Short leg

[Mikej]

I have been having some r/ side hip problems. Has anybody here had a "short" functional leg problem? If so, what were the main signs - such as, did the short leg side foot turn outward? Did your hip on shrt side move forward? Thanks for any help, I would like to be as informed as possible prior to MD or DC visit.

[DarrenCT]

just go to a good fitter and they'll hook u up. u probably need a shim of some sort.

[andy mac]

i was surprised a few years ago at a bike fitting to be told i had a 'short leg'.

they fitted around it and all was good. not really. things started to go really wrong. took me years and tens of thousands of dollars to find out part of my pelvis had slipped on my left hand side and that i didn't actually have a short leg

if something's up with your hips/pelvis - i'd start with a real specialist in that area and not a general chiro etc.

cheers!

a

:beer:

[andy mac]

just go to a good fitter and they'll hook u up. u probably need a shim of some sort.


SEE MY STORY MORNING GLORY.


:crap: :crap: :crap: :crap:

[jhcakilmer]

Pelvic sheer, or rotation is very common, and can cause a functional short leg, and is probably much more common than an actual structural short leg.
How long have you noticed the issue? Any traumatic injuries....slip and fall, car accident, etc?

[Ginger]

Yep yep. I have a functional leg length difference that's caused by a curvature of my spine...my pelvis doesn't sit straight...so one leg is a different functional length.

After the mortocycle accident I had even more issue...
My PT found that one side of my pelvis had gotten knocked out of whack.
THAT was an *interesting* adjustment process.

So now I'm back to just having a 1/4" functional leg length difference due to my spine.

No actual leg length difference here.

Tons of core work, small shim on the one side for some other issues....

[Fat Robert]

my right femur is 2cm shorter than the left -- same difference in leg length.

i don't do anything.

lots of core work (which you sould do anyway). one leg is at a 27 degree bend, the other at a 33. works for me.

others find they need to shim or whatnot.

your own body will tell you what you need to do

[regularguy412]

I rode for _YEARS_ getting saddle sores on my right sit bone. I had put it off to the saddle , of which I tried many, to no avail. I also attributed it to the stiff aluminum frame I was riding ( partly true ). When I finally made the decision to get on some 'good' steel, the Serotta fitter diagnosed a short leg on the right side. As a fitter, his diagnosis was reasonably true. Only in the last year, have I discovered that it's not really a short leg, but that my L-3 vertebra and the disc above it had slipped ( a long time ago, apparently ). The vertebra is out one way and the disc is out in the other direction. This has allowed my pelvis to be higher on the right side -- effectively 'shortening' my right leg.

The difference between my left and right sides is about 8mm. I shimmed my right cleat for half the difference. This, along with getting on a frame that actually 'fit' me, made all the difference. I hardly ever get sores now.

Additionally, another symptom that I noticed was that my right knee made a pretty big orbit at the top of the stroke. This tended to wear out the saddle cover on the right side of the nose of the saddle. Since I have corrected my length discrepancy, I no longer wear out saddles on only one side.

Mike in AR

[dirtdigger88]

I have an issue that was cause from a broken hip as a child- Im about 2cm off in my right leg

like Fat Robert- I dont do anything about it- except pedal more toe down with one leg than the other-

I dont do anything to compensate for the differance in my normal daily activites- so I dont see why I should on the bike

Jason

[Ti Designs]

I have been having some r/ side hip problems. Has anybody here had a "short" functional leg problem? If so, what were the main signs - such as, did the short leg side foot turn outward? Did your hip on shrt side move forward? Thanks for any help, I would like to be as informed as possible prior to MD or DC visit.

There are way too many flavors of "short leg" to be able to solve anything over the internet. In general I try to break down the problem into three possible causes: lower leg, upper leg or hip position. Lower leg is basicly a connecting rod from the knee and can be addressed with a shim. If you look at the femur while on the bike you'll notice that the normal (centered) position is horizontal, not verticle. Adding a shim under the cleat does nothing to help. It's possible to move the cleats to adjust the circle that each foot turns, but there are limits to this. In some cases I've gone as far as using different length cranks. The hip misalignment is the hardest to solve and probably the most common (figure if you've been walking around with two different length legs all your life it follows that your hips aren't lined up either)

The most common sign of a problem is pain just over one hip, because the body wants to find balance and is being forced to pedal two different circles (form it's own point of view). This isn't a problem in walking because other than when the foot is on the ground it's free to move about in space. On the bike the hips are located by the saddle, the feet are located by the pedals and the cranks dictate the path.

