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. The focus of this article is on leg length, its effect on our 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. 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 which include genetic or trauma during bone growth years.

From a treatment standpoint, a heel lift can be placed into the shoe on the short leg side. Unfortunately, there is not a 1 to 1 mm correction of the leg length deficiency with heel lifts. In adults, it has been reported that about a 66% correction occurs, which means a 10 mm lift would result in around a 6.6mm leg length deficiency correction.

Many doctors have found that it is usually wise to GRADUALLY increase the amount of heel lifting.  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) 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 by a shoe cobbler (some services can be found online as well).

By Chiro-Trust.org, edited by Spine Intelligence

Many people seek chiropractic care for low back, mid-back, neck pain along with pain in the extremities; but what about balance and/or dizziness, as they often go together? Can chiropractic management help people suffering from frequent falls due to balance and/or dizziness problems? Let’s take a look!

When considering treatment for balance, we must talk about the “proprioceptive system.” The way the body “communicates” between all the various body parts is by proprioceptors—which are located in skeletal muscles and joint capsules—that relay information to the brain. This information from the various body parts is then integrated with incoming information from the vestibular system (inner ear). The brain also relies heavily on the cerebellum located in the back of the head, which is largely responsible for coordinating the unconscious (automatic) aspects of proprioception.

The ability to maintain balance, such as when standing on one leg (eyes open and closed), is dependent on the ability for the ALL THREE of these systems to work properly, and like any other skill, “…practice makes perfect!”

Balance Exercise to Try

Please try standing on one leg and then shut your eyes. Can you feel your ankle, foot, leg, and the rest of your body struggle to keep you balanced? For those of us under age 60, it’s “normal” to be able to balance on one foot with eyes closed for 25 seconds (or 10 and 4 seconds if you are between 60-69 or, 70-79 years old, respectively)! Scary, isn’t it? But don’t feel bad, as most of us can’t do this at first. With practice and the right exercises, you will be able to do it. Your “kinesthetic sense” CAN BE improved, and your doctor of chiropractic can guide you in the process.

So, how does dizziness fit into this picture? Let’s talk about the ear!

Our ears have two jobs: hearing and balance. The outer ear catches sound and funnels it to the eardrum which vibrates and moves three little bones that transmit the information to the cochlea and finally to the brain allowing us to hear sound. Deep inside the ear is the “vestibular apparatus,” which is the organ of equilibrium that assists in balance. Here, three semicircular canals are filled with fluid and two sac-like structures located at the base called the utricule and saccule. The fluid in the canals flows past little hair-like structures that are connected to nerves that relay information to the brain, telling it where we are in space (horizontal—laying down, vertical—standing) and if we’re moving forwards/accelerating or moving up/down (like in an elevator).

There are little tiny “stones” in these two sacs that move the little hair-like structures but they can dislodge into the canal and alter the flow of fluid (like a rock sticking out of a flowing river creating eddy currents), which alters the direction the little hairs bend, resulting in vertigo or dizziness as the brain is receiving conflicting information from the hairs bending in multiple/different directions. This is called “BPPV” (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), which is brief episodes of vertigo immediately following a change in head position such as rolling over in bed, getting up from sitting or laying, etc. This is the most common cause of vertigo.

If you Google “BPPV,” you will find different exercises that can move these little stones back into position.  Brandt-Daroff and Epley’s maneuver, both of which work well often within a day or two. If the balance/dizziness (vertigo) doesn’t improve, then you should consider other possibilities.  For example, such as inner ear inflammation or acute vestibular neuritis or blood pressure issues, medication side effects, and more. Your chiropractor can teach you the BPPV exercises and perform cervical adjustments, which can also help significantly.

Article By Chiro-Trust.org