Leg Checks and Spine Allignment

Leg checks are a quick and easy way to get more information on subluxations that are present in the spine. During a typical visit I have patients lay face down on the adjusting table and I observe their legs to see if they appear even or if one leg is shorter than the other, this is called a Derefield leg check. I also have the patient turn their head left and right and observe any change in the length of the legs. This simple check can reveal misalignments in the pelvis or sacro-iliac joints or in the cervical spine and sub occipital regions.

Misalignments in these regions of the neck and back can cause imbalance throughout the back causing the leg to appear contracted or short. If you are curious as to whether you have a short leg you can have a friend look at your legs to see if they can see any imbalance. This is usually done by having you lay on your back on a bed and then bringing your feet together. I used the heel of the shoe as an easy reference point to compare. If you notice an imbalance here you may need a spinal adjustment to correct it.

Normally after finding a short leg a simple chiropractic adjustment is given and the leg returns to its normal even state. It is possible to have a structurally short leg if you injured a growth plate in the bone while it was still growing, had polio, or fractured your leg in the past, to name a few examples.

After having a misaligned pelvis corrected most patients can feel if it becomes misaligned again by the way it feels to them and come in to get it adjusted before it becomes more painful again. Regular chiropractic check ups help to catch this early on and this can improve treatment results.

In my practice I see a short leg very frequently associated with people that have low back pain, tightness in the back, leg pain, and numbness in legs. This imbalance also puts more stress on the thoracic or mid back and can cause it to be tight or painful also. Sometimes a hunched up shoulder can be observed while the patient is laying that appears opposite of the side with the short leg. After correcting the misalignment with an adjustment the shoulder relaxes and is not hunched anymore.