Leg length discrepancy and back pain
How common is leg length discrepancy?
Leg length difference is found in approx. 70% of the population. Most often, the difference in leg length is small, and research has shown that the difference in leg length is only associated with back pain when it exceeds 1 cm. Leg length differences of more than 1 cm are found in 5-10% of the population.
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The relationship between back pain and leg length difference
The back is very strong, and experiments have shown that the spine can withstand a load of as much as 1500 kg in an upright position. If the legs are the same length, the back will be straight, while with a difference in leg length, the pelvis will lean towards the side where you have the short leg. Without us thinking about it, the body compensates for this by making a skew in the lower back. This is problematic because it takes far less strain before the back protests when the back is crooked than when it is straight.
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- Less than 1 cm of leg length difference is not likely to be associated with back pain and does not need to be treated.
- With a 1-3 cm leg length difference, you should build up the shoe on the short side so that you reduce the leg length difference to less than 1 cm.
- With a difference of more than 3 cm in leg length, either shoes on the short side can be built up, or it may be relevant with reference to the specialist health service.
Further reading
These articles go deeper into the topic: