The answer is: it depends.
Most people have a slight difference in leg length (1–10 mm), and in many cases, it’s completely normal and not something to worry about.
But when that difference is more noticeable, or when it shows up alongside pain, tightness, or changes in how you walk, it’s usually a sign of something deeper going on.
🦴 Two Types of Leg Length Differences
- Structural: This is when the actual bones are different lengths. It’s often genetic or caused by injury, surgery, or childhood growth issues. True structural differences are less common, and usually diagnosed with imaging.
- Functional: This is far more common. In this case, the bones are the same length — but your body isn’t moving or holding itself evenly, so one leg appears longer.
It’s like if one side of your pelvis is tilted or rotated, it makes one leg drop lower, even though nothing has changed in the bone itself.
🧠 What Causes Functional Leg Length Differences?
- Pelvic misalignment (from posture, injury, or stress)
- Muscle imbalances (especially in the hips and lower back)
- Compensation from past injuries (like ankle sprains or knee issues)
- Repetitive habits (always crossing the same leg, leaning to one side, carrying kids or bags on one hip)
- Spinal tension or scoliosis
Your body is great at adapting. But over time, these small imbalances can shift the way you stand, walk, and move — and start showing up as a “short leg,” back pain, hip tightness, or even knee issues.
🔍 How We Assess It
As a chiropractor, I don’t just measure leg length and send you on your way. I look at:
- How your pelvis is sitting
- Whether the muscles around your hips are balanced
- How your spine and feet are moving
- And how your nervous system is coordinating all of it
From there, we can figure out if the leg length difference is real, functional, and (most importantly) changeable.
✅ Can It Be Corrected?
In many cases, yes — especially if it’s functional.
With chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue work, and some targeted movement strategies, we can often help realign the pelvis, rebalance muscle tension, and reduce the appearance or effect of that leg-length difference.
Even small shifts can take pressure off your spine, reduce uneven wear on your joints, and help your body move more freely.
The Bottom Line is..
One leg looking longer doesn’t always mean something is “wrong”, but it does mean something’s worth checking.
Because your body doesn’t develop random asymmetries for no reason. And when we understand what’s behind them, we can help prevent them from becoming bigger issues down the track.
