is generally well tolerated and compensated by our flexible biomechanics. A larger discrepancy can cause foot, ankle, knee, and hip problems in the longer limb as well as back pain/scoliosis.
A skilled clinician can examine quite easily for leg length discrepancy. To be absolutely certain of the amount of discrepancy a weight-bearing xray of the pelvis and lower limbs is required.
You measure from the anterior superior iliac crest ( that boney point you can feel about your belt line ) to the middle of your medial malleolus, your inner ankle, and compare to the other leg. Chiropractors are sooooo full of crap....
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