All this said, going to an expert is the best option. Anyone who doesn't deal with cyclists on a regular basis isn't going to understand the issue.

[Dekonick]

before you go to a fit specialist, may as well get adjusted first so if you have leg length discrepancies that can be 'rectified' by a chiropractor you get that done.

Good luck!

[andy mac]

All this said, going to an expert is the best option. Anyone who doesn't deal with cyclists on a regular basis isn't going to understand the issue.



i don't think you need a cycle friendly person to tell you if you have a pelvis sheer, spinal issues etc.

i would have been fixed years faster and at least $30k cheaper if i had gone straight to a specialist and avoided countless "bike experts".

then, when things are moving correctly, engage bike folks.

make sure your house's foundation is sound before decorating the rooms.

cheers,

a

[Ti Designs]

i don't think you need a cycle friendly person to tell you if you have a pelvis sheer, spinal issues etc.

No, but cycling is a different condition than walking. Femur length differences often create an intense pain in the lower back on the longer side while riding but aren't noticed while walking. An expert who doesn't know about the conditions isn't really an expert...

i would have been fixed years faster and at least $30k cheaper if i had gone straight to a specialist and avoided countless "bike experts".

Wait, you went to "countless bike experts" to the tune of $30 and none of them suggested an expert outside of the bike industry? What if you needed surgery, would they take that on too? Like any other field, knowing when you're in over your head is half the battle.

[andy mac]

No, but cycling is a different condition than walking. Femur length differences often create an intense pain in the lower back on the longer side while riding but aren't noticed while walking. An expert who doesn't know about the conditions isn't really an expert...



Wait, you went to "countless bike experts" to the tune of $30 and none of them suggested an expert outside of the bike industry? What if you needed surgery, would they take that on too? Like any other field, knowing when you're in over your head is half the battle.


actually, maybe my answer was a little short - tried to spare everyone the long, boring, expensive and frustrating details. saw plenty of recommended people both in and outside of the industry in europe, australia and the usa over the last 4 years.

wasn't until i saw a pelvis specialist who usually works with women after childbirth that someone was able to id what was wrong.

my experience was that fitters work to make a bike fit around you - they can't necessarily detect and/or diagnose complex body issues.

cheers,

andy.

[Mikej]

Pelvic sheer, or rotation is very common, and can cause a functional short leg, and is probably much more common than an actual structural short leg.
How long have you noticed the issue? Any traumatic injuries....slip and fall, car accident, etc?

Like ten times a day I smashed my hip into concrete skateboarding in the 80's. I have noticed forward twist to the painful side. I can still ride a 100 miler, but I have this just nagging in the the hip. What type of specialist would one seek? I have done ROLFING, but I do not think a regular chiro would turn down the opportunity to make some $$ even if he wasn't capable,

I still skate a 10ft bowl w/ my son. OLD SCHOOL, OWA!

[Mikej]

To diagnose a short leg? DoesN'T that take an M.D. to make a diagnosis?

[Ti Designs]

To diagnose a short leg? DoesN'T that take an M.D. to make a diagnosis?


I am an MD (mental defect). I'm also a PhD (poor, hairless dummy) and I hold a degree in BS from working in the bike industry for 20 years. All this almost makes me qualified to measure bones on an x-ray film??? You need an M.D. to sit in a waiting room for an hour and bill your health insurance for it.

[jhcakilmer]

To diagnose a short leg? Doesn'T that take an M.D. to make a diagnosis?

Sure, an MD could, but your PCP would probably refer you to an orthopedic specialist....or they should. A DO or DC should be able to diagnosis and treat a pelvic, or spinal dysfunction/subluxation based on physical orthopedic testing, and palpation. They should also order x-ray to compare with their physical findings.

If that doesn't work, then the orthopedic specialist is your next step.

Just my $0.02

[swoop]

why make it a negative.. just say you have a regular leg and a long one.
damn long leg.

atmo.