Chiropractic Blog

Are you standing tall and straight, or do you feel a bit lopsided? You may want to find out what does a chiropractic doctor do that will help level you out so that you don’t develop chronic back pain. The focus of this article is on leg length, its effect on posture, methods of assessment, and treatment.

Leg length plays an important role in posture. When there is a difference in leg length, the pelvis cannot maintain a level position, and because the spine’s base is the pelvis, it cannot stay straight if there is a leg length discrepancy.

Doctors of all disciplines realize the importance of leg length, especially orthopedic surgeons as they consider a hip or knee replacement. There are many causes of leg length issues, and some include a genetic predisposition (inherited) or trauma during bone growth years.

Because the spinal cord is housed by the spine and the exiting nerve roots communicate with the autonomic nerves that basically run our organ function, maintaining alignment of the spine and pelvis is very important to minimize nerve irritation and subsequent health-related problems. Chiropractic is the leading alternative health care for treating these issues. 

Along with chiropractic care to even out leg length, it may be necessary to use a heel lift (with or without arch supports).  It can be placed into the shoe on the short leg side. Many doctors have found that it is usually wise to GRADUALLY increase the amount of heel lifting, and so patients often start with a 5mm lift and at one-week intervals, increase it to the next height, such as 7mm, followed by 9mm, and so on. However, at 12mm (0.5”), problems with the heel lift being pushed out of the shoe and/or sliding forwards in the shoe may prohibit the use of these thicker lifts after which point the bottom of the shoe can be built up.

If you have questions about what does a chiropractic doctor do, call McKim Chiropractic today to schedule a consultation. Our licensed and certified chiropractic staff is committed to helping the residents of Nampa, ID walk tall!

Nampa Office

Mckim Chiropractic

